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A M^Mfer ftoE^!i^ 0 __/ >^ '^^ '^ ■"": : ■■■■■-.■:■■■.■■.■"■■■■■■■; //§ '^^r ■:■■ ■■■■■■. ,■ : ■: ■ : li^^y|. iil : B ' ■■■■".--■ •''■'xli?!%&v'?sSccS'-''l' <■' ■■■■■■'••■■■■'■■■•■■'■'•■■■ ■'■■■■'- THE J IHSMIOHS Off THE OPIATE Vir.TIM.. i I AMES PARKER, respected Jand esteemed business man. "Jack" Parker," * depraved victim of a drug that owns him, body and soul. James ■ Parker, prosperous business man with money coming into his coffers and the foundation of a fortune laid. "Jack" Parker, hollow-eyed, pale-faced, with sunken cheeks, without ambition, living from hand to mouth, hunted by the police. >, From a high station to a low station, from wealth and affluence, to poverty and degradation. This is the history of the fall of a man who was led from his posi tion of influence to his present state of humiliating slavery, by the narcotic drug that wrought his ruin. Ten years ago James Parker was grad uated from the University cf Tennessee. He became a business man, entering Into partnership with his wealthy father, and gave promise of a successful business ca reer. He fell a victim to the potent, In- s'dious charms of morphine; his fortune withered away; his prestige vanished; his manhood fell away from him and he be came a tramp, shuddering at the sound of hia own name, a seeker of shadows, a lover of solitude and the drugs that held Mm in bonds of abject slavery. Once he reformed. He married a beauti ful woman, but the siren voices of mor phine and cocaine wooed him. from the arms of his wife and sent him out again a wanderer on the face of the earth. Broken-hearted, the woman who had married him sickened and died. From that moment the "Dr. Jeckyl" of James Parkar was banished and the "Mr. Hyde" of "Jack" Parker asserted itself, and be came predominant. He plunged upon the career of a gam bler; from the gambling game to the opium joint was only a st§p; from the opium joint to the use of cocaine injector was only another step. Today the James Parker, well-known throughout the state of Tennessee, has ceased to exist, and "Jack" Parker, hunted by the police, has appeared in his stead. This is the story he relates himself: By James Parker. I have been asked to give my personal experience with opium, morphine, cocaine and hashish or Indian hemp. The first tv/o are narcotic in effect and tend to sooth and quiet the nerves; whereas the latter two irritate and excite. I have used them all and therefore am in a po sition to speak truthfully and honestly In regards to the effects of the different drugs. I shall not exaggerate nor belittle a single word. The old saw about those lhat dance must pay the fiddler holds good in my case, as I am certainly paying him dearly for my early dancing, but I have no one to blame but myself, so there is no use crying over spilt milk, but look to the future to build up and blot out tha past. If this story will be the means of sav ing one soul from hell on earth I shall feel amply rewarded for my work. To begin, I don't believe there is or ever was a human being that deliberately ac quired the morphine or opium habit from choice of his own personal pleasure. The beginning can always be traced back to one or more of the following causes: Tha first and most common Is from being given by physicians to allay severe pain or pro duce sleep and rest to weak and emac iated patients. Again, patients begin tak ing the drugs themselves for the same causes, of course, the desired results fol low, as the powerful drugs place the pa tient in such ease and comfort, both physically and mentally, that it Is kept up day after day till at last he realizes the terrible truth. He has the habit and must have the drug. Then, again, It Is an accumulating habit. He finds the dose must be Increased to acquire the desired feeling, until, at last, the drug acquires such a hold upon him that he is at the mercy of Its demands. At that stage he will do anything to get It; he will pull the clothes off his back to get money in order to buy his favorite. If ha should be placed in a position where it is impos sible to get It the sufferings, both men tally and physically, are beyond descrip tion. There IB nothing to compare to the suffering endured by a drug flend entirely cut oft from ms favorite drug all of a sudden. I went through it and will de- Bcrlbe the torture further on. It must be understood that I only speak for myself, and as the different drugs aJ feet everyone differently. Hasheish (In dian hemp) may take you from'the earth and place you in paradise. There Is noth ing like the pleasureable sensation, for a short time. One peculiar feature about the drug, after sleeping the effects off, you don't have the bad after effects as in all other drugs. You awaken in a per fectly natural state of feeling. Again, you probably will be in the opposite way, and have the most horrible dreams, and really go insane for an hour or so, but after the effect dies out you -will feel perfectly nor mal and won't know that you had gone through such a horrible experience the night before. I shall now proceed to give you a his tory of my introduction to the use of drugs. As I remarked in the first part of my story, I don't believe anyone ever de liberately began using drugs for pleas ure's sake alone. I simply speak from my own personal experience and general ob servation, as I have been acquainted with all kinds and classes of drug fiends, and have never met one that didn't start from eo-me special cause. In my own case, the beginning was through a physician giving me hypodermic Injections of morphine, to cause sleep, as I had become very weak from loss of sleep and incessant cough ing, caused by a very severe case of ty phoid phneumonia on both lungs. I had two physicians attending me and they had given up all hope of saving me.- I was so low that night my friend wrote my obituary, intending to have it put in the-New York World next morning, as it seemed a certainty I would not be alivo a few hours later. But the next morn ing when he called I had passed "such a quiet night and gained considerable strength to battle the disease. When the doctors called next morning they were dumbfounded to see such marked Im provement in such short time. Of course, it was decided that the mor phine given the night before had checked the disease and given mo a night of per fect ease and good sound sleep, by which means I had gained strength during the night. That was the beginning, as every night I insisted on having my tonic, as I called it. Dr. Frederichs called to see me every night on his way home, and as I would insist on him giving me an injection so hard, he thought more harm would coma by me fretting and working myself up into such a nervous state than by giving It to me and allowing perfect rest. He gave very small doses, but it was enough to give me the pleasant sensations pro duced by the entiqing drug. After I be came convalescent enough to travel I was ordered South by the doctor to spead a few weeks. I went to Jacksonville, Fla., and spent two months, but I kept my promise made the doctor that I would stop using the drug just as soon as I was able to leave my bed. After my re turn to New York from the South I had lost my situation and began running with fast company. I got to gambling and, In other words, began living a fast and fur ious life, or as they say, the pace that kills. I gradually cut myself loose from all my decent and eelf-respecting friends, until at last my only associates were gamblers and fast women. I left home to live with a fast woman. We rented fine apartments on the upper West Side of the city and lived high from the pro ceeds of my winnings, as I ran a pool room for women and, of course, robbed them right and left. This kept up for about on© year and a half, when the po lice, who had all along been collecting their protection money, pounced down on me one afternoon, arresting myself and all my patrons. We were all taken to the station and put under bond. The next morning all were allowed to go with a severe reprimand, except me, whom they bound over to the criminal court on the charge of unlawfully running a pool-room. I was out on bail. About two weeks later my lawyer sent for me and my lady to call at his house. One night wff called and he made & prop osition to square everything for $200, so I would not even have to step inside of the court-room. We told him to allow the night to study the matter over. After going home and talking it over, and the probability of my going to prison for a year or co, we concluded, as we had $700 I of\ HypODER.N%tC jHsjEcrrtNG - COC/?///£ INTO THE fIRJA. or SBOO, to accept his proposition. So the next morning I went to his office and told him all O. K. About seven or eight days later we received word to call at his of fice, which we did. He at once gave us papers to sign, which I could see wer<s orders of release and privilege to with draw bond, as I had $500 cash put up with the city chamberlain. We withdrew the bond and T paid the lawyer $200, received the receipt and went home, never more to hear of the case. Well, it seemed as if fate was deter mined that I should be a drug flend, after two years of being without a drug of any kind and not even having a desire for any. On the other hand, I did not want to smoke, nor have anything to do with the pipe, as I could see the consequence of indulging in the pleasure of smoking the seductive juice of the poppy, but at the homes of very nearly all of my ac quaintances I would visit there would be the tempting layout, with the little lamp, sending its mellow rays into the ghastly faces around it. It is a picture impossi ble to describe by words. One of the most noticeable characteristics of all smokers is to exclude all light, except the small, ghastly light given from the lamp on the layout; even in daylight you will find the room darkened as much as pos sible, as they had rather endure suffocat ing heat than have light stream into the room. But that is only one of the pecul iarities of a smoker, and one you will find all smokers guilty of. But every one will have his or her, as the case may be, peculiar traits. It is very interesting and comical to go to an opium joint and watch the dif ferent characters. You will see all sides of life, and scenes that will impress you all your life. You will probably see a young fellow over there begging some habitue for God's sake to give him a few pills {that's what they call the opium when cooked ready to smoke), as he has a terrible yen-yen (Chinese for habit). You look upon him with pity and say to yourself, "Thank God. I am not in' his place, and never will be." Don't be too certain about that, my friend. You know not what fate has in store for you. I went all through the same thing, had the same feelings of pity, and made the same remark that I would never allow myself to get a habit. For over three years I was mixed up with smokers and drug users all the time, night and day. and lived among them. Once in a while I would take a smoke for pleasure, but that would end it for a week or ten days, so I was called a pleasure smoker, as all such periodical smokers are called. There is not the least doubt of one thing, and that is, I would have acquired the habit a great deal sooner than I did if it had not been for my mistress fight ing with me all the time about it. The first time I smoked she was on a visit to her people up in Maine. I shall never forget my first experience of smoking around an opium layout. One day a friend insisted I should call to see him that evening, a* he wanted to Introduce me to a very nice young fellow, and also show me a. curiosity. When the* appointed hour arrived the rain was fall ing in torrents, with the wind blowing a hurricane, such a night as only New York can produce in November. It was a typi cal night to be initiated to what was to follow. I hated to start out in the weather, but as I only had to go around the corner, I went, and met my friend standing in th© doorway waiting for me. We went up to his room and found an other of our friends waiting for him and me to return. While we were talking an ottter party came, whom he wanted us to meet. After being introduced and shaking hands, Frank (the new friend) invited all of us to his room on the floor above. I ehall now give the reader the names of all in the party. My friend who invited me over was named Horace Swarm of Louisville. I shall tell a short story pre ently about Horace. He was a hummer. The other party's name was Fred Hare. Now we have all entered Frank's room. He leads the way and turns up the gas. Of course, my eyes take in everything very quickly, but I see nothing different than any other furnished room, only everything seemed keot very orderly anfi Jrgk vaRKEfk. clean, with a great many ornaments around. Frank goes over and opens the washstand drawer and gets out his lay out. It was the first time Fned and I had seen one, but Horace had already toM us downstairs about It. as he was up the night before smoking. Frank took the tray (a common tin try) and laid it on the bed, then lit the lamp, and after get ting everything prepared, he told us to remove our coats, vests, collars and ties, also shoes, so as to be able to lie as comfortable as possible. One of the main things to do when starting in for a pleas ure smoke is to make, yjpurself as com fortable as possible. After preparing our selves to lie down. Frank placed us in such a manner that we formed a kind of circle around the layout. Horace lay di reetlv across from Frank, who did the cooking. Fred lay with: his head upon Horace's side, and I did likewise on Fred's side. The idea was to have our faces near the lamp, so we could take our turn to smoke a pill when it came. There ia a great fascination laying around a layout with Interesting com pany. I shall now begin by describing what constitutes an opium Smoker's layout. He can, of course, like everything else, make the cost cheap or expensive. First of all is the stem and bowl. The stem is of bamboo, and you can have any dimension you like. Some are an inch in diameter and one a.nd a half feet long, while others go as high as three and one-half to four inches thick and one and one-half to two feet in length. The main thing in select ing a stem or bowl is age. It is like-liquor —the older the mo.'c valuable. A new stem is no good at all. If it so happens a smoker gets a new stem the first thing he will do will bp to pack it tight full of yen-she (the Chinese word for opium ashes) and let it stand a few days: then drive a rod through the" packing/ It will then be 1n condition to use. A new bowl will get the same treatment, only the yen she will be beaten to a fine powder and mixed with water, so it will run all over the inside of the bowl and adhere to all sides. As a general rule, most smokers prefer a stem about two inches thick and one and one-half feet long. Both ends are Ivory tipped and about four inches from the lower end a large slit is cut so as to place the saddle, which is a piece of metal rounded so as to fit snugly over the stem. About the center of the saddle and right over the slit in the stem is a very short tube. Into which the bowl is fastened, and you have a pipe, ready to use. The balance ot the layout, I shall use Fank's as a sample, on|y he had a lot of unnecessary articles oti hi* tray, which was a common, ordinary #n waiting tray. In the center sat the lamp, made of glass, and burned either swfet Qil or peanut oil, as they give a steady/ mqllow light, with out smoke or smell. *Tbe tiext articles my eye noticed were threw" Or lour small wires about six or seven laches long, sharp at one end and flatten^ out at the other. Those they call yen-hocks, and are used to cook the opium with. Then a small sponge, dampened, lay in a small saucer. It is called the sou-i-pow,»used to cool the bowl when it gets too pot and strong, also to clean the suifEateewhen too much ojrtum clmgs to it. vui *en-she-gow is a round piece of iron»'hoq|:ed at one end and the hooked parg iw^pened on both Bides, that is, place* tn *a handle like a chisel or any other tool. The use of this little article is to clean th« bowl of ashes (called ypn-she) when fnlj. The next is what is called a hop toy, a round cylinder affair made of bone. That is used to jut opium in, as smoking opium is a thick paste, and when warm runs like thick molasses, but -congeals when cold. It is a light brown color when of the first quality. No. 1, the best, comes from China and is called lei yueti. No. 2 Is mostly made in Victoria. Opium comes in cans cbout three inches wide, five inches long and .two inches thick. The can Is only about half full when bought, as it expands so from heat that it would burst the can If any fuller. A can sells from $5.50 to $8.25, but is liable to be higher or lower, according to supply on hand. Now, I have described all articles that are necessary to a smoker's layout. You can have all the little ornaments you like on the tray, such as fancy cigar ette and match cur>s. I think I have "about covered all the description of a layout, and will take the next step, showing the praparatio-n of opium ready to smoke. I shall take the reader back to where we were all lying down on the bed around the layout, all prepared to take a few puffs at the pipe and soar away into the land of fairies, where all troubles are left behind and you are transformed for fn"e time being into a millionaire. You can have everything your heart wishes for. Frank lay m the right side of the lay out and picked out a yen-hock from three or four on the tray, whTch he dug down into the hop toy and got a dab of opium on the point about the size of a pea, which, when he held it over the little flame, began expanding and sizzling until it was as large as a small walnut. At the same time he would press it against his thumb every now and then till all liquid had been taken out. which left the opium in a very brittle state immediately upon being withdrawn from the light. He had to work it over the flame continually so as to keep it in a soft state. The odor from the cooking was a very pleasant, pungent sort. After he had worked the pill (that is what it is called) and rolled it upon the bowl till he had it conical shape, he stuck the sharp end Into the hole in the bowl, which mashed the pill into a cylindrical shape, which was then ready to put on the bowl to be smoked. The process of putting the pill on the bowl Is by holding the little hole m the bowl over the flame till It becomes hot, then sticking the end of the yen-hock, with pill on it, through the hole, the heat causing the pill to adhere to the bowl; and by taking away from the flame the yen-hock can easily be withdrawn, leaving a small hole through the pill. Then the pipe Is handed to one of the party to be smoked, which he does by placing the mouth of the stem against the lips and the pill over the point of the flame, giv ing one deep, long draw, and the pill is consumed. Of course, the smoke will be inhaled deep down into the lungs, by which means the system takes up the drug. The same process to be repeated over and over as each pill is cooked. Probably the reader would like to ask how many pills do you smoke before you feel the effects. In answering that ques tion I will say there la no general limit to the number, as sometimes it only takes two to affect a novice, where others may stand as high as six or seven before de riving any effect, but an old smoker can smoke anywhere from fifteen to twenty five before feeling any effects. Horace started the ball rolling by smok ing the first pill. He had mastered the art of drawing in the smoke, as the night before he had been smoking with Frank. The next came Fred's turn and he had a pretty tough time of it, as it being his first trial he couldn't get the hang of how to smoke, for every time Frank placed a pill over the flame for him to draw he would allow air to get between the stem and his lips In such a way he couldn't draw and consequently the pill would burn. When my turn came I had the same trouble at first, but got on to the way to do it very quickly, and after that had no trouble at all In smoking. I kept Jumping up off the bed and eating grapes, also drink water. Frank kept telling me to He still, as I would get deathly sick. One thing a novice must not do under any circumstances, and that is walk around and drink water. He must lie per fectly Mill or g*t deathly sick. I wouldn't pay any attention to him, and after I smoked five or six pills, all of a sudden I got sick at my rtomnch and began throw- f Ing up until I thought I would surely file, but after I laid down and became per fectly still I began feeHng the pleasant effects of the drug, and oh! what relief and such exquisite pleasure. I was trans ferred to a perfect blissful state. It is hard to find words to describe my pleas ureable sensations, as I seemed to leave this old world of trouble and misery and was transplanted into a garden of Eden, where trouble is unknown and a penniless man changed to a millionaire. I simply lay perfectly at ease, both physically and mentally. All my troubles had flown and left me at peace with the world. I shall never forget the exquisite pleasure I re ceived from my first smoke after I recov ered from my sickness. Horace and Fred left and Frank insisted I should spend the night with him, so I undressed and lay on the opposite side of the layout, while Frank smoked and talked to me, while I lay with eyes closed, feeling like a lord, and the first thing T knew dropped off in a peaceful slumber, which lasted till morning. When T awoke the after effects began and I felt sick at the stomach. With the big head, similar to the way one feels after drinking too much the night before. All the forenoon I sat around the store in a drowsy state, my mouth was dry. with a very disagreeable taste, but toward noon I began' to feel normal again, and concluded never to influlge again, as the unpleasant after effects outweighed the nleasant sensations. Just as soon as I had my dinner T fojmd myself wandering over toward Frank's room, as he and T had become fast friends during the night. When I arrived in front of his house I met Horace standing at the front door. He grabbed me by the arm and insisted on going to his room a few minutes, as he had something to tell me. When we were safely in his room and the door locked he whisnered and told me his board was due and the landlady had been after him. He didn't have the money, and in tended moving during the night and wanted me to help him get his trunk out. I promised that I would, when everything became stilL In the meantime, T went to Funk's room and found him smoking. which I was aware of before entering- the room, as I could smell the sweet, punsrent odor from the smoking and cooking of the hon (opium). When I entered I found him all alone smoking and reading a -paper, enioylna himself immensely. He was awfully glad I came over, as he began thinking t wouldn't come. All smokers like company. Of course. T nulled off my shoes, -coat and vest »nd laid down. Prank cooked a -n«ll find handed tt to me, which I smoked with great pleasure. : - . . : v . After smoking four or five I Tw«ran to soar among the clouds again, as T hay* already described. I trot such a fine load aboard that when Horace got ready to move T couldn't walk, as the first smok ing will cause one to become dlzsry and stagger on trying to walk. He had to get someone rls*>. "Frank nnd I then re tired when all of a sudden there was a light knock at the door. When Fmnk opened it, in walked his mistress. She sized me up. but said nothing. Of course, I insisted on leaving, but they wouldn't hear to it, as she remarked tUe bed was large enough for three. We lay and smoked awhile, then all hands fell asleep till morning. A very intimate friendship sprang up between us. I had sent my lady home to her people about four weeks before this meeting with Frank and Flos sie, as I shall call his lady when referring to her in the future. Every night would find me. immediately after dinner, with Prank and Flossie, indulging in the pleas ure of smoking: the seductive drug. We would lay and plan all kinds of things we intended doing. The first thing to be, done was to send for my lady. whns» name was Sadie, as I felt sure she would get stuck on the pipe and all four of us get a n1o» little flat together. Frank nnti I could pal together and Sadie and Flossie do like wise. We had grand ideas in view, if they were carried out. The next day I sat down and sent Sadie money to come back to me immediately. In the meantime Frank and I had gotten a nice, cozy little four-room flat, two bedrooms, parlor and kitchen and dining-room combined. No one in New York had any neater or nicely furnished flat than we had. and what grand plans we hatched. We moved in right away and for four nights w* had a fine time. I got a telegram from Sadie to mwt her at the depot, as she would leave Boston at 1 o'clock p. m. and arrive in New York at 6 p. m. We got everything in grand shape to meet her. Frank and I had bought silk hats and new clothes that day, and when we arrived at the depot to meet her we were a couple of millionaires. We didn't have long to wait. a« the train pulled in on time. Wo walked down the platform and watched the pas sengers pasa, when all of a sudden I saw my sweetheart. I was delighted and ran over to where aha was, grabbed hold of her, and gave her a kiss before she knew it. When she recovered from the shock she started to get angry, os she didn't recognize me, dressed as I was. Well, I Introduced her to Prank and we ■went to the flat with her valise and irava her a chance to meet Flossie. Both girla dressed and the four of us went out to a restaurant to have a table d'hote dinner. After dinner we went home, with the ex pectation* of a fine smoke. When we ar rived there the girls changed their street dresses for loose fitting tea gowns, and Prank and I also prepared to be comfort able. When all was ready the layout was produced and lit. Then we all lay around, as I have already described. Sadie had been taking in every move made, but had said nothing:. Frank cooked and smoked the first pill and Flossie the next When it came to Sadie she refused to try it, bo Frank passed it to me and I placed the stem to my lips, when all of a eudden Sadie reached up and jerked it away, saying at the same time I should never smoke around her. Well, that was a nice how do-you-do. We had all been planning what, a swell time w« were going to have when Sadie returned and I had been talk ing all along for her,-thinking, of course, she would get stuck on it the same as I did, because we had always liked what . the other did, but she seemed to have a perfect horror of the pipe. We coaxed and talked, trying to get her to relent, but to no avail. That set tled my smoking that night, as I wouldn't defy her, as I could if I wished- She watched me like a cat watching a mouse and every time I tried to steal a smoke she caught me, and we began fighting so much about it that when our week was up I concluded we had better move by ourselves. I told Frank. He didn't like it, but I knew we wctild never be happy, so Sadie and I moved uptown. But it seemed as if fate was determined I should gret against the pipe At the place we moved to a man and his wife were smok ing next door. We went In the room three days before Sadie discovered they were smokers. One night she was lying awak«, while I was dreaming and hearing sounds of voices next door, she went to the door between our room and the next and. look ing through the keyhole discovered th°m smoking. In the course of time we met the parties and visited them a great deal but I never touched the pipe again for quite a while. Then T got to smoking one«? in a while, as a pleasure smoke. About one year after meeting this cou ple, whom I shall refer to in the future as George and Mamf<\ I began following the races. They were truly man and wife, sir name Adnmsrn:. You will find very few of New York's fast set married. Some timps a couple will live toother for five or six years or more, then conclude to get mErrir-d, but the majority separate after a time. T began about one year after George ami 1 bperan making books at the race track which necessitates he and I being thrown together all the time. Every morning about U o'clock I had to go to his room and wake him 11 n. He would dress, eat hi* brrakfast and -woke (us he hid what they call twice a. -day :habit). so Ye would set out to thp raco track in time to go on the line. T^ey have a rfiff-T-o-t style of booking in the East. Th» old style of Wool-mem, pV, op t «n"a' ticV«t I*-r. ■ *"ith the c^pVil^r in the rear, lias b^n •'one away with: and now each bonk has three high st~ol chairs, two side, bv-' side a tad on in the.rpar. The m^n that lav? the odrfs sits on one chair with a small slate, which he "holds in M* bind. with an ordi nary program ; sllpt»»d in the aid" of the slate. The shoot writer oocitnlm <he chair alongside of him and records bets as he cmis them off. : Instead of «r?vine you a ticket, a? fn -tho T>*>?<t. your hifltrp Is num bpir'-d. and when you make a b°t th«» book maker r*>cr«r<3s th« nurrb«»r. Tf you win yon •'o to th« cashier on the «tool behind and show badge -number, and" he will pay you. . ■;."/; (■ :'... ... ■ ■ . ■. '"■'-._ J,am Jgpttir<Eratto«rethpr away froTn'nay sublet. As I said before. George hud to smoke before going to the track, and. of course. T had to stay and talk to him while he was choking. I had to be so ciable and would take a few so as to feel good during the afternoon. -Then In the evening when-we returned from the track we wriuld take the girls out to dinner and go back and smok« -all the evening. His wife was a very hard -smoker at the time, but as luck was In her favor, a doctor had discovered a new rare for the drink and the drug habit. s>nd therefore was very anxious to pet a few suhiects to experiment on. She was very anxious to be cured, us she wan In. a deli cate condition at the time, and she know her physical condition would not be able to stand the strain." "" "* She was only; about -thre<* weeks nni3er treatment when the doctor, pronounced her cured and. sure enough, he was right. It was the easiest cure 1,, ever saw. .-She didn't suffer at all and after the first d<>=e all desire : for smoking left her and she lav night after night talking to G^or-re and me while we were smoking, and "he never had the least desire to smoke. The treatment consisted only of going to the doctor's every morning and taking a dose of. medicine, which did for twenty-four hours. He wouldn't allow her to take any thing .home.; .She • never knew when she was off the habit. .Of course, everyone predicted she would besrin smoking again, .but that was -In 903 and she has not smoked yet. • Toil could not induce' her to smoke. .v Well. X kept .-smoking morning and even ing with. George, for about six -weeks, when we 1 went down to Elkton. Md.. for the races. After about ..seven or jrfsht days of it I -was distrusted and concluded to pro back to New York. George wanted to stay awhile longer and T went over alone. That nlcht was my first realisa tion I had the habit. Sadie wanted to go to the theater, but I felt too bad to even think of the theater, so she and Mamie went alone. Mamie knew what was the matter v with me. but did not say any thing. I suffered the tortures of the damned for three days, and began feeling: all right again when George returned. Of course, the first think he did was to find me. and the first question he ask>*d was what I had done about smoking. "When I told him that I had done nothing but suffer through It ho couldn't believe it. He did not like it because his wife had quit, and I also made him "feel lone some. Nothing would do but what I must go and lie down and cook for him to keep him company. So. I went up and after cooking fifteen or twenty pills for him I thought I would smoke a couple, but would not allow the habit to sneak on me.again. As I said before, fate had marked me- to be a drug fiend, and I kept dallying with the trouble-killer till it had me at its mercy. "* Now, my friends, allow me at this ->-'-■♦ to say a few words to you. Never ""->-v yourself ■to condemn a poor drnc fls?^. for you know nothing about his "■Hi* and the cause of his using drugs, I can say right here, before the doctor grave it to me. • causing a taste and desire for it. I was one of the most prejudiced persons !n the world against the use of drugs. .Many a time 1 have made the remark I wouldn't use a drug for any amount of money that could be given me, but you see I am find have been a user for quite & number of years. You may feel bitter today and say the same, but you know not what fato has in store for you, so never speak cruelly of i a poor fiend. They desire your sym pathy I more ':■ than 1 anyone. ' It ,la - a ; most terrible affliction. I could go on relating experiences one after, another, some comi cal, others sympathetic, while others ore quite romantic, but I shall ;be * compelled to draw my story to a close. . ,■ : . I find as the days roll by I must. smoke of tener': to sooth my .wrecked j nerves.. that I must Increase my doses to produce the desired, effect. - " I have Wit one care, to get my beloved drugs. I have lost my ambition. I am a helpless slave to the destroying habit, but X-ffon't cfere. I am perfectly happy arid contented when I get my favorite, and lie, freed from my cares, peacefully dream ing and Bleeping the sweet slumber it in duces.