The Hays Daily News from Hays, Kansas • Page 6

MAYS DAILY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST .1, Opium. Well Practiced By Richard Starnea Vientiane, Laos, A tip. 1 Ever alnrfi Thomas De Quinrey "Confessions of English Opium, Eater" in 1821, the juice of the; poppy has been the subject of endless lurid tales. One whiff was said to (rap men. into lifelong bondage to the drug.

In the Limehoti.se of Sherlock Holmes, in the non-stop iniquities. Of Sax Rohmer's Dr. opium always got co-billing as Villain of the piece. Wars, includ-l In? one fairly biggish one. fceen fought 'over it.

Generations of Sunday-supplement writers have fed off the drug, at least indirectly, and whole national economies have been founded on it. Here in Laos It is said to be the principal export, although the shadowy entrepreneurs who traffic in the drug are, understandably enough, unwilling to talk shop with statisticians. Whether opium is Laos' cash crop or not 'and if it isn't the biggest, it is certainly very big), opium smoking is widely practiced here. It is illegal, but enforcement of the prohibition is lax. It is, as I learned, no problem to smoke a pipe or two if one Is so disposed.

When I confided to a friend who is an old Vientiane hand that I wanted to smoke (here a person speaks of smoking, it is understood that he isn't talking about cigarettes! he assured me it was no problem, that we'd go that very night. It was raining when we started off in our caravan of samlors (a passenger-carrying tricycle), and to have looked at the four grave persons being pedaled down Vientiane's bumpy main street (we'd been joined at the last minute by two more curious chaps) one would have thought that we were all hurrying to the bedside of a very sick friend. We jounced along through the puddles behind our tireless samlor boys until we got to our destination, which was a modest dwelling reached through a confusing succession of twisting lanes. We were met at the door by an ancient, dignified Chinese, who had been told to expect us. He conducted us to a back room, almost wholly occupied by a low platform on which a handsome, middle-aged Chinese woman sat cross-legged.

She was 'busy preparing the opium, a. process that is slow and painstaking, and she had a look of tremendous concentration on her face. The opium, refined and re-refined until it was said to be- finest obtainable, was a thick, tarry paste. The woman dipped a needle (perhaps more a hat pin) into the paste and heated it over a spirit until a ball about the size of a pea had formed. This was then placed in the bowl of the- pipe, which was then inverted over the spirit lamp to keep the opium alight.

Then the pipe was ready for the first smoker. When it came my turn to smoke, I lay down on the platform, resting my head on a wooden "pillow" covered with clean terry cloth. It was unexpectedly comfortable. Smoking an opium pipe takes some practice. It isn't like smoking tobacco, where one inhales (If he inhales at all) only a puff at a time.

With opium the object is to inhale the whole pipe at one draught, so to speak, which means inhaling very slowly for a long, long breath, directly to the lungs from the pipe. Some people can't abide the taste of opium smoke; indeed, it makes many novice smokers violently ill. I didn't find the flavor unpleasant, however, although I despaired of ever being able to describe it. Burnt caramel is as close as I can come to how it tastes, and that is not really very near the mark. I didn't do very well on my first pipe.

I took me two tries before I'd finished it, and it was plain that the Chinese woman didn't con- aider me a very apt pupil. But I did much better on my second pipe, and by the time I'd had a third only a paroxysm of coughing prevented me from earning a cluck of approval from the lady on the other side of the spirit lamp. The effect of smoking the opium was curious and subtle. All of us decided that a gentle euphoria was the only sensation we'd experienced. It was pleasant enough, a feeling of well-being and good- fellowmanship, but two martinis will probably do more for you.

Two martinis, moreover, will not pro- diK'3 the thumping headache I had the next morning, nor will they make food repellent for 24 hours, Which the opium did. I've no doubt opium addiction ia a vile disease, just as all the authorities claim, but MAVS DAILY NEWS, AUGUST 1, SfiVffitt Select Your Own Specials a i HALF-MILLION POUNDS OF MM ON DISCOUNT U.s.n A I Safeway's Low Prices Are "Shelf" Here's Why Safeway Is BEST! BEST for always U.S.D.A. "Choice" Grade! BEST for always aged for tenderness! BEST for always trimmed right priced right! the time to get acquainted with the "Best" and save on all meat department purchases of See the panel on the right hand page for prices. We certify all beef items will be sold at below our everyday we also certify that prices have not been raised to accommodate this spectacular event! All beef wil I be cut and displayed for your selection according to the strict policy of "Best" Value for which Safeway meats are famous! Campbell's Piedmont Every Meaf Purchase Guaranteed SATISFACTORY! Steak 22 87 less Rib Steaks Tomato Soup Cans 29 Salad Dressing Qt. Jar 29 Here is Safeway's meat guarantee "BEST" assurance of satisfaction the judge you're the jury! You're the one who must be pleased of your meat purchases are always unconditionally guaranteed to please! If you are not satisfied, nothing need be returned just tell us You get all your money back without fuss or quibble! More Weekend Feature Grocery Values! Shortening Meat Pot Pork Be Fruit Cockt Custard Pie Medium rr Eggs Can.

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Pies Highway's Finest! 21 Cans H's plain that it takes more than one casual seance to entrap a Finokur, all Dr. Ku-Msuu-Uu's Uevil- iah record notwithstanding'. Five-Day Forecast will HV. rage 5 to 8 degrees below seasonal normal Thursday through Mumti.v; jiormul high in the upper 80s north, low 90s south; normal low in the JDW 60s north, near 70 south; precipitation will range from .25 inch vest lo about .60 inch east occurring as widely scattered thunder- throughout the period, Town Tup Qua lily 1 Eel-air's Finest Cans 16-oz, 59" 89' 1.00 1.00 1.00 Clip These Coupons! 5 fl. Drinks Safeway's Crapmont In No Return Bottles Boneli fling Steaks Chuck Steak Cube Steaks Hib Roast Ground Beef Boneless Brisket Beef U.S.D.

Sirloin Steak T-Bone Steak Bib Steak Hound Steak Arm Roast 1.39 20 79 BEEF BAMA PIES Thin coupon It worth toward the purchate of 4 Cherry or Apple at your Hayt before Sat. Nifht. August 4. Price without the coupon 30f each. Limit one coupon per cuMorner.

4 Bakery Specials! Don't Forget These! Angel Food Bars Cherry Cake Baked Pan Rolls Ballerina Bread III" Skylark i Finctt Skylark i 3 3 For I'kRs. of 12 Loaf .00 49? Mushrooms Mushrooms Sliced Cheese Peanut Butter flying Cloud Bulloni and Slicei Flying Cloud Slcmi and Pieces Safcway'i Own Snack Nu 2 Vanctio 3 4 4-oz. 4 .00 Cans Cans 69 .59 49 12 47 Lb. 28-oz. CO, jar JOYETTE DRINKS ThU coupon worth toward the purcnaie of one Gallon of Joyette Drink at your liayt Sale- way if uied before Sat.

Night, August 4. Prici without the coupon 39(. Limit coupon per customer. I Wichita, Au'g, i Fell is, 6, was tolled Tuesday when he slippod on rain-wet pavement find fell beneath the wheels of a jntul iruofc near his home. He was son of Mr.

and Mrs. Pf Wivhita. Prices Good Thru Sat, at Your Hays Safeway! Sales Rights Reserved, coupon ift worth toward the purchase 01 Full Gallon of Iced Milk at your Safeway il before Night, August 4. Price without the coupon 11.00. Limit one coupon The Season's Finest Fresh Fruits! Arkansas Bartlett Peaches U.

S. No, i Fancy Elbertas Lbs. Pears New Crop Luscious Beuuties Lb. Hair Arranger H.A.—plus Palmolive Bath Size Bars 2 bars 31 large Fab Detergent Egg Noodles Anver. Beauty-16-oz.

pkg. 29 Toilet Soap Cash. Bouquet. Batn Size 2 bars Nabisco Shredded 7 A-oz. Beauty Bar Vel's Finest 2 bars Maxwell House 6-02.

Instant Coffee $1.01 VOCEMENTO NEWS by Pat Straily Maxwell House 10-oz. Instant Coffee $1.39 large Vel Powdered Detergent Ad Detergent For Automatics. Gt. Size 81 Liquid Vel 22-oz. Detergent NOW AT SAFEWAY Ban ton's Fine Men's Socks PR.

Mrs, Solomon kfeutSief entertained Sunday with dinner and supper for Mr. Kreutzer'a birthday. Guests were Mr. and Mrs. John Hunter and Shirley, Mr.

and Mrs. Archie Hunter of Mtinjor, Mr. and Mrs. John Kreutzer and family and Mr. and Mrs.

Alois Younger. Albert Straily of Brighton, left Monday after spending several days with Mrs. Jennie Straily. Mrs. Bertha Johnson nnd Margaret were Saturday supper guests of Mr, and Mrs.

John Johnson and family. Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Mermis anrl family attended the Korbe-Hinlz wedding and dance in Lieberthal Saturday. Mr.

and Mrs. Jake Gassncr and girls were Sunday slipper guests of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Smith In Gorham. Mrs.

Walter Mclntosh helped with the Eagles auxiliary booth Wednesday for sidewalk bazaar. Enjoying a swimming parly and picnic Sunday at Cedar Bluff Lake were Ronald and I'Vcd Weber Betty Pfannenstiel, Nancy Gleblcr, Ernie Gable, Jeannotte Copp, Richard Dreher and Pattie Brull. Mike Fross of Hays was a Sunday supper guests of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Pfeifer.

Mr. and Mrs Kcl Bcfort were evening callers. Mr. and Mrs. Dan Maicr spent several evenings last week visiting their son Donald at Haclley hospital.

Mr. and Mrs. Ted Burkhart and Linda were Thursday evening visitors at the Leroy Dinges home. Linda was an overnight guest of Tcrri Dinges. Tommy Johnson spent.

Friday night with Mrs. Bertha Johnson. Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Mermis attended the 15th year reunion of Mrs.

Mermis class of Girls Catholic High at the VFW hall Saturday night. Attending the Knights of Columbus picnic Sunday were Mr. and Mrs. Walter Mclntosh and Dorothy, Mrs. Francis Mclntosh and Mr.

and Mrs. Cecil Mermis and family. Sunday evening guests oE Mr. and Mrs. Dan Maier were Mr.

and Mrs. Oliver Weber and family and Mr. and Mrs. Issy Schumacher: Mr. and Mrs.

O. Marvin Straily visited Sunday eevning with Mrs. Jennie Straily and Albert Straily of Brighton, Colo. Mr. and Mrs.

John Pfeifer were Monday afternoon callers at the Ben Pfeifer home. Mrs. Nick Dinges was a Sunday visitor of Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Dinges and family.

Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Steckleln and family were Sunday evening guests of Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Younger and family.

Mrs. Francis Mclntosh is staying with Mr. Mclntos'h's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Mclntosh, during his final week at Ft.

Riley, prior to being discharged on Friday. Billie and Jerry Mermis are spending a couple of weeks at the Cecil Mermis home. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Holt and Jack visited Thursday with Mr.

and Mrs. Marvin Straily Jr. and family and Mr. and Mrs. O.

Marvin Straily. Mr. and Mrs. John Johnson and family called Sunday afternoon on Mr. Johnson's aunts, Elizabeth and Mathilda Brown, and his uncle, George Brown all of Russell.

Carylon Gassner spent Thursday night in Hays with Janet Harvey. Mrs. Leroy Dinges and children called Saturday at the Harry Schnatterly home. Mr. and Mrs.

Victor Fross were Tuesday evening visitors of Mi'. and Mrs. Ben Pfeifer and family. Thursday callers on Mrs. O.

Marvin Straily were Mrs. Lester Paget of Luray, Mrs. Jennie Straily, Albert Straily and Mrs. Didacus Kreutzer and girls. Mr.

and Mrs. Jake Mollecker Sr. were Monday visitors at the John Kreutzer home. Mr. and Mrs.

Cecil. Mermis and family visited Sunday evening with Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Schmidt and boys. EMMERAM By Mrs.

Tony Windholz Mrs. Clarence Kuhn and family were in Hays Tuesday on business. Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Kuhn and family, Mr.

and Mrs. Bon B. Brungardt and Elaine, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Windholz and family, Mr.

and Mrs. Norbcrt Miller and family, Mrs. Seraphin Windholz and family, Allen and Altarena Windholz attended the Walker picnic Tuesday evening' at Walker. Mrs. Tony Windholz and Altarena were business callers in Victoria Thursday.

Mrs. Seraphin Windholz and family were in Hays Thursday. Mary Hammerschmidt who was a medical patient at St. Anthony Hospital the past two weeks re- lumed to her home Monday. William Hoff was a business caller in Victoria Thursday.

Mr. and Mrs. Ray M. Dreiling wei-p in Victoria Saturday evening. Mr.

and Mrs. Tony Windholz, Allen and Altarena were business cullers in Victoria Saturday evening' and were brief callers of Mr, and Mrs. Gilbert Schmeidler, Terry and Debbie at Catherine. Mr. and Mrs.

Ray Joe Dreiling and daughter of Wichita spent the weekend with Mr. and Mrs. Ray M. Dreiling. Leon Basgall of La Crosse was a supper guest Sunday evening of Mr.

and Mrs. Tony Windholz, Allen and Altareiw. Mr. and Mrs. Julius Dreiling of Quinter spent Sunday with Mr.

and Mrs. Ben B. Brungardt and Elaine, LIVED HEBE Henderson, Ky Aug 1 The famous naturalist, John James Audubon, was co-owner of a general store here in the early 19th Century. He roamed the Kentucky hillsides sketching pictures of wildlife for several years, before bankruptcy caused him and his family to. move.

Columbus discovered the 427- square-mile West Indies island of Martinique in 1503 op his fourth voyage. He look on.