Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-09-25


started for Saugatuck. where we arrived at
o'clock on Friday morning.
There Capt W. b. Newton placed a
tug at our disposal, and brought us to St.
Joseph, where we arrived at 2 O'Clock p. NJ
The Opium Trade.
Carleton writes from Calcutta to the
Boston journal:
by Tar the most important article yield
ing revenue In India is opium. 1t is a
government monopoly. The peoples from
which the opium is manufactured are grown
in the valley of the Ganges near Patna and
Dinapore There is a sale of the drug ut
Calcutta on the ninth of every month,
where there is an excitement equal to that
of the Now York gold room when gold is
on n rise. The trade is mainly in the hands
of the native merchants. who rush into
opium speculation recklessly. Everything
about the drug seems to be intoxicating.
All yonr readers know that England went
TO war with China to force the sale of the
deadly drug upon the people of that coun-
try. The sale last year yielded a clear re-
venue Of $50, 900, 900 to the India govern
ment, and the Minister of Finance, Mr..
Massey, with great glee, announces i'll his
budget for the ensuing year, that the in
creased sales will yield profit of Sal, 700,
900
The time is near at hand when the
treaty between England and China is to be
revised and the opium question is under
discussion. The Chinese Government and
the Anglo-Europeans in that country are
opposed to a continuance of its sale. One OF
the leading opium houses in China has adj
dressed memorial to the Governor of
Il hn I,
the benefits arising from the use of the
drug. They say: ''Opium-eating is not a
curse, but comfort and benefit to the
Woodworking Chinese. AS well say that
malt is a curse to English labOrers. or to-
hacco to the world at large. Misuse is one
thing, use another. If to few the opium
pipe has proved a snare, to many scores
of thousands on the other hand has it been
productive Of healthful sustentatlon and
enjoyment
This memorial has been answered by
those who have had an opportunity of Wit
Messing the use 0f the drug in China, which
presents a most revolving picture OF degrad-
alton, evacuation, the skeleton figures,
weeping, slobber ng. ever restless, tormnet-
cd by terrible visions of devils and hob
COLLINS, unless under the influence of the
drug
THE love for the drt -its consumption
in China is on the increase. The India
Daily News of this morning, i'll an article
upon the question, saws that the consump-
ton is increasing in England; that the
using it will be likely to increase
when it is maintained that it is beneficial
to health, and to be ranked with beer and
tobacco.
The China Government is as bitterly
opposed to its use now as it was ten years
100. 1t is destroying the people, takes
away $40, 900, 900 per annum, giving an
of poverty, degradation and
death. But having the monopoly, the Brit
ISL Government will not relinquish such u
princely revenue on moral considerations
just yet.
THE EaIPERoR ALEX ANDER A Washington
says; "The Emperor AL
lander IL, like his father Nicholas; is an
early riser He is on the promenade before
i IN the morning, generally alone, walks
with very slow, heavy step, and frequent
" sits down on one of the stone benches,
calls his magnificent black dog, who lays
his head on the Emperor's knees and Alex
Gnder moodily gaze into vancancy
watched him the other day. He looked as
il he lad unlearned to smile, and when he
rose | am sure he heaved a sigh. re gea-
orally wears faded black suit, and looks
more like Il gentleman IL reduced ciTcum-
stances than like the autociat of all the
Russies. No greater difference can be i'm
aginCd between two men than that between
Alexander and his father Nicholas. There
is 81 NE resemblance between their features
but Nicholas, even few days previous to
his death, did not look near as broken down
aud despondiHg as his son, who il not
weighed down by European war. The
police generally keep the beggais off the
promenade, but occasionally poor woman
steals mp to His Majesty, who then imme-
diately puts his hand into his vest pocket
and gives her a gold piece with a sad
smile and almost respectful manner But
he never exchanges a word with any one
on the promenade"
A CORPSE ROBBED By A JURYAAN. An
old man named William Staffol, living at
Quincy, HI, was found dead in his bed on
Thursday. A jury of inquest decreed that
he died from disease. One of the iurymen,
SAYS the Quincy Herald, a man by the
name of Frank Ellsworth, managed while
assisting to remove the body, to insert his
hand into the pocket of the deceased. and
remove a pOcket-boOk containing Sal go.
4 young man standing by observed the
movement Of Ellsworth, but as he was one
Of the Jurors did not think there was any
harm meant, until the coroner began TO
search the body. He then remarked that
he saw Mr. Ellsworth take a pocket-bOok.
The dastardly robber of the dead had, dur
ing this time, left the crowd and repaired to
4 small clubhouse, in order to conceal the
stolen money, part of which he had man
aged to slip into his boot leg. He disgorg-
ed the money, and was Immediately turned
over to an officer.
WHIRLwIND IN ITALY On August 18th,
about nine at night, an extraordinary whirl-
wind appeared between BallenGo and Ivres,
in Italy. In its passage it spread desola-
ton around, devastating houses and fields
and uproOting the largest trees. Happily
there is no loss of life to deplore. The
road from Cascinnetta to Burolo was COW
cred over an extent of 400 metres with old
trees from the fields. At that spot stood a
dwelling house. the roof of which was car
ricd off and the walls of the upper story
knocked down. A carriage III the court
yard was carried outside but smashed to
pieces. The phenomenon, observed by
many persons, was in the form Of an i'm
mense cone, of a dark grey color, with
luminous base. From its upper part issued
a smoke similar to that of a locomotive.
The whole was about ten metres in width,
aud moved at about three metres from
the ground, making a sharp noise 1t twist
ed about in various directions and advanced
spirally
A SINGULAR ENTERTAINMENT, almost ap-
preaching the grotesque, was offered to the
King Of Prussia lately on his visit to Wles-
baden. We take this account of the affair
from the Gazette de France. On small