Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1877-01-17

iatuTe restricting tne SAFE OF opium
which with a supplement thereto has
passed the House. and will speedily
become a law, ~ no objection will be
made to it by the Senate. The bill
provides that none but druggists shall
be allowed to sell the drug, and then
only when prescribed by a licensed
phi ysician. The bill also provides for
The selling of opium only in small
amounts.
The Death Smoke.
One is hardly prepared TO believe that
at the present time one.half of the
opium sold is disposed of to others
than the Chinese. Within the past
year the practice of smoking the dead
ly drug has increased to such an
alarming rate that it has become neces-
sary to adopt the most stringent meas
ures to check the spread of an evil that
has fascinated SO many, who at first
smoked it as a novelty, bnt who now
have become so babituated to its effects
that 1t is almost impossible for them
ito refrain from its daily use.
The Chinese are blamed for TIE in
PRODUCTION of the drug, and so far as
the Pacific coast is concerned it is true,
but eve to them the preparation of
opium for the purpose OF smoking is a
mystery. The article is imported to
Hong Kong by the English from the
Levant and the Indies. Less than
forty years ago the smoking OF opium
was made a capital otfense in China
ny imperial order, and found in
dulging in the habit suffered death by
decapitatiou. But with
An IguOminOus Death
Staring them in the face, the Chinese
still smoked the drug, and year by
year the demand increased, and the I'M
lawful trade is now carried on with the
connivance OF the Government officials
without any fear Of punishment. 1t is
estimated that at least 10 900 900 pounds
are annually consumed in China.
Throughout China the opium law is
utterly disregarded, and it has proved
impossible that any legislation can
keep out an article so eagerly sought
for by the people. Until very recent
ly the smoking of opium in this coun-
try was confined strictly to the Chinese.
IL - INV ihAutEtd III cAtCIStNCly ny
the whites, and a careful estimate
shows that now one-tbird Of the users
of the drug are Caucasians. Through
out Nevada 1t has extended to a fearful
degree. In Virginia City, so great has
the evil become, that an ordinance has
been passed by the city authorities
prohibiting its indulgence under a
heavy fine or punishment. 1t has also
been extensively carried on in Eureka,
and "opium dens are in full blast
night and day for the convenience of
The slaves of the Drug.
There are at present in the Chinese
quarter of the town seven regularly
established places of this kind. On
the sides of the room are ranged beds,
in the center of which lies the smokers
paraphernalia. A small lamp, contain
ing peanut oil and covered over by a
:. ass globe, with an aperture on top
through which the flame from the
lamp is brought into requisition: the
"Yen Tang" or opium pipe, made OF
bamboo, near one end of which is
placed a circular clay bowl; a wire,
used in preparing the drug for use,
and a 30 pen yen hop" a small bone
box containing the opium, and you are
ready for a smoke. AT first, when
used sparingly, it frequently acts as a
stimulant,
An!mating n spirits.
And giving energy to intellectual pow
ers; then follows a pleasant languor
that brings on sleep, but each time the
dose must be increased to reproduce
these effects until the habit, once
formed, is rarely abandoned. The
soporitic effects are of longer duration
and the symptoms of general debility
quietly take possession of The body
and wrecks the life of the smoker
Gmpelled by curiosity, we, a short
time since, interviewed several of the
proprietors of the opium resorts o
Eureka and found that at present the
Chinese population consisted of abou'
$50 males and 81 women OF the for
mer an average of one-half were opium
smokers. but a very few Of the lattel
indulge in tho habit. About
sixty white Me- and Women.
One negro and two Mexicans are fire.
~quenters of these places, some o
whom consume more in their daily
smoke than the Cinnamon. The sales
of opium have largely increased within
the past year and now amount to aoon
Sl2, 900 per annum, II store selling
$400 worth a month. The presen
price of opium is S2l % pound bu
the figure Varies according to TIT
amount.oN. hand in the San Francisc'
market. The drug comes in tin can
containing eight ounces. These ar
sold to small dealers, who make
small percentage in retailing it to Gus
toners, and charging for use OF pipes
lights, bed, etc. The stores also do
retail business, and have rooms htte'
up expressly for smoking purposes.
To Test Its Legality.
The Chinese merchants here hav
already been informed of the effol
made to put a stop to the opium tratfi
by letters from brother merchants j
Virginia City and Carson. They d
not seem to care much, and think To
law will be imperative, but II enforce
the owners of the stores in THIS Stat
and San Francisco will make a ties
case and endeavor to have it declare
unconstitutional, claiming that the,
49, IL 49, tFh fn COLL n iii