Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1881-02-24
ErEBRIeRE


As star from the sea new risen,
Asthe wan " sn engeIs wing,
Ae a inrks sonR ctri iu prison.
Asthc prowite y suintner N spring.
she oame 70 me hraush Tho siiiurss, %
The shadeWs ihat thig uic 4lund.
Tho dhlnesst, ui yuntk nnh iIipess
Wherein my sPlrit Is bouu,L
she,auc with her eyes igVr,hden,
4 fragile and it0wt.f-llke Iaaidan.
IN the season OF frost and SHOWS
she smiled, and the shadcs departed,
Nhe ehnuc, and the enows were ralns
Ana he whO was ffuzen-henresd
3 s, .Blopnlcd up in love again.
s.sa
How tAe U.sn,i ana deadly Drus !. MsAe,
WE shalt have To- explain the status
oi the people wh0 are sengaged in the
cultivation OF the poppy. Il will. per
haps, be best TO begin with the lam nr-
tar or agent. This man represents
the inhabitants of "A village OF
opium farmers. who, OF their own
choice. appoint him as their head man
Il Il his duty % speak aud arrange with
the government, officers as woll as to
show She reason why aud how the out
turn has been less than the probable
estimate il 10 this man who arrangcs
all the transactions and money dealings
between the cultivator and the Govern.
ment. For his services he receives no
fixed salary, but commission upon all
the opium he brings TO the Government
wolghing stations IL is through his
vigilance that Illicit opium sale is frus-
trated. In this object he Is associated
with a native Government servant, who
lives during the year among the people
employed Nponlthis cultivation. This
official Il thoroughly acquainted with
the resources II the soil, the state Of
the crops. and the amount Of opium
each SQUARE foot Of land is capable of
producing. The most vigorous rules
and most efficient cheeks are enforced
20 combat any attempt at fraudulent
sale, but the Government very wisely.
preclndes. by paving high prices. Illicit
opium traffic. Not oaly that but the
advantages enjoyed lY tho natives en-
gagged in poppy cultil alton are so Inn
mense and OF 20 tempting nature
that the natives, through fear OF ever
losing their advantages, are not likely
~ sacrifice, even for Temporary gain,
their means OF 4 sure livelihood.
Owing to the ever Experimentation
state Of the Indian rdidt, or husband
man, The Government advances the
means whereby he can engage in poppy
cultivation The nature Of their en-
gagements is about as follows: The
cnltiyAt0r undertakes 60 sow a bigiG. or
abont one-tweHiieth OF an acre, with
poppy seed. For this be Is given the
requisite amount Of seed. II well has
10 be dug, hois not only given a sum.
ON loan, sufficient 10 carry out his pur.
pose, but also money enough to buy
bullocks in order 20 enable him 20 draw
from the well when il is finished. This
Is termed the first advance, and is
simply given him to prepare his land
for the sowing Of poppy seed. The sec
oud Hdynnce Is given when the plant
begins % shoot above the earth's sur
face, and the third when the plant Is
about 10 mature. In January or Feb
ruary the plant comes 10 maturity; in
that state the pods are lauced in the
afternoon. The opium is allowed to
exude till next morning, when II is
carefully taken of by an iron scraper
At the same time preogution j. exer-
cised 10 close the incisiOns by running
the finger over the cuts. About Ave
70 six incislons suffice for the drawing
Of the juice.
The opium is placed IN brass vessels,
slightly tilted. So as to drain off the
dew or any other wRtery substance. 1t
Is then manipulated and placed In new
earthen vessels. and Is thus kept till it
Is brought 20 the weighing stations.
Tae cultiyatOr of pOppies does not cru
plOy labor. His holdings are mere
garden patches; so all the aid he re-
quires, from the sowing OF the seed TO
the maturing OF the plant and the gath
ering Of the opium. ean be had from
the members OF bis family. The whole
OF this work is done by himself, his
wife, and his little ones Many of
. these opium garden plots worked by a
man aud his family, amount TO only
One-sixth or one twelfth Of an acre, per-
haps; IN II few isolated instances one
nian is wealthy enough 70 own half an
acre.
There are many reasons which con
duce to this. First and foremost is that
the native does not Ike 10 lesse more
land than he himself can plow and
work. Even with the growth Of opium,
where SO many untold advantages are
offered for extended enterprise, the In
dim husbandmAn prefers TO give his at
teniion TO a tiny garden rather than TO
be put To the expense Of working, with
paid help, few acres His outlay is
nothing; and thus he i enabled, ut tre-
mendous profit, TO grow opium for sale
TO the Government Irrigation Is sim
pie. A rude well Is sunk. two posts
and cross beam, over which Is placed
= wheel, form the only apparatus for
The drawing OF water. Arope spassed