The Red Cloud chief., 1881-03-31
OPIUM.

OPIUM.
ReW ~ useraI and Deadly Drsg is Made.
We shall have to explain the status
of the people who are engaged i'm the
cultivation Of the poppy. 1t will, per-
haps, be best To- begin with the lam ar
dar or agent. This man represents
the inhabitants of q village of
Opium farmers, who, of their own
choice. appoint him as their head man.
tits his duty TO speak and arrange with
the Government officers, as we'll as to
show the reason why and how the out
turn has been less than the probable
estimate. Ii is this man who arranges
~ the trausactions and money dealings
totween the cuitivator and tie Govern
nlest. For his services he receives no
fixed salary. but a commission upon all
ibe opium he brings to the Government
weighing stations. 1t is through his
Vigilance that Illicit opium sale Is frus-
trated. In this object he is associated
with q native Government servant, who
lives during the year among the people
employed upon this cultivation. This
official is thoroughly acquainted with
tblo lSDOoiCCS vi l&It HDli, Inc SIdIc Vi
the crops, and the amount of opium
each square foot OF land is capable of
producing. The most vigorous rules
and most efficient checks are enforced
70 combat any attempt at fraudulent
sale. but the Government very wisely
p~recludes. by paying high prices, Illicit
opium traffic. Not only that, but the
advantages enjoyed by the natives en-
gagged in poppy cultivation are Sc i'm
mense and Of so tempting a nature
that the natives, through fear of ever
losing their advantages, are no likely
10 sacrifice. even for temporary gain,
their mean of a sure livelihood.
Owing to the ever poverty-stricken
state Of the Indian ratat, or husband.
nm. the Government advances the
means whereby he a engage in poppy
cultivation. The nature of their en-
Eagements is about IS follows: The
c~ultivator undertakes To sow a 6igka, or
about one-twentieth of an acre, with
poppy seed. For this he is given the
requisite amount of seed. If a well has
TO be dug, he is not only given a sum,
on loan, sufficient to carry out his pur-
pose, but also money enough to buy
bullocks in order to enable him { odraw
from the well when it 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
ond advance is given when the plant
begins to shoot above the earth's sur
face, and the third when the plant is
about to mature. In January or Feb
ruary the plant comes to maturity; in
that state the pods are ianced in the
afternoon. The opium is allowed To
cxude till next morning, when it is
carefully taken OF by an iron scraper.
AT the same time p%reeaution is exer-
cised TO close the incisions drumming
the finger over the cuts. About five
to six incisions 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 watery substance. 1t
is then manipulated and placed in new
earthen vessels, and is thus kept till it
is brought to the weighing stations.
The c~ultivator of poppies does not en-
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. can be had from
the members of his 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 and his family, amount to only
one-siXth or one-twelfth of an acre, per-
haps; in a few isolated instances one
man is wealthy enough to own half an
acre. |
There are many reasons which con-
duce to this. First and foremost is that
the native does not like 10 lease more
land than he himself a pillow and
work. Even with the growth of opium,
where so many untold advantages are
offered for extended enterprise, the 10
dian ~husbandman prefers to give his at
tention to a tiny garden rather than to
be put to the expense of working. with
paid help, a few acres. His outlay is
nothing; and thus he is enabled, ut ire
mendous profit. to grow opium for sale
to the Government. Irrigation is SIM
pie. A rude well is sunk. two posts
and a cross beam, over which is placed
q wheel. form the only apparatus for
the drawing of water. Arope is passed
over the wheel and attached 10 it is a
huge leathern bucket. which is let down
and drawn up by bullocks. The water
is emptied into a reservoir; running
from this are numerous drains, which
carry of the water and flush the lands
requiring moisture. The stronger
members of the family are engaged in
this toll, while the children, who in
other lands would be deemed infants.
make themselves generally useful in
picking weeds and many other duties
necessitating light labor.
Before the sun gilds the horizon and
while the dew is yet fresh on the grass
the family are astir, and from early
morning till evening their entire atten-
tion rs bestowed upon their crop, either
In wedding, watering. or picking, dur
ing the day; and sometimes at night. in
Keeping wild animals from intrudinp
and destroying in a single hour the La,
Dor of years. Il
The wants of the husbandman are
but Few. Four mud walls aud a thatch.
ed roof compose the family mansions:
n In such a howell will he live for
generations. A scant cloth tied round
his ioins serves for coat and pantaloons.
When he desires to appear to advant-
age a huge cotton sheet thrown in
graceful folds around his BODY, serves |
as gala costume on occasions of great,
festivity. His little children are in a
state of utter nudity, even in the cold
est weather, and when it is borne in
mind that from October till February
the weather is a great deal colder than /
1T is IN San Francisco, some idea of the 1
hardy nature of native children can be
formed. The women are Somewhat
better clothed; a simple petticoat and
a gay-colored sheet has for the last
5000 years formed their attire. But.
whatever money the husbandman
gains, he converts into jewelry, which
forms the real wealth of the ma