The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-09-26
NEGRO OPIUM JOINTS.
The Popularity Of tho Drug on South
crn Plantations.

THE opium habit is undoubtedly ex-
tending said prominent medical
man of New Haven 10 a reporter. ''Opi-
um is used in this locality far more
than anyone would suppose. People
of all classes are becoming slaves to
the drug in one form or another Nor
is the habit confined 10 men. Hundreds
OF women indulge in the use Of the poi
son. You don't hear much about these
cases. but nevertheless they are right
here in New Haven. Most of them are
kept as secret as possible and frequent
ly the doctors themselves are kept in
ignorance of the facts in cases which
they are called upon TO attend. OF
course it doesn't take long TO find out
the trouble but occasionally it proves
embarrassing TO practitioner to find
that a patient who is supposed 10 be
suffering from general debility is
really slave to the opium habit
Il have learned recently that the use
of opium has become very common
among the colored people of the South.
cant give you many facts further
than this, but | can refer you to gen.
tlcman who has lived for some years in
Georgia, and who Is cognizant of the
prevalence of the habit among the
blacks in that locality"
Near my old plantation, said this
returned Georgian 10 the scribe, there
used 10 live an old darkey who seemed
TO have great deal of influence over
The field hands of the ncighborhood.
For long time | supposed he was
merely n yO0dOO man or herb doctor,
but one wet Hight rs was passing his
cabin curious sounds within caused me
to enter. Evidently no interruption
was expected for the dOOr opened ca
silly. and ! came upon strange scene.
Five or six nc"rucs lay around the
hut in various degrees of stupefaction.
One or TWO | recognized as hands on
my own plantation. A fresh arrival
was just lighting an odd looking pipe,
and This added TO the peculiar odor
which pcrvadcd the room, convinced
me that ] had struck n regular joint
The old fellow who ran the establish
ment hobblcd up TO me. The light was
rather uncertain and his sight was bad,
and he didn't ut first recognize me.
When he did he seemed a trtlc abash-
ed. but evidently was determined 10
make the best of the matter and he Of
fcred me II pipe. took him by the
collar and hauled him out of the door,
and then threatened him with n beat
ing il he wouldn't explain the fact Of
his running such place.
Then he talked freely enough. He
said that he wasn't TO blame. If he
Iti,ft F,r ,igh a,,i,,n, IN fhn nnirrh
hood somebody else would. As 10 OPT
um smoking. it had been more or less
prevalent for years. He raised pop
pies and got q good deal of his drug in
that way. Some he had 10 buy. Nearly
all the colorcd men in that part of the
country smoked more or less. Opium
made them forget their troubles. and
then. too. they like it. Just after cleo
ton time his trade WAS ut its best; and
SO he went on at great length
'Other things occupied my attention
for some time. Then | heard of the
old fellows death; he WAS stabbed by
a customer TO whom he refused credit;
and as | could not find that anyone had
succeeded him in his business | let the
matter drop.
Last year. though, n friend of mine
spoke of the opium habit among the
blacks in southern Georgia. He said
he had found it very prevalent and had
tried 10 break it up, ut least among his
own hands. In this attempt he was
unsuccessful. and he stated it rs his
firm belief that the habit was gradually
extending over the whole south.
at affects the negro rather less than
the white man. AT least he doesn't die
so soon. or run up his doses so rapidly.
Difference of organism. | suppose,
makes the distinction. Some of tho
negrcsses smoke the stuff, too. but
they are mostly the old ones. don't
know how The thing can be stopped"
-AeaD T1IPu keUS