Sun River sun. [volume] (Sun River, Mont.) 1884-1885, 1884-09-04
ORIENTAL OPIUM SLAVES,
An American Tells What He Saw
There. The Methons Of the Smok-
ers Graphically Described.

ers Graphically Described.
A letter from China describes q
visit to n Chinese opium den. The
writer says: The smoker lies curled
up, with his head resting on n pillow
Of bamboo or earthenware, about five
inches high. Near him stands I'm
opium lamp, the flame Of which is
protected by glass shade low enough
for the point of the flame to project
above the top Of the shade. The
smoker takes wire and dips it into
u little box containing prepared OPT
um. A small quantity adhcrs to the
point Of the wire, which is then held
over the flames of the lamp until the
heat has swcllcd it to about ton times
its original size. This is rolled over
and over on tho flat side OF the clay
bowl, the opium MI the time adherinS
to tho wire. When it has turned to
soft, solid mass it is again applied to
the lamp, and this alternate roasting
and rolling is kept up for at least ten
minutes, by which time it is in tho
shape Of pill and ready for use.
The apcraturc in the pipe is 80 small
that it can only receive the smallest
quantity, and tho most careful man
ipulation is needed to transfer tho
tiny ball of opinm from tho end Of tho
wire to the bowl Of the pipe. Tho
point of the wire is inserted into the
hole Of the pipe and worked round
and round until the soft opium forms
into u conical-shaped ring around the
wire. BY twisting the wire tho drug
is gradually detached from it, leaving
u hole through the opium about as
large us tho hole in the pipe bowl,
with Which it communicates. Tho
pipe is now ready and the pipe is held
over tho lamp SO that the opium
come in contact with flame. A sput-
tcring noise cnsues as the smoker
sucks ut his pipe. After each success
i've draw he ejccts from nose and
mouth volume of smoke, tho very
smell of which is enough to turn IL
horses stomach. BY the end Of tho
fourth or fifth Whit the pipe is emp
ty. The smoker now scoops out an-
other dose Of opium, rolls it into a
pill and repeats the operation with
the same patience us before. and
smokes away until the pipe falls
from his hand and he is lost in dream
land. One thing is very certain, that
il tobacco smoking were only half
tho trouble tobacconists would have
to shut up shop.
After Il little while we turned a
corner and passed into n back room.
Here were tho same scenes, the sumo
filth, the same withered faces and tho
same sputtcring Of opium pipes.
These seemed to be secret smokers,
who had gone here to avoid detection,
where there seemed to be every f,.cil-
ity to avade the search of their friends.
We arc not surprised to find in this
room mere youths, who, Judging by
their sillsen robes, must belong to
wealthy families, who wcrc hero be-
ginning II career which must end in
ruin and disgrace. On entering tho
don we were surrounded by half u
dozen cmaciated looking objects, who
implorcd us to give them medicine to
cure thcm. Every foreigner in China
is believed to be Il god to kill and
make alive. He has II great reputa-
ton as a medicine man. We wore
fortunately able to direct tho poor
fellows to the missionary hospital,
where they could get wcancd from
tho drug. One man told us hc had
smoked for thirty years; that his ply
sical energies had clean gone and ho
was fast becoming wreck. He spent
-fourths of his family earnings
ut the den, and the craving WAS be-
coming SO intense he feared that be-
fore long all his money would 20 in
opium. 1t is only Il very common
example where wife of Il youn,;;
family will toll early and latc to sup
port IN opium-smoking husband and
father. "A beginner has only to pay
two OF three visits to the den, and til.
place has wonderful fascination fo..
hlm. Three weeks smoking, ut Il.
couple hours per day, and the mall,
left to himself, is bound Il slave to tho
pipe as long rs he lives, held down
by chains stronger than iron, from
which only death can release
Germany, England, France, Belgi-
um and th" United States dug out
372,0oOOOO tons of coal last year.