The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-09
PRODUCT OF THE POPPY.
Nearly $500, 900 spent Yearly for Opium
~ New York.


II WAS for the purpose OF giving an ac-
curate and interesting account OF how
| q. 900 Cinnamon spend S46s, 20 annu-
ally Just for the pleasure OF hitting the
pipe. " that the Chinese reporter made
/ thorough canvass OF the various haunts OF
/ Chinatown.
There are at present about twenty-five
/ Chinese firms that deal in refined opiums
both wholesale and retail. There are
eleven private Chinese joints, where
opium T. sold ut g. - per ounce. These
/ Joints do not now admit white smokers,
on account OF the frequent raids made
upon them by the police. but the stores
sell 4, both Chinese and whites, although
/ tine latter must be well known smokers.
gtn.r.. SO he has To suffer for the want OF
..t...f--., hich. according to all accounts,
..,y.u .-e than 10 see snakes. Great
-..r. N.M gush ont Of his eyes, big
fs.l 81 Precipitation constantly moisten
/ 3d.. r.uu. while his nostrils would act rs
ID bc owned % small sized fountain some
where i'm his head. But the worst of all
/ t.e ailments IS an eXcruciating pain all
over his backbone, ~ il he had been just
RIM through fine clothes wringer Under
such circumstances he would almost be
willing 10 give half OF his entire kingdom
| 10 be able To hit the pipe
Six pills or pipes, about the size OF
Green pea. would restore him to his naural
condition Of life, which would last him
for about ms many hours. \ regular
"nend" viii consume about an ounce per
day, which l. 1926
The sensation while smoking is Indeed
] \ hoo Cot HFsl tfl
! pressed in mind. n Jew whiils of the pipe
would put man i'm the best of social
spirits. u has strange medicinal proper
! ties. and j. said tO cure all kinds of levers
and ague. consumption and palpitation oil
| the heart Most Cinnamon are driven to
| 10 through business reyerses and other
| troubles. while not few contracted the
habit through sociability, just rs an
American would do on their take a
| drink with friend
! II takes Just about the same length OF
/ time 20 get the opium lNhit rs 10 get the
drinking habit The latter destroys the
mind. and makes "a man irresponsible Tor
| his actions, while the former destroys the
| body but makes q keen thinker of the
! victim IL IS estimated that there are
something over 1000 Americans in the
! CITY of New York who are now using
opium I'm the same manner and form rs
/ the Chinese Most Of these are SAID to
| be we'll known and fashionable people, ~
/ indeed no other but people Of means ana
/ Of leisure could ever be able to contract
/ such a habit.
The opium dealing firms sell from two
/ to five cans per day, each can weighing
about four ounces Most of the wholesale
orders come from towns and cities in and
around New York state, and only now and
then the native American customers from
up town come in 20 buy their supply say
/ they only sell au average Of three cans per
/ day. At wholesale rates which Is $50
per can for China imported goods, but
when retailed out by the nifty cents worth
M a time 10 would bring il up 10 about
Sl0toSll per can. AZ SO, which is Jhe
lowest possible price per can, slXty-slN
cans amount 10 $3.50 per day, or 32lO.9OJ
per year
There are eleven joints. The majority
Of these import their own opium, SAID To
be direct from China, but the greater part
| OF which comes from Victoria, Il. L. one
If these places. which IS the best Chinese
Joint in town. sells at retail on sundays
alone from ten 10 twelve cans, while the
second best place sells from eight 10 ten
cans on Sundays On an average these
Joints dispose Of five cans u day These
places calculate to make from - To 80 on
| each can Of Chinese imported opium. but
they are able 10 make more when they
miy Tie Victoria in with the pure Thus
IL can easily Doe seen now nearly ; 900, UOU
changes hands for opium each year
According 10 Chinese san Francisco
papers they paid over $500 900 for custom
house duties for the Chinese year JlsI
ended on opium alone. Wong Chm Too
in New York World.