Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-08-24
CHINESE OPIUM F,Emps.
rh. Immense Quantity OF the Drug Coz.
sumed in New York.

: CHINESE OFiOM fIENDS.
Shs Immense Quantity OF the Drug Cos
sumed in New York.
II was for the purpose Of giving al
accurate and interesting account o
how 9, 900 Cinnamon spend $46S $40 u
annually Just for the pleasure o
emitting the pipe" that the Chimes,
reporter Of the World made thor
ouph canvass OF the various haunts o
Chinatown M
There are at present about twenty
five Chinese firms that deal in refined
opium, both Wholesale and retail.
There are eleven private Chimes,
Joints where opium Is sold ut 81 %
per ounce. These joints do not nov
admit white smokers. on account o.
the frequent raids mad upon them by
the police. but the stores sell to botl
Chinese and whites. although the lat.
ter must be well. known smokers.
Otherwise he has to suffer for the want
of opium-which, according to all &C.
counts, is even worse than to see
SNAKES" Great tears would
gush out of his eyes, big
drops of perspiration constantly
moisten his brow, while his nostrils
would act Us il he owned small-sized
fountain some where in his head. But
the worst of all the ailments is an ex.
cruciating pain all over his back bone.
as if he had been just run through .
fine clothes wringer. Under such cir
cumstances he would almost be will
ing to give half of his entire kingdom
to be able to "hit the pipe"
Six pills or pipes. about the size OF
a green pea. would restore him to his
natural condition Of life, which would
last him for about as many hours. A
regular '.fiend" will consume about an
ounce per dry, which is 81. rs.
The sensation while smoking Is. In
deed. soothing. No matter how ia
tigued or oppressed in mind. a few
whff5 of the pipe would put man in
the best of social spirits. It. has strange
medicinal properties, and is said TO
cure all kinds Of fevers and ague, con-
sumption and palpt alton Of the heart
Most Cinnamon are driven to it through
business reverses and other troubles,
while not few contracted the habit
through sociahility. just as an Amer
lean would do on their 'take drink"
with friend.
1t takes just about the same length
OF time to get the opium habit as to
get the drinking habit The latter de-
stroys the mind. and makes a man ir-
responsible for his actions. while the
former destroys the body but makes q
keen thinker of the victim. 1t is esti-
mated that there are something over
one thousand Americans in the city OF
New York who are now using opium in
the same manner and form as the
Chinese. Most of these are said TO be
well-known and fashionable people, as
indeed no other but people of means
and of leisure could ever be able to
contract such 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 to buy their supply.
Say they sell an average of three
cans per day. At wholesale rates,
which is So 80 per can for China inn
ported goods, but when retailed out at
the 30 cents worth at a time it would
bring it up to about $40 to $11 per can.
AT $40 which is the lowest possible
price per can, sixty-six cans amount
to $3.50 per day, or S240 900 per year.
There are eleven joints. The ma
iority of these import their own
opium, said to be direct from China,
but the greater part of which comes
from Victoria, b. G. One of these
places. which Is the best Chinese Joint
In town, sells at retail on SUNDAYS
alone from ten to twelve cans, while
the second best place sells from eight
10 ten cans on Sundays. GA an aver
age these joints dispose of five cans
Gay. These places calculate to make
from 81 to So on each can of Chinese
imported opium. but they are able to
make more when they mix the Vic
torla In with the pure. Thus it can
easily be seen how nearly 81, 900, 900 |
hands for opium per year.
According to Chinese San Francis
co papers they paid over $500 900 for |
custom house duties for the Chinese
year Just ended on opium alone. But
one very curious fact is that a China
man Is frequently deceived. When he
pays Tor the real imported Chin csc
opium he gets Victoria (R c.
opium, which is sold in several Chi
N. uese stores at S. so per can. but since
Tue recent custom-house trouble it has
gone up to Sc The same article can
u ,s mad In Canada for 81 25 to 81 so.
' sne duties are paid upon these Vic
' .prla goods it is said by the smokers
.na' 'hey could not buy it at the above
,a'es. but would have to paw 81 A
van ior it-W.sg Chm Foo, IN NJ y