Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-05-09
PRODUCT OF THE POPPY.
Nearly $500. 900 spent Yearly for Opium
In New York.

1t was for the purpose Of giving an &C
curate and interesting account Of how
1900 Cinnamon spend $iGS, $40 70 annu-
ally just for the pleasure Of hitting the
pipe" that the Chinese reporter made a
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 Is sold at So % 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 to both Chinese and whites, although
the latter must he well known smokers.
Otherwise he has to suffer for the want Of
opium-which. according to all accounts,
Is even worse than TO see SNAKES" Great
tears would gush out Of his eyes, big
drops Of Precipitation constantly moisten
his brow, while his nostrils would at as
II he owned a small sized fountain some
where In his head. But the worst Of all
the ailments Is an excruciating pain all
over his backbone, az il he had been just
run through fine clothes wringer. Under
such circumstances he would almost be
willing 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 naural
condition Of life, which would last him
for about as many hours A regular
''fend' will consume about an ounce per
day, which Is 50 25.
The sensation while smoking Is indeed
soothing. No matter how fatigued or OPP
pressed in mind, few whiffs Of the pipe
would put n man in the best of social
spirits. IL has strange medicinal proper
ties and IL said TO cure all kinds Of feyers
and ague, consumption and palptatiOn OF
the heart. Most Cinnamon are driven TO
IL through business reverses and other
troubles, while not few contracted the
habit through sociability, just as an
American wOuld do on their take a
drink with friend
1t takes Just about the same length of
time 10 get the opium habit as to get the
drinking habit The latter destroys the
mind and makes a man irresponsible for
his actions, while the former destroys the
body but makes keen thinker Of the
victim. 1t is estimated that there are
something over 600 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 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 to buy their supply. Say
they only sell an average of three cans per
day. At wholesale rates, which is SIS %
per can for China imported goods, but
when retailed out by the fifty cents worth
ut a time il would bring it up to about
$40 to Sll per can. AT SO, which is the
lowest possible price per can, siXty-siX
cans amount to $500 per day, or $40, 800
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, Is. c. 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 to ten
cans on Sundays. On an average these
joints dispose Of five cans day These
places calculate to make from 81 to $3 on
each can of Chinese imported opium, but
they are able to make more when they
mix the Victoria in with the pure. Thus
it can easily be seen how nearly 81 600, 600
changes hands for opium each year.
According to Chinese San Francisco
papers they paid over $500 600 for custom
house duties for the Chinese year just
ended on opium alone. Wong Chin Foo
in New York World.