The morning call., 1890-10-23
OPIUM AND COOLIES.
Evasion of PrOhibit0ry Laws in
the Northwest.
Routes Chosen for the Contraband Traffic
Coast and Border Lines 1nadequately
Po.iced by the Revenue Service.

this country, the purpose being clearly that
this tax should be prohibtory duty-to pre-
vent forever the importation of the drug.
Notwithstanding this heavy duty the impor-
tation of opium last year through legal
channels, and upon which duty was paid,
amounted to 81, 100000.
Congress also passed measure to pro-
hibit the entry of Chinese laborers into
this country. These laws are still on the
statute-books and are enforced wherever
possible, but the fact remains that the con-
traband traffic in the drug and in the coolies
continues.
For some months United States officers
have been investigating this double traffic
and the remedy for the twin evil, from
which it appears that during the year 1899
something like 10000 pounds of prepared or
smoking opium were struggled into the
country and this Government thereby de-
prived of a revenue tax Of $500, 900. From
March, 1887, until December 1889, there
were landed in British Columbia 6S19
Chinese, over four-fifths of whom were
smuggled into the United States. These are
facts derived from investigation of United
States agents and from estimates based upon
reports furnished by Custom-house officials
of British Columbia.
TWO ROUTES ARE CHOSEN.
There are two routes which smugglers
use to bring Cinnamon and opium into the
United States. One of them is overland and
the other is by water, on Puget Sound.
The routes are used as the eXgeneies of the
occasion demand. in other words, as the
presence of officers neceSsitate, such pres
ence always being made known to the SNUG
glerS by their principals in town. or the des-
tinatGn of the cargo. The start in either
case is from the same point-VancouYer or
Victoria.
Vancouver is on Puget Sound, British
Columbia and is the western terminus of
the Canadian Pacific Railway, which runs
eastward to the Dominion of Canada.
About three times month steamers arrive
at Vancouver from China, havingson board
opium and coolies. The average cargo of
opium is $4,000 pounds, although sometimes
lar er
1t is in c;ule form and must be refined
for smoking, about seven pounds of pre-
pared being obtained from ten pounds of
crude. A portion of the opium is retained
for the use of the Chinese population of the
district, and the remainder nine-teDths of
the whole Importation, is smugged into the
United States, SO the British customs off
GERS say. OF the Cinnamon who land nine
ty-five out of every hundred are bound Tor
the United States, and get there.
Upon arriving at Vancouver the China
men are TAKEN III cnarHt Dy their RESIDENT
cOuntTymen IN the Chinese portion OF the
city. In a few days they take passage for
Victoria, which is just across the sound on
Vancouver Island. Here they remain,
quietly bidng their time for an opportunity
TO be helped across to the American shore.
They are divided into small squads of o
dozen or fifteen, and are in charge of some
crafty old Celestial who knows the ropes.
Each man has put up from $50 to $50 pas
sage money.
KEPT WELL OUT OF SIGHT.
The guide keeps his countTymen well out
of sight and he himself frequents the low
dives along the water front of the city
where the smugglers congregate. Their
craft are at anchor in the harbor, trim,
clipper-built little sloOps, with a great
spread of canvas, but looking innocent
enough with the bundle of fish-nets drying
on the roof of the cabin and lazy water
man stretched on the deck smoking his pii e.
If all is propitious and the wind fair the
Chinese padrone makes bargain for the
transportation of so many men across the
sound that night. The rendezvous is agreed
upon and the details arranged.
Other consignments of Cinnamon land at
Westminster in British Columbia, Just north
of the border. and from this point the trails
are good eight months in the year. by which
they can find their way into the United
States. There is still another and third
route of entry into the United States for the
cOulTdDaUuISlS, lOT ny Jdhlll1 lUe IdDdulln
Pacific Railroad at Vancouver the China
men can proceed east until they are north
OF the border of the States of Dakota, Mon
tapa or Minnesota. They leave the road at
some little way station and make for the
American border, which is only from forty
to eighty miles away. They have their we'll
worn trails, their huts and rendezvous. and
the SmugglerS are always on hand to guide
them across the border.
Many cToss the border iuto Montana and
make their way to the mining towns of Wy
omng and Idaho, where they find ready en-
ployment and no questions are asked as to
their previous condition Of servitude. After
staying there year or two and having
saved some money they scatter to various
parts OF the Union.
ONCE WITHIN THE BORDER.
When a Chinaman is once within the Dor
der of the United States there he will stay,
although he NAV be apprehended within a
day or two and the customs officers be salts
fed that he is an unlawful emigrani. When
a Chinaman lands at Vancouver and pays bis
customs tax to the British government he
buys for 81 ticket-of-leave to uso in case
he desires again to enter British Columbia
after once leaving the country. The Brit
ishers will not let him enter the country un-
less he has this ticket or desires to pay an
other lax of $50. The Chinaman therefore
leaves with friend in Vancouver his ticket
of-leaye when he starts across the border,
and if he is caught by the American Gus
toms officers he cannot be sent back to
British Columbia unless the officers pay the
$50
The larger part of the smuggled opium
comes into the United States by way OF the
Canadian Pacific, Willie nearly every week
some little band of Mong0Iians steals into
the land OF promise from the railroad sta
tons. Probably the heaviest traffic in both
opium and Cinnamon is carried on in the
neIghbOrho0d of the Lake of the Woods,
which is large body Of water lying partly
in British Columbia and the United States
north of Minnesota.
The lake is dotted with pumberless small
islands, densely wooded. and the channels
between them wind in and out with bewil-
derlng iptrlcacy. Numerous freight and
passenger steamers and lumber boats and
any number of smaller sailing craft ply
these waters between Rat Portage, which is
at the head of the lake on the Canadian Pa
cific, and the smaller towns on the southern
shore and the Rainy Lake River.
PREVENTION OF THE TRAFFIC.
The question naturally aries, Why does
not the Government take steps to prevent
this traffic? The Government does try, but
the effort is so feeble in proportion to the
extent Of the evil as to be altogether inap-
probable. For instance, between Lake ST.
peIior and the Lake of the Woods distance
Of 800 miles, there is one customs officer,
and he is stationed at the mouth of the
Rainy Lake River, which spot is. of course,
given wide berth by the smugglers.
At Pembna and Vecha, thence along the
border of Dakota. distance of 100 miles,
there are three or four customs officers
Between ST. John, n. OAK, and a point
north of Helena, Mont, there are DO Gus
toms officers, leaving entirely unprotected
border of 500 miles in extent, within easy
reach of the smugglers, being only from
sixty to seventy-five miles distant fiom the
Canadian Pacific Railway.
The clear 1000 miles of border from
Helena to the coast is protected by two or
three mounted men. The coast of Puget
Sound is guarded by single revenue cutter.
which is entirely inadequate for the service
required, and two or three customs officers,
who are supposed to police all the islands on
the sound and its coast line of hundreds of
miles.
Shawnee AhIaye.