Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-02-27
PRODUCT OF ne poppy.
Seariy 100000 spout Yearly for Opium
in New York.

Yearly 100000 spent Yearly for Opium
in New York.
It was for the purpose Of giving an ac-
CITRATE and interesting account Of how
9,COJ Cinnamon spend $4GS, $40. Is 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 is sold at 1925 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 be 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 cut of his eyes, big
drops of PRECIPITATION constantly moisten
his brow, while his nostrils would at as
If he owned small sized fountain some
where in his head. But the worst of all
the ailments is an excruciating pain all
over his backbone, as 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 shit 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
''fiendn will consume about an ounce per
day, which is 1925.
The sensation while smoking is indeed
eOrtf1ivo fa-h nr fat ,.I
pressed in mind, a few whiffs of the pipe
would put man in the best of social
spirits. 1t has strange medicinal proper
ties, and is said to cure all kinds of feyers
and ague, consumption and palpitation OF
the heart. Most Cinnamon are driven to
it through business reverses and other
troubles, while not few contracted the
habit through sociability, just as an
| American would do on their sitake a
drink" with a friend.
1t takes just about the same length OF
time to get the opium habit as to get the
drinking habit. The latter destroys the
mind, and makes man irresponsible foI
! his actions, while the former destroys the
body but makes a keen thinker of the
victim. 1t is estimated that there are
something over 1000 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 only sell an average of three cans pei
| day. AT wholesale rates, which is @S.3s
| per can for China imported goods, bui
when retailed out by the fifty cents worth
at time it would bring it up to about
! $40 to Sl1 per can. At $40, which is the
lowest possible price per can, sixty-siA
cans amount TO 5000 per day, or $240, 90t
per year.
There are eleven joints. The majority
| of these import their own opium, said t
be direct from China, but the greater part
of which comes from Victoria, B. 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 thu
second best place sells from eight to tel
cans on Sundays. On an average thes
joints dispose of i've cans day. Thes
places calculate to make from So to 50 o.
each can of Chinese imported opium, bu
they are able to make more when the
mix the Victoria in with the pure. Thu
it can easily be seen how nearly 81, 900, 90
changes hands for opium each year.
According to Chinese San Francisc
papers they paid over $500, 600 for custom
house duties for the Chinese year jus
ended on opium alone.-Wong Chin Fo
in New York World