The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1891-02-21
PRODUCT or T4s POPPY


Nearly s5oo.ooo spent Yearly for opium
n Sew Work..
II was for tine purpose NJ giving an &C
curate and interesting account " how
1900 Cinnamon spend $}GS,S}9 ,j anuu-
ally Just for the pleasure Ut hitting the
pipe that the Chinese reporter made u
thorough canvass ot The various hauuts Of
Chinatown
There are at present ahoDt twenty-five
Chinese firms that deal IN refined opiumS
both Wholesale and retail There are
eleven private Chinese joints, where
opium is sold at Ssg0 per ounce. These
joints do not now admit white smokers,
on account OF the frequent raids made
upon them 10y the police, hut the stores
sell 70 both Chinese aud whites, although
the latter must be well known smokers,
Otherwise he has 20 suffer for the want Of
opium-which, according TO all accounts,
is even worse than to see "Suakes," Great
tears would gush out OF his eyes, big
drops Of preparation constantly moisten
his brow, while his nostrilS would act as
II he owned a small sized fountain some
where in his head. But the worst Of all
the ailments is an eNcyUCiaung pain all
over his backbone, as il he had been just
run through "a fine clothes wrinCer, Under
such circumstances he would almost be
willing 70 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. \ regular
"fendN will consume about an ounce per
day, which is So 2j.
The sensation while smoking IS indeed
soothing. No matter how fatigued or op-
pressed In mind. few whiits OF the pipe
would put a man i'm the best of social
spirits. Ii has strange medicinal proper
ties. and is said 70 cure all kinds Of ievers
and sgue, consumption and palpitation Of
the heart Most Cinnamon are driven to
it through business reyerSes and other
troubles, while not few contracted the
habit through Sociabilty, just as an
American would do on their take 4
drink with a friend
Ii 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 q man irresponsible for
his actions, while the former destroys the
uOSlN uuA NAAAhES a hNWA AlALANGt hA AAAN
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 rs
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, aud 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 $3.50
per can for China imported goods, but
when retailed out 10y the dity cents worth
at a time it would bring ii up to about
$40 TO Sll per can. Al $40, which is the
lowest possible price per can, sixty-six
cans amount TO $500 per day, or S240, 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, B. c. One
of 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 to ten
caus Oh Sundays. On an average these
joints dispose Of five cans day. 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 Victoria in with the pure. Thus
it can easily be seen how nearly 81, 900, 600
changes hands for opium each year.
According TO Chinese San Francisco
papers they paid over $500, coo for custom
house duties for the Chinese year just
ended on opium alone.-Wong Chin Foo
in New York World.