The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1893-12-08
OPIUM FROM CANADA.
Smugglers Working the Drug
Across the Border Line.
In Spite of Government Precautions a
Very Large Amount OF the Mar
eotic Is Secretly Brought
AcrOss

A prominent Boston physician says
that it would startle the people
of Boston generally were it known
to what great extent the use of
opium had already gone in this city;
not only among the Chinese, for it has
been understood that this class OF the
population use the drug, but among
the white residents. The physicians
of this city have fought vehemently
against the use of opiates to quiet
children, and they have accomplished
something in that direction; but it is
still evident that far larger quantity
of opium is used in this city than is ac-
counted for in the druggists state
ment of sales. Says the Boston Adver-
tiser: "More than one Boston physician
could, if the principles of their profess
sion allowed, give some grave facts re-
garding the ruin wrought by the drug
in Boston homes. Now and then the
police make a raid on some opium
room, but their efforts have not sue
ceeded in checking the use of opium to
any extent. A special agent of the
treasury said lately, in reply to some
questions in this connection, that
opium smuggling was carried on across
the Canadian border to-day in spite of
the arrest of so many gangs of SNUG
glers in the past. The stuff can be
bought for Sc pound in Montreal and
can be sold here at $40 or more per
pound, according to its quality. The
drug is easily carried in large weight,
and one man can carry from twenty
five to fifty pounds and can escape de-
lection. The trade of smuggling opium
is, of course, a very profitable one, and
as the smugglers have about one thou
sand two hundred miles of border ever
which they can cross they have agood
opportunity to do business without
being caught. The favorite method of
the smugglers is to take the train from
Montreal to a way station not far from
the boundary, and to cross the line in
carriage to some small station on the
American side. In this way they es-
cape the search of the regular customs
officers whose duty it is to examine the
luggage of railroad passengers at the
boundary. Some smuggling is also
done by hiding the opium in bulky
packages of freight. At best the gov
ernment has small force of customs
officers along the border, and the
smugglers do thriving trade. They
can sell opium more cheaply than reg
ular dealers, of course, and large
part ofthe opium used in Boston comes
over the border without paying duty.
Only ten years ago $4,000 pounds were
imported into Canada. Last year the
amount was about 10000 pounds, and
it is said that 100000 pounds were
smuggled across the line last year tc
United States consumers. In view o.
the increase in the use. of opium in thi'
section it is matter of some interes
that the Canadian government is a.
last considering the plan of putting 9
watch on the opium refneries in the
dominion, practically compelling the
refineries to carry on their work il
bond under government inspection. Il
this should be done "a prompt check
would be put upon the smugglers and
it would no longer be easy to gel
opium SO cheaply in Boston. The
great increase in price would serve tc
close up some of the opium joints ant
would probably put check upon the
growth of the opium habit"