The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-06-17
CANADA,s OPIUM BUSINESS.
An Industry that Depends Upon the United
States for Its Support.

The manufacture Of opium IS one or
the most profitable industries OF British
Columbia, as It employs some lVo or ooV
men in making charcoal, whlch is useu
exclusively for cooking purposes, In ad-
dition to the cooks and other employees.
The Canadian license for the manufac-
ture of opium is $500 year. Inc Gov
eminent, in addition TO providing en-
ployment for a large number OF people
and besides bringing into the country
great amo, Mt Of money from the Uhlted
States. derives a neat little revenue
each year. all at the expense Of the
United States.
The development and manufacture Of
opium Is an interesting study The
Chinese are the greatest consumers IN
the world. Next 10 that race come the
Pur1nese and the inhabitants Of the
Straits Of Malacca, the latter consuming
opium TO the value of 100000 annually.
The cultivation of the poppy, from when
O Juice is extracted and subsequently re-
duced by boiling until 1t becomes
LIQUID resembling mOlasses. when II rs
termed refined opium, Is carried on IN
many parts OF Asia, Persia, Turkey, and
some parts Of China. The CHIEF district
is along the Gauges river India, and
embraces an area COO miles long by 200
miles In width, and is divided into two
districts, Behar and Benares. The cities
OF Patna and GaZepore are the princi-
pal depots or shipping points, where the
factories for making crude opium are
sell their product TO the Indian Govern
nnent, which in turn supplies the great
Chinese importing houses Before the
fields Of India were developed opium
came from Turkey and Persia. and was
used for medicinal purposes for the reason
that IL contained more than 10 per cent.
of morphia, a quality that IS too rich for
smoking; opium used for the latter pur-
pose contains about 6 per cent.
The method by which opium is manu-
featured is interesting 10 observe, al
though a sickening odor peIVades the
atmosphere and Will cause a novice 20
become deathly i'll. The balls OF crude
opium are slit open. moistened with
water and boiled TO paste. This paste
Is dried, remoistencd, and again boiled,
after which IT is strained: 1t goes
through this process several times, eacn
time being carefully strained and all
foreign substance removed until II has
q rich brown color. The drug Is boiled
in large hemispherical brass pans about
twenty inches in diameter. The other
utensils consist OF bamboo hitter,
sprinklers, strainers, and pots. When it
is properly boiled down 1t is sealed up
in brass tins containing six ounces edch.
The factories in China can manufacture
a better quality OF opium for $3.50 less
pound than the factories on the Pacific
coast A good opium cook in China Is
paid $40 a month and at victoria $40
month. 4 days work consists Of rem
irg two and half balls of crude opium
each bill making five five-tael cans OF
prepared opium. For each additional bali
refined it Is customary 10 pay the COOK
80 cents.
The evil habit OF opium smoking has
obtained such power over the Chinese
and some classes Of white people in the
United States that 1t is a ply steal In
possibility TO wholly stop the importa-
ton and use Of the drug. and the next
best measure. IL seems, IS to adopt some
legislation that will check the growth of
the habit and at the same time not de-
fraud the Government OF revenue that
IL is justly entitled 10 receive, and which
heretofore has mostly gene into the pri-
vate purses of the smugglers of the
Pacific Northwest-Seattle Post-lntelli-
EpnCer