Barbour County index., 1900-12-05
HONG KoNgs ORION FARMER.
HIs Position Lasts Only q Year, bnt Makse
Him Rich.

In the colony of E.Ong Kong there
IA q Chinlaman who, while bis bTie4
reign lasts, Us spoken of by the 4
raiMilon OF his fe.Iow countrymen ON
the ialand with baIued breauh- 10 these
celeStials, subjects of Queen Victoria,
the emperor OF China Is not nearly so
great a man as the opium farmer,
and the queen herself, c0mpared with
'his mightinesS OF the drug, Is IN
their eyes only "a far away sovereign
NOT half 50 imposing.
In order to regulate to some exJen1
the importation OF opium into Long
Kong and to simplify the collecUon o9
duties the BrGtish government SeverA
years ago decided 10 place the whole
bueai ainess in the hands OF one man.
Reializ ng, however, the tremendous
and arDtrary power that coun Do
welded by "a single individual in SUCH
q position, it was also decided that the
office should be only held one year.
and thalt no person should be allowed
10 keep it for more than "a single term.
So that it was announced that the
government was prepared TO accept
bids for the privilege
SINCE that time the selection OF an
"opium farmer" ais he is called, has
become an annual event. The highest
bid generally ranges from 100000 TO
n millon doiuaTSS according no the
prospects for the poppy crop Tor the
year and the condition of the market.
The successful applicant Us duly ga
zetted in his position, and he Is gwen
khe assistance of a fleet OF a dozen
swift government customs vessels 10
project his interests. He himself en-
pDoys several junks ITO guard his busl-
ness against Smugglers, but he must
only use these boats for obtaining in
formation. If he SECURES knowledge
of smuggling operations he turns it
over to the authorities, who run the
1malJefacturs down. Nearly every week
In the year there is smart skirmish
between the sampanS OF the smuggtera
from the mainland of China and the
revenue cutters. Pretty little battles
some of them are, too, and very useful
in giving young British middies = .:
Junior naval officers their first taste
of sea fighting,
The opium farmer has the sole con.
troll of every pound of the drug
brought into Hong Kong, and he gen.
orally makes from n million to $780,
600 clear profit in his year of office.
The government gets much more from
him than it could secure if it at
tempted TO collect the duties itself, and
gets it in "a lump sum without the
enormous amount of trouble and the
large force pf officers that would 9TH
erwise be necessary. The opium farm
er's sallalried men watch all incoming
BOATS and as 1T is q calSe of Ch1naman
against ChinamIam very Little OF the
raw material gets past him
At the end of his term of office he
gives a great dinner to government
officials, newspaper men and the lead
ing Chinese merchants OF the colony.
This dinner is one of the three great
events of the Hong Kong year. The
other two are the polo championship
games and the sham BATTLE between
the troops in the garrison. AS a mat
ter OF fact, though natural pride keeps
them from openly acknowledging 1t,
the white people ofHong Kong look ON
this unique dinner as by far the most
interesting affair in the social calen-
dar.
When q Chinaman makes up hde
mind TO do a thing handsomely he
generally goes to the limit. The op-
sum farmer always makes his dinner,
which is "a sort of farewell to his
brief reign of c1ar of the opium
smokers, something to be remembered
by his white friends. Indeed, he lays
aside "a large sum of money, from $780,
900 to $25, 900, for the banquet, and al
ways reckons 1T as a legitimate item
OF expense when he figures up his
bid to the government at the begin
ming of the year,
A week before the close of his term
of Office the farmer sends out his
invitations. These are always verbal,
deldvered to the lucky recipient by q
Bhrioff, a polite Qittle native clerk, who
comes to your door with a smile and
. bow, chad in "a long blue gown reach
ing to his heels, and tells you that bin
master desires the honor of your pres
emce at the Wong Tai Do restaurant
Ito modestly sup with him from q
little dish or two dn token of your
good will"
The invitation needs no Response.
The shroff takes it for granted that
you will postpone a trip ito Europe
to get ITO that dinner, and he is right,
There are no vacant seats when the
ceremonies begin.
The Wong Tai Lo restaurant, where
an these affairs are given, is the Chi
nese Delmonico'e OF Hong Kong. n
stands in the hear't OF the native quar-.
ter, five story frame building elabor
ately carved, with broad balconies Ia
den with towering plants and creeperl
and the usual huge feast lanternl
Swaying to the wind.
You are met ait the ground floor en-.
trance of the restaurant by one of thS
barmer'S representatives clad in gor.
gdous silks, who gives your chair ot
rickBhaw coolies directions about thu
time for their return and shows yoJ
upstairs to the great dining room or
the third floor. The tables, which
run in three para0lel lines down thl
length OF the apartment, are bare ot
everything except the usual silver
ware, with ivory chop sticks added
The big expense of white cloth has {
pecurdarrly hospftaibDe and restaurant
0ike appearance, which, however. doe
not hast very long.
, The wallis are covered with Chimes
Aags and Union Jacks twtned togethe
and hanging by the hundred from tn
ceiling gay lauIterns of all designs nn'
co0ors, enclosing electrtc lights. Apou
800 guests find seaits at places whert
their names are written, on pieces o
paSteboard. Round the head on tn