The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-02
NEGRO COCAINE FIENDS.
The Use OF the Drug Has Now spread TO
the cotton Plant atoms.

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. lit has been
learned that cocaine as well az whiskey was
pedded by the whiskey pirate ship Hazel,
whose skipper, Capt. Hull, was recently ar
rested on the Mississippi River, charged
with shooting the Sheriff aid other citizens
of lhicot county Ark. In his defence.
Hull explains That he did not introduce
cocaine among the E,grots Of the laaoo
Delta. but merely did what great many
planters are doing supplied the demand
for II.
The cocaine habi, began among the negro
roustabouts of New Orleans, who found that
the drug enabled them to perform more
easily the extraordinarily severe work Of
loading and unloading steamboats, al which,
perhaps for seventy hours at stretch. they
have to worl<, without sleep or rest IN rain
IN cold and in heat. The pay i high. $50 a
mon h, but the work ls Impossible without
a stimulant.
Nhiskey, while protecting the negro
against the rain and cold. did not give him
the endurance against fatigue that was
needed Cocaine proved to be the very
stmulant needed.
Under its influence the strength ard Vigor
Of the laborer Is temporarily increased, and
he becomes impervious TO the extremes of
heat and cold. But cocaine il filing tie
insane asylums with wrecks.
From the rolstabouls the cocaine habit
spread To the leNee camps along the Mis-
sissirpi. where the work l. hard, and the
conditions Of life and work unfavorable.
Finally il reached the plantation hand and
here it got the same foothod.
While the work on the cotton rllnta-
ton j. not 80 hard as !evee building or load
ing steamboats,, still at the cotton picking
season il calls for extraordinarily long
hours As there is never enough labor
TO pick all the cotton it is TO the interest
of the planters 10 have tho negroes work
az much extra time a. possible.
Tl., yl4 mt. lil ont u
encouragement To the negro hands TO
PM in big days work The negroes
found that the drug enabled them 10 work
longer and make more money, and so they
took to IL
IT, u,e has grown steadily On many
of the Yazoo plant ations this wear the
negroes refused 20 work unless they could
BE- assured that there was some place in
the neighborhood where they could get
cocaine. and on big planter il reported
TO keep the drug in stock among the plan
tation supplies and to issue regular rations
of cocaine just as he was accustomed in
tho past to issue raj ions Of whiskcy.
Cocaine has not been in use on tho river
plantations long enough to do the harm
il has done in New Orleans. but the problem
is looming up a. an important one. In tho
meanwhile the efforts TO prevent the spread
Of the cocaine habit in New Orleans and
other Sou hern cities have been quite
successful. II has been found impossible
10 cure the cocaine fends who are fast
drifting TO the insane asylums, killing
themselves or being killed, but il has been
found possible to stop the future sale Of
cocaine in the drugSt ores and 10 keep
the Younger negroes from taking up the
habit
The negroes themselves have been very
active in this movement, and the police
have shown 30 much energy that the public
sale Of the drug has almost ceased in New
Orleans
A crusade against the use of the drug
has begun in most of the towns, but as yct
no effort has feen made 10 prevent it,
sale i'm the country dist riots