The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-30

After subduing effectively the Flllp1nos and
teaching them to understand and appreciate
an American style Of government, it will be
necessary to consider the opium question in
the islands. Most of the natives are already
habituated to the use of the drug. The gov
eminent is thinking of selling to the highest
bidder the exclusive opium concession. The
Evangelical Union wants opium excluded. The
ton of such a monopoly, which, however, is
not without it's good points. The conces-
sion provides that opium shall not be sold
ors and it is understood that the revenues
shall be devoted to the English education of
Filipino teachers.
Chinese. When the drug is mentioned Ameri-
cans smell Chinaman. But the whole civil
lized world seems to have forgotten that 1t
was the British who introduced opium into
China. Another crime which bloody England
should answer for. <. -
In the first quarter of the nineteenth cen
Ty the was Of n Re IN
by English merchants. This led to the war
Of 1889, the importation being forbidden by
the Chinese emperor
At Gheazeepore one hot and windy day,
the writer and two friends went II, to inspect
the opium Be- By any one
to stand in the open door of an oven and
breathe fog of fried sand cunnngly blown
therefrom. A faint scent as of decaying veg
the gate was entered. In and about the fac
tory there was a movement of scantily clad
coolies, or porters bearing on their heads
large earthen vessels. These vessels, care
fully sealed, contained opium fresh out Of the
poppy district.
Poppy headed (red-turbaned) accountants
b be m of
| ness as any jar in the go down. were lazlly
loun ging about with their swords beside them
To e'S reach ai'e the sahib. or Officer on duty,
| the party pushed into party of natives IN an
atmosphere drugged powerfully with the
| scent of opium. Those in the crowd were all
carrying tin vessels; each vessel was half
| full of opium, in the form of black. sticky
dough, and contained also ticket showing
the name of the grower specimen cine +S OF whose
of the Village and district in which it was
grown :,
The can bearers, eager as cannibals, all
tim. the gentleman on duty, sat Cans were
flowing in from all sides. At the right OF
the sahib stood native Mephistopheles, with
the middle of each can as it came nearer,
paved the contents with mysterious rapid
| luy, extracted bit of the black dough, car
ried it briskly to his nose and instantly pro
| sahib, who has abundant faith in his familiar
inscribed at once in red ink on the ticket
was good enough to hold dainty morsel
for him to smell. It was lump of the fin
est So readily could this native tell BY the
feel of opium whether foreign substitute
had been added, and so accurately could he
tell by the smell its quality. that his test is
rarely found to differ from the more elaborate
analyses presently to be described,
The Englishman who was working at E
temperature of 100 can remain but four hours
at his desk; his place at the end of that time
is taken by another
first rough test a small portion of the dough
was taken, to be carried off into another
room In this the thermometer registered
from 10 to 12o degrees. At table half
dozen natives sat, weighing out in measured
portions of 100 grains the specimens that hat
Just been sent to them from the chamber o
! as it was weighed upon a small plate by it
self. The plates we're then carried to an
other part of the chamber, fitted up witt
steam baths not unlike tables in appearance
and about these tables boys were sitting, who
over each plate tho the plate were brea
and the opium upcn it was piece of butter
J This being done the steam bath caused tn
water to leave the drug and left upon tn
plate dry powder which. being weighed an
found to be about twenty-three grams lighte
opium. 80 '''0'~,e>'. $500 Ne'e
If the 100 grains. after evaporation. leay
residue Ct more than z the manufacture
} is paid higher price for his more valuab
sample. II the water be found in excess
. smaller price is paid for the inferior articl
! The young chemists are naked to the wais
e
to mind the heat, which quickly drove tn
visitors out Of their chamber
The next chamber was full of yats In tt
! watts opium and over the watts wei
l ropes depending from the ceiling, hang
ing to the ropes were naked men-native
!. themselves somewhat opium coored, kicl
ing and stamping Justify within the watts upo
the opium; and each vat was in fact hug
: mortar and each man living pestle In tn
room a quantity of opium worth king
3 ransom being mixed and kneaded by tt
legs of men preparatory to being made U
into pills.
In the chamber Of pills there was a rus
of imps naked as the nude in art strives
!. be, each carrying bolus in his hand
I about the size of a 42-pound cannon bal
: This chamber was long. narrow hall, FIJI
, of natives, every. tongue industriously was
Around the walls were low stools at eve
distances apart and upon each stool squat
n rather than sits, workman, having befol
= him a brass cup, the interior of whic
: would fit half bolus.
Before each man upon stool stood
: man without stool and a Roy with saE
: GER The man without the stool had by h
q side number Of dried poppy leaves,
which he took few and having lnoistene
!. them in a dark, gummy liquid, which
{ simply composed of the washipgs OF the va!
ious vessels used in the establishment, hande
I them to the man upon the stool, who 81
Y before the cup The man upon the stool ha
a | been rubbing the interior Of the cup wit
+ fingers dipped In the same dark gumnly liqui
!. reminding one of a Eousekeeper buttering
!, Jelly mold. He then proceeded to At In tH
Z or three leaves. thcn more gum, then ar
her law, wa