Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-07-08


the salary $1,000, believing this would
put all the carriers on an equality.
The bill was favorably reported by the
pOstoffice committee by vote of I To
9. He voted against the Miller amend
ment, he said, because its proposition
To appropriate $6,000,000 additional for
the support of the servi-e could not
change the existing general law, and
therefore could not be used To increase
the salaries of the carriers. and the
additional amount was not needed for
the general postal service. He then
put I'm his bill as an amendment, but
without unanimous consent an appro-
priatiOn bill could not change existing
law, and n single objection defeated
his amendment. President Wicker
wanted to know how the salaries Of the
carriers could be increased without in
Creasing the appropriation. Mr.. Fin
ley replied that there would first have
to be a law passed fixing the salaries.
and he had introduced such bill, as
had scores of others. A question as to
why it was SO much easier to increase
salaries of city carriers than of rural
carriers. was greeted with applause.
Congressman Finley said that three
years ago, when the law was passed,
increasing the salaries of rural car
riers to 5000 per year, q law was pass
ed which had not since been changed.
starting the city carriers at small
salary a month, and increasing them
yearly.
News and Courier: According TO
physicians in touch with the situation
in this city, the cocaine habit among
the negroes in Charleston is spreading
to an alarming extent. The drug, from
all accounts, first made its appearance
among the dpniZpnS of the under world
I'm this city about twelve years ago. but
at that time was used only by a COM
paratively small number acquainted
with the peculiar influence which the
powder eXerts upon the human system.
The use Of the drug. however, spread
rapidly, first among the whites, then in
Darktown, until now 1t Is estimated
that one negro in every four uses CO.
caine i'm one form or another. The pO-
lice have at various times during the
last two years attempted to stamp
out the sale Of cocaine in this city, but
apparently without success. Several
persons, charged with selling the drug
without q physicians certificate, were
convicted in the police court and fined
heavily for this violation of the city
ordinance. There is at present pending
in the police court, the case Of Charles
Jones, white. alias "Weatherhorn,"
charged with selling a box of cocaine
to negro woman on Market street.
Very often the drug is used in the
shape of a solution of the crystalline
fern. mixed with other injurious in
gradients and injected into the system
by means Of a hypodermic syringe.
Other habitual users take it in the
form of pills. The devotee using the
syringe method, in many cases upon
examination is found to have his arms,
legs or chest covered with one mass
of sores, resulting from the punctures
made by the needle OF the syringe.
These wounds as usual thing heal
up very quickly, but very often tester
and break out. owing to the unsanitary
surroundings in which the cocaine
fiend lives as a general rule. Cases are
known in this city i'm which cocaine
fiends died of lockjaw and other forms
Of poisoning as a direct result of fes-
tering Of the hypOdermic syringe pricks
covering the persons of the unfortunate
users of the drug. The most popular"
and simple method in vogue of taking
the drug into the system Is by snuffing
it through the nose. The pure cocaine
flakes are crushed to a powder in a
mortar and retained in this form. A
small quantity Of the stuff is shaken on
the back of the hand and then in
method consists of dissolving small
quantity of cocaine in a teaspoonful Of
water, and then heating 1t over a
match. This is swallowed. 1t has been
pretty firmly established that indul-
gence in cocaine leads to physical
wreckage. The users of the drug claim
that a dose gives them courage"
Sweet Dreams" and a sort of exuber-
ance Of spirit. This state lasts from
two to four hours as a rule, but after
that wears off quickly, leaving the vic
tim with an Unsuitable craving for more
of the deadly drug. Negroes especial
ly are very susceptible to the influence
Of cocaine and under it's sway will
commit acts from which they would
shrink under normal circumstances.
The illegal cocaine trade Is carried on
by three different sets Of individuals.
First, those who procure 1t from the
large drug centres of the country in
wholesale quantities; those who sell to
agents, and finally the latter them
selves who dispose Of 1t to the fiends.
to be considerable. A vial Of cocaine
which sells at 81, is made up into as
many as three dozen boxes, each con-
tanning enough of the drug for two or
three small doses. The boxes sell at
25 cents each. Not content with this
profit, majority Of the agents adul-
terate the pure cocaine flakes with
other drugs and various harmless pow
ders. Boracic acid is principally used
for this purpose, as it is snow white
and therefore invisible unless detected
by the eye of an expert chemist. Very
small boxes have recently made their
appearance on the market, which are
offered for sale at price of Is cents.
1t has leaked out, however that the
fiends refuse to buy them because Of
the fact that the contents are mostly
ingredients other than cocaine, thereby
giving the buyer none Of that sensation
which he Graves with might and soul.