Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-02-16
REV. GILLIAN SEES
BIG CACHES OPIUM
SOAR UP IN SMOKE
Former Boise Bishop Witnesses
Wierd Event in China; 1907
Chests, Worth $24,140,000,
Burned by Government.

Rev. J. d. Gillian. former Bishop
Of the Methodist district here, with res
idence in Boise, who has been touring
the Orient for the last several months
in missionary work, will soon be home.
In a letter to the Capital News Rev.
GILLIAN writes he expects to sail on
the same steamer that carries the let
ter, expecting to reach San Francisco.
via Honolulu, Feb. 20.
Rev. Gillilan's letter, which interest
ingly describes the burning Of large
store of opium by the Chinese govern
ment of which he was a witness. fol-
lows:
"This morning, Jan. II, had new
experience. had been asked to go to
q goodwin "a warehouse) and be wit
ness tothe examination of opium chests
that were being opened by the govern
ment officials, tested and certified to
as being genuine before the burning
which is to take place just as soon as
this work Is completed.
There were 1907 chests, each con-
tanning 40 balls weighing a little over
three pounds each. This Is a total Of
4S,2S0 balls, each valued at $500, total
value of $24,140,0 900.
This opium was bought by the gov
eminent is publicly tested and will be
as publicly incinerated. Every precau-
ton is taken to prevent any one think
ing there is any deception in the pro-
cess Of destruction. At the door Of the
goodwin an official is stationed who
causes you to register your name and
address; up flight Of steps Is another
to whom must be shown a card Of adj
mission. You are then shown into a
large room where there are many Of
ficials and witnesses. Each chest is
taken by coolies who hammer off the
cover and two officers publicly and
audib1y count out the contents, each
containing 40 as above stated. A num-
Der of these are then cut open by the
use of a cleaver dividing 1t in two
parts as evenly as possible; not all
are thus subjected to the knife unless
some one Of the bystanders expresses
a doubt as to them all; If so all are
opened. The balls have been packed
for over nine years as a card taken
from one box, and now in my possess
sion, shows, and is very tough. 1t has
the sticky consistency of very tough
taffy. and is wrapped in a covering OF
poppy leaves tightly plastered and
abpub q tAAiu W u Ldll uh lHCH All
thickness.
COPY OF THE CARD
"Here / copy the card have show
ing as it does the care taken by them
who produced it:
Factory Form No. II.
approved in letter No. 235, d. "a
8-06.)
PATINA OPIUM
No. 1o7s7 NJ. S. C.
10 cakes. so Tolahs Weight.
Bihar Opium Agency,
The 10th Deer: 1909.
L. P. SHIRRES,
Opium Agent.
On the other side Of the same card
n the following:
Cakes examined. weighed and
packed in my presence.
r. N. Muir White.
Closed in my presence.
c. Bailey.
Weighment and packing conduct
ed under my general superintend-
ence,
Ferhead.
Factory Superintendent.
p. j. Press-A 296-15-S-19Os-
3693-25.0oo-667.
facts to understand this card is East
Indian. Here is the main fact: The
British government requires opium
raisers to sell all their products to II
and 1t then disposes of to whoever will
buy. This was sold here, and as Chi
ma Is expected by the other members
OF the family of nations to treat opium
rs an outlaw. she has bought this vast
amount and is proceeding to annihilate
1t as detailed.
This would be a enappy story II II
We're complete in the telling and evinc
cd the fact that opium is taboo by the
wnoie OF China. The sorry fact is that
Wnlle l2o7 chests are being DESTROYED
zooo others have been purchased by
japan from the British government
Consular report); 1T is known that
much of the contraband stuff is finding
Its way into China; Japan does NOT
smoke opium; the inference ia that
much, II not all. of the 1000 chests
inns It's way to China through For
mosa. Manchuria and elsewhere. am
making no assertion on that point but
the press OF China is loud in it's almost
daily protestations that such is the
fact. 1t is known that the poppy ia
being extensively grown in south China.
especially In Fukien. where l saw n
last Christmastime as told in q former
letter to the Capital News.
BRITAIN CRITICISED
Much Indignation is openly ex.
pressed against the British for this . ct
OF theirs, the controlling and the mar
keting OF the drug. International ar
rangement and agreement will sooner
or later be made. it is thought. Indeed
the Chinese are looking to the coming
peace conference for RELIEF on this line
This occurrence is an historic event
ana was glad to be asked to be an
American witness"
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