Evening journal., 1921-09-16

Chinese OPIUM
TRADE BOOMING
Simms Tells of Visit to
Drug Farm" in
Macao
MUCH DRUG is
MADE FOR EXPORT
BY WNI. PHILIP sINMs

TO the United States, the black and
beady little opium pill is to the Far
East Both hooch and opium have
been pronounced dead, yet both are
still going strong. AT least opium
is in China
But for Fan Tan houses and the
opium business and what goes with
them, this Old World city lost in
the Orient would be deader than one
of those western mining villages af-
ter the ore had petered out.
Come over to the farm" the
compradore Of the Hongkong-Ma
Gao boat invited after we had check
ed up our losses at Lee Yuen's gamb-
ling house on the Praia Grandee.
Come along have look-see."
We walked down the street about
three squares and turned in at a
door over which. in box-car letters.
were the words in English:
"MACAO OPIUM FARM"
A faint. very faint. sweetish ordor.
not entirely displeasing, greeted the
nostrils.
Nobody stopped us. or asked Us
questions.
Inside the scene resembled a foun-
dry as much as anything else, a
foundry with en- endless row OF
biacksmith's furnaces along the
right wall
There was no floor. A hard
packed earth served instead.
Working at the furnaces were
about 40 Chinese. naked 10 the waist.
The men labored about four feet
IA.
end of the long, shadowy room TO
the other.
They were all working opium, get
ting it ready for the market.
Where does the crude opium
come from? ?" 1 asked the compra-
dore.
India" he replied
At each fire a Chinese was busily
stirring l1neading. In the first
stages tn opium mixture is thin,
like sugar-cane juice. but as IL boils
it thickens. like sirup.
The vessel it is cooked in is about
as big as a large wash bowl and is
of brass.
After long boiling the stun be-
comes mastic. The worker then
kneads 1t as a baker does dough.
Through several such cookings
and workings the brownish black
poison is put until at last II is ready
to put up in packages for sale.
One brass bowl Of opium. accord
ing to the compradore. retails for
about 5000 Mex. or around $500 gold.
On the opposite side OF the room
from the furnaces I saw several
groups Of Chinese packing the pre-
pared opiurl in oblong brass cans,
each holcir a few ounces OF the
dope. It he the consistency Of very
thick New Orleans molasses on a
winter day.
These packages, the compradore
said. were not for local consump-
ton. He said they we're to be ship
ped to America.
For medicine?'' / inquired. ITO
make morphine. laudanrm and such
drugs2"
The compradore shrugged his
shoulders. He did not know.
picked up an earthen-ware OBJ
5ect 1 saw on the noor. Il was like
a small pill-box. about the size OF
the erd Of my thumb and about
three quarters Of an inch long. In
side was a glazed hole large enough
to accommodate the tip OF my little
finger.
That" said the cor1pradore. sis
for the local retail trade. That Is
the io-cent size. and holds enough
for about six smokes. There Is a 80
cent size holding four smokes"
Is there much smoking here7"
The compradore laughed.
Much smoking" he said. Com,
along. have look-see."
We left the opium farm ans
walked back up the street a hundred
yards or so. The compradore paus
ed looked at the signs over IN
doors. then motioned me TO follow
him up a flight Of stairs.
Al the top we found ourselves +
the middle OF a room nlled witt
wisps OF thin purpiish smoke an
heavy with the same sweetish fume
- had 1oticed in the opium factor,
Blsincss Zine.
On both sides Of us were "divans
not the fancy ones so much Il
vogue out here. but dingy ones-a
plenty. Only they looked more lilx
dog kennels than opium divani
They were really stalls. separated s
iron grills on platforms that ra
along the walls.
Each stall had an opium lamp 4
the middle Of ii. on the floor, an
two Chinese lying down by the lamI
one on either side. Each had
pipe. Some were smoking. 9th
ers were dead 70 the world.
As the compradore came into IN
room a Chinese approached him
pretty much as a floor-waiker Nigh
10 find out his needs. He saw m,
however. and brushed on by. Il
apparently considered us bur
prospect, and elsewhere business wa
fne.
AS we stood there, opium seller
came and went like yellow shadow
There was not a sound in the plac
save now and then something like
sish-some addict loosing into III
room nd-nostrils-full
smoke
An attendant waited by throug
the gloom. several piil-poxes in h
hand 1 reached on. and took on
Ho much2" I asked.
The compradore said something
Chinese to the opium dispenser. Th
latter mumbled something back.
He says that size is 80 cents" II
compradore interpreted
Giving the man the equivalent
IS cents American, pockett
enough opium fo- four big smoke
more than enough - -o.a . .t.