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Show cTfiTrTArs"cu"ns"oF"or"iUM. l'oplo Wlio lleronm C'nnnrnieit fcinokora I.lvo Ton Y-ara oiimii AtrntK-- "Seven-tenths of tho people of Clilnn nro opium smokers, and two millions of thorn die nnnunlly from Its effects," Bald n Chinese, missionary recently who has bpent twenty-two years of his llfo In tho Flowery Kingdom. "ThU hnblt Is rapidly prowinf?," ho went on. "It is confined to no class or sex, but men nnd women, ofilclals nnd coolloH, uso It alike. As soon ns opium KmnUliiR becomes n confirmed hnblt with a Chinese coolio ho linown that ho has nbout ten yearn to live. Thnt eoems to bo the average. I consider it easier to reform a not In tho putter, ono of your lowest typo of drunkards. than nn opium smoker. Place them behind Iron bars, If you like, nud nftcr belnjr Imprisoned n short timo thoy boffin bo-ffin to beg nnd plend for opium. They rave like mnnlaoB nnd their snfTerIne;s nro torrlblo to behold. They net like wild men. "Tho opium vlco Is rulnlnff China. Tho peoplo know It ami tho government govern-ment known It, but they take no nc-tlon. nc-tlon. In twenty-two years It has In-creaked In-creaked fffty per cent. Ferlllo field, thnt woro once if oil In tho cultivation of rlco nro now prowlnp tho, opium weed. Tho provinces lu riVrtli-rn China, where the tcrriblo fninlncTi?!! currcd n few years ngo nnd whero (tlicMiaanJjMiri-lmil fui nunt of fDuV. Iiad boon for years jriven over to ttiu production of opium instead of food grains. When food was short the people peo-ple found thoy could not llveonoplmn, mi thoy starved to death. "A parallel to tho MiiTerlnff during that famine U hnrdly equaled bi-.ny event In tho hUtory of tho .sJu&l. Human being's died In tlio ut-Jot villages nud on tho roads.i'Vcople turned cnnulbnls. Some duj; up roots and othem were found on the roailslilo whero they had died biting tho unrkoiT the trees. Tho dead were not buried, for tho living had nil they could do to tube rare of themselves, ".Vow to-day rleo ia one-third higher in price than It wns. it score of years ogo, because tho crop lino fallen off. jplum shops nro everywhere. You may bo traveling nlong with yourclialr coolio when tho first thing you know ho will put you duwn and leavo you Hitting lu thu streets whllu he goes In to take n smoke." i |