Ichang, Oct. 21.
A-gentleman recently returned from a journey to Shihnan tells of how the farmers in that district! are compelled to cultivate the opium poppy. A certain general who resides in Ichang, where much is being done, by way of proclamation and inspection, to diminish traffic in opium, finds the wherewithal to pay his troops by levying an opium tax in the Shihnan district, and has already exacted next year's tax from the people in order to meet the demands made by his men. The farmers in the district have no choice but to obey orders: and grow opium.
Gen. Sun Chuan-tang has gone down river, most likely on ai visit
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.