Dope, LA Times, 1888-89

[Wilson Gray]

"Molten ... is the _only negro in the city_ who is addicted to the
opium habit." [Emphasis supplied.]

There we have it: irrefutable evidence of the Goverment's waging of
chemical warfare against the black man. There was once at time at
which the use of hard drugs by blacks was virtually unknown. Nowadays,
such use is stereotypical. ;-)

Though "Moten" is not a rare name, "Molten" is currently unknown
amongst the colored. Perhaps the writer had the same hearing problem
that I do. When Motrin" first came onto the market, I heard its name
as "Moltrin."

-Wilson

On 6/11/06, Dave Wilton <dave at wilton.net> wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Dave Wilton <dave at WILTON.NET>
> Subject:      Dope, LA Times, 1888-89
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I've found a cluster of citations for "dope," in the sense of opium, from
> the Los Angeles Times, 1888-89. They're the earliest uses of this sense that
> I'm aware of by a couple of years. All are from ProQuest Historical
> Newspapers Los Angeles Times. No bylines are given, but since all of them,
> with the exception of the one about the Senate bill, concern the police
> beat, they may have been penned by the same reporter.
>
> 2 May 1888, p. 2; headline:
> "'DOPE' FIENDS.
> POLICE OFFICERS RAID A NOTORIOUS DEN
> A Sallow-Faced Pipe-hitter and a Nude Female Captured--A Disgrace to
> Civilized Los Angeles--The Unfortunate Girl Weeps Bitter Tears"
>
> 4 August 1888, p. 2; headline:
> "Contraband 'Dope'"
> From within the story:
> "Yesterday a couple of Chinamen were caught trying to work this scheme, and
> about an ounce of 'dope' confiscated."
>
> 9 October 1888, p. 4; headline:
> "WASHINGTON NOTES
> 'Dope' Opium Excluded by the Senate Tariff Bill."
> From within the story:
> "...it was made to appear that opium for smoking had been freed of duty. As
> a matter of fact, the substitute bill expressly prohibits the importation of
> such opium." [This passage doesn't include the word "dope," but goes toward
> its definition.]
>
> 25 October 1888, p. 2; headline:
> "OPIUM DEN.
> A Successful Raid by Office Phelan Yesterday."
> From within the story:
> "Officer Phelan yesterday afternoon raided a notorious opium joint on
> Alameda street, capturing a white man and two women, as well as the Chinaman
> who had been in the habit of selling habitues of the place their 'dope.'"
>
> 22 January 1889, p. 8, The City In Brief:
> "Molten is a 'dope' fiend, and, so far as known, he is the only negro in the
> city who is addicted to the opium habit. He is a tough character and is
> well-known to the police."
>
> 25 February 1889, p. 5; headline:
> "AN OPIUM 'HOSPITAL'
> ONE OF THE VILEST DENS ON THE COAST
> The People Who Visit It--A Description of the 'Dope' Rooms--An Officer Will
> Bring the Matter Before the Grand Jury."
> From within the story:
> "...there is a regular training school in this county, only a few miles from
> Los Angeles, where people are taught for a few dollars how to handle the
> 'dope' pipe, roll pills and inhale the deadly fumes."
>
> 5 June 1889, p. 8, The City In Brief:
> "Lizzie Lopez, the notorious 'dope' fiend, recently tried before Justice
> Owens for smoking opium, was yesterday found guilty."
>
> --Dave Wilton
>   dave at wilton.net
>
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