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Five Thousand Dollars a Minute.

AFTER a crusade of about six months, the police of Los An- geles, Calif., have destroyed the re- sults of their successful raids on opium dens in an immense $25,000 bonfire, the flames of which were fed by con- fiscated marihuana, contraband opium and "hop" pipes. This strange fire was ignited by inspectors for the State Board of Pharmacy at the Plaza in Los Angeles, Calif.

The motion picture companies all sent men to the spot. A battery of cameras was set up. One of the accompany- ing pictures shows three cameras busily taking "close ups" just before the match was applied. Several more cameras are in the back- ground.

One ton of marihuana o r "Indian hemp" was put on the fire. Marihuana is a weed with narcotic proper- ties, is closely akin to hash- eesh, and is smoked when dry. It is in par- ticular favor

with Mexicans. A ton of it at retail prices would bring $16,000. A great number of tael cans of opium appraised at about $7,000 furnished additional fuel. Among the confiscated goods were fifty opium pipes.

One was taken from an old China- man who had smoked since he was a boy. He was convicted in court and paid his fine without a murmur. But when the officers told him his pipe would be confiscated, tears came to his eyes. He offered first $50 for its return, and then by jumps of $50 each brought the price up to $400.

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Hundreds were at the scene of the fire, some drawn by curiosity, others to take a farewell look at the precious burning dream-stufif.

The officers placed big wooden boxes in a square and then set pipes.

���Half a dozen cameras lined up to film the big little fire

��cans, bottles, trays and small boxes of the "dope" on them.

Wires were strung around the square and the pipes were hung in a row. On the boxes also, were scat- tered paper slips with Chinese char- acters on them. These were confis- cated lottery tickets.

The officers poured on coal oil and applied the torch. In five minutes it was a pile of tin cans and ashes.

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