Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-04-09


cumstances, served to reassure the eau
tious old heather, who. without word,
allowed US to pass in. and pointed to a
rickety staircase. Up this we stumbled
in Stygian darkness. and opening door
at the top found ourselves, by the testi-
mony of every sense. in the presence of
King Opium.
The room was perhaps fifteen feet
square, with bare floor, low ceiling, and
filthy walls. The feeble rays of two
small oil lamps were engaged in per-
sistent but hopeless struggle to penetrate
the thick, pestilential atmosphere, but
could not seem to get far from their
source. By their combined aid, however,
we could dimly discern ranged around
three sides of the apartment, rough wood
en- benches or hunks. most of which were
occupied by Cinnamon in all stages of
this revolving enjoyment. from that of
the initial whiffs to that of nerveless and
motionless stupor.
The method of smoking opium has
been often detailed, but l may be par
doned for repeating 1T to show how
strong must be the influence of habit,
the indulgence of which is attended with
so much difficulty. At the end of reed
or bamboo stem is clay bowl something
like that of an ordinary pipe. The smok-
er rolls up little ball of crude opium.
which in this form is pasty solid, and
placing it in the bowl applies fire in the
shape of coal, match, or red hot wire
and at the same time sucks vigorously
at the stem. getting two or three mouth
fuls of bitter, rank smoke, sickening
enough to turn the stomach of an os-
trich. Then the spluttering opium goes
out and fresh fire must be obtained, the
operation being repeated again and again
till the charge is exhausted or till the
smoker is too far gone to continue it. If
the smoking of pipe of tobacco were
attended with half as much trouble, the
latter dissipation would never have be-
come prevalent.
All this we saw, felt and smelt in ST.
lence for a few minutes. --L:.a was 90
long as our lungs and noses would SUBJ
nit to the inhiction, and then, with a
hasty nod to the keeper of the den, made
the quickest time possible for the open
air | would willingly have restrained
my further curiosity regarding these
deadly holes reeking with physical anG
moral poison, but yielded to the advice
of my blue-coated guide. and we there
fore found ourselves, after a FIVE min
, utes walk, at the entrance of another
J 'smoke-house, simIIarri sLopootAr. Il
the first, but of little better class, anC
/ seeming to be sort of general resort fo
the smooth-faced knights of the wash
tub and cigar bench. Here were tn
3 smokers, and here also were little knot
2 of Cinnamon playing some game whicl
: might be considered sort of Celestia
= "seven-up." In one room was Joss o
: horrible idol, before whom some of tn
S most devout would occasionally come I
o pay their devotion, which consisted i
: burning little pieces of red paper, nc
unlike the labels of fire crackers, an
covered with apparently similar eharaC
: tiers. which l rightly inferred were pray
! ers to the Joss. But though the seen
3 here was somewhat more varied and les
g absolutely revolving than in the plac
l. first visited, the difference was merel
/ il degree the same stencil pervadeC
the faces of the yellow-skinned gambler
and prayer burners bore traces of tt
It same shocking debauchery, "the trail
IS the serpent was over it ALL" and 500
a left, thoroughly impressed with the fa'
le that opium may be safely taken as Il
9 synonym Of degradation and misery.
h But were it these Orientals only wi
Of were addicted to its use-this strang
m patient, industrious and unprinciplt
d. race. tough and phlegmatic to the la
m degree-the case, at best, would be i
s. fnitely better than it now is. Throug
ID out this great city of New York, throng
~ out the whole of this broad land, amor
our own countrymen and even amor
our own friends the insidious tyra
claims his subjects to an extent WIFI
it is impossible for any one to even b
lieve who has not given the subject SOL
investigation.
i One cannot find resorts for white m
of corresponding to the Chinese dens viii
. l have described {; no plainly visible e
- ldence of the real condition of thin
meets the eye of the ordinary observe
70 and yet venture to assert that here
the metropolis, for every Monaghan a
>. dicted to this terrible vice there are
=, least ten Cancusians who practice it
: yet more destructive form.
he The causes of the spread of OPT,
th eating are various and constantly opel
raj tive. Curiosity, enhanced by the G
ur mour with which tradition has surrour
le- ed the narcotics of the East, imitati
in of others. the temporary use of some o
t. ate as medicine-all these bring v
49, L. Al. I.zI- IL +