The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-11-05
AN OPIUM DEN.
Visit to One In San nFrnncisco-Five Whifs
from an Opium REPRESENTATIONS of the
Opium Smoker.

AN OPIUM DEN.
Visit to One In San nFrnncisco-FiveW Whids
from an Opium mPipe-sensations Of the
Opium Smoker.
A San Francisco Chronicle reporter
visited an old rookery on Pacific street.
The front of the building bears the ap-
pearance of having withstood storm
and weather for many a year. Here
and there are patches Of paint, but more
often the boards are plain. There is
also narrow show-window bearing the
legend that beer can be obtained at five
cents per glass. The doorway is n..r-
row. and the interior is hidden from
Fpassers-by by an old blind-screen. Hav-
ing once gained adrnittance, the visitor
found himself in front of q bur with
nothing remarkable about it save that
the bottles and glasses had n dingier and
dirtier look about them than usual, even
for 80 low place. Behind the bar was
the proprietor, an old, wicked-looGng
fellow, blear-eyed and unclean. The
bar and saloon are but blinds for the
unwary. Near the back of the saloon
was q narrow door leading to apart
utuLS dUOFc. 4uCeC SSlC ooSo - oPioA.
dens, and in them squalor, dirt and
filth reign supreme. One room
was square, ten by twelve feet in
size. Ranged on one side were bunks
with straw mattresses, black and
shiny with filth. Benches were ranged
along the other side of the room, and in
about the center stood small rickety
table with the opium pipes upon it. This
room was presided over by an old crone
fitly placed among the surroundings,
her dull eyes, languid movements and
hard breathing indicating that she was
the victim Of the deadly drug. Every
thing about her pointed to the fact that
nothing in this world can ever be any
thing but Il dreary blank to her; her
wants and ambitions are satiated with
pipe of opium. The reporter entered
the room and was met by q sickening
odor, as if the very air aud walls were
impregnated with death in its vilest
form. The room at the time was unoc-
cupied by any one but the attendant,
who listlessly asked if the visitor de-
sired to smoke, to which an affirmative
answer was given: "Then give me your
money and III fill your pipe" The
money Yves handed her; she took up
several pipes, put the stems one after an
other into her mouth and began blowing
into them. When she finally found the
one she wanted she quickly rubbed the
moisture off the mouth-piece with the
dirty sleeve of her dress.and handed it
to the visitor, saying: "There, fix it
for yourself-here's the stuff" On being
told that the reporter did not understand
manipulating it, she deity put her long
bony forefnger into the jar containing
the opium, and rolled small quantity
of it between her thumb and finger; {;
she then placed it into q small hole in
the pipe, saying: rs that enough or
or dye want more?" On being
told that it was sufficient, she
pointed to one of the hunks to
which the reporter, with a shudder, re-
tired. At small lamp on the table the
pipe is lighted and a few puffs taken.
The sensation is indescribable; sleepy
languor pervades the whole body, a
pleasant tingling from head to foot en-
sues, and with the fifth and last puff
dreamy inconsistencies overtakes the
victim. De Quincey's confessions of an
opium-eater do not describe those of an
opium-smoker, although the feeling
must he somewhatsimilar. The strang.
est dreams overtake tile unconscious
sleeper, the pipe falls from his hands,
his face becomes livid, and the visions
that pass before his drugged fancy are
simply delicious. No dream of pleasure,
no tancied beauty, can equal the scenes
and forms called up in the visions OF the
opium-smoker. After half an hour OF
perfect content and rest the victim wakes
to find that with the dawn of reason
comes the waking, racking brain. The
head feels about ten times its usual size
and the feeling about the heart is most
painful. On the reporters awakening
he found the room occupied by Others
who had arrived in the meantime. One
man was already asleep in the bunk
above. On the bench, awaiting their
turn, were two females, one Of them
closely veiled but decently dressed:
The other was of the lowest class; yet
in spite of her squalid appearance, her
bloated looks, the crime depicted in
every feature. she looked as if at some
time in her life she must have been very
attractive. Her hair, tumbled and un-
kompt, was fine and of beautiful color.
The eyes were large and well set, al
IL ough it became painful to look into
them, their expression being so wild, so
wretchedly unhappy; her hands were
small and well-formed in spite of their
redness and dirt, they showing in strange
contrast to the closely-veiled woman
sitting next to her., who wore
kid gloves. Here's your pipe" said the
old crone, handing it toward the two
women. Both made a jump for it. and
the closely-veiled female being the one
nearest, secured it without any cere-
mony, showing that she was well ac-
quainted with the place. She lighted
her pipe. took her bunk and was soon
lost to every thing save that which the
opium fumes created in her brain.
The other woman growled out:
Hurry up there with pipe; I've been
waiting long enough. Here's your
money-give me q pipe" The reporter
embraced the opportunity to enter into a
conversation with her. "Take my
place." said he. "All right; wait till
that old fool there gets me my pipe.
w lC ucW, Jou hkC Oil Joo'
been at it, I guess, Tor four years. The
old woman over there knows me long
enough-don't you, Mollie? We'll, you
zee, I couldn't DO without it now. !
know it's killing, but who cares for that?
You bet, it's Just the best thing ever in
vented, and John Chinaman ought to
get medal for that, if nothing else.
He's the one brought 1t to this country.
I used to 60 to n Chinese place on Bart;
lett alley, but the cops spotted me and
pulled the whole shebang. I don't cal c
for nothing rs long as I can raise my
two to buy my pipe withAthat's all l
care" These sentences were literally in
terlarded with curses and blasphemy.
Heres your pipe!" And, with the
only shade of expression that had
flashed over her face during the whole
conversation. she grasped the pipe,
lighted it and went to her couch. Leav.
this den, the reporter. with tottering
step, reached the street once more and
again breathed the pure air of heaven.