The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-11-29
An Op,,tIii Den.

~ noted opium den, is located in Pacific
street, San Francisco. The front of the
building bears the appearance Of having
wthstO0d storm and weather for many q
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 narrow,
and the interior is hidden from passcrs- by
by an old blind screen. Having once gained
admittancc, the visitor found himself in
front of bar with nothing remarkable
about 1t save that the bottles and glasses
had dingicr and dirticr look about them
than usual, even for so low a place. Be
hind the bar was the proprietor, an old,
wickcd-looklng fellow, blcur- eyed and un-
clean. The bar and saloon are but blinds
for the unwary. Near the back of the sa-
loon was narrow door leading to apart
mcn,s above. These are used as opium
dcns, and in them sq,mlor, dirt and filth
reign supreme. One room was square, 10
by IL 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 centre stood a small rickcty table
with the opium pipes upon it. This room
WAS presided over by an old crOnc f,lv
placed among the surroundings, her dull
eyes and languid movements indica-
ting that she was the victim of the deadly
drug. Everything about her pointed to the
fact that nothing in this world can he any
thing but a drcary blank to her; her wants
and ambitions are satatcd with u pipe of
opium. The reporter entered the room
and was met by a sickcnng odOr as if the
very air and walls were im;Tcgnatcd with
death in its very vilcst form The room ut
the time was moccupicd hy any one but
the attendant, who listlcssly asked if the
visitor desired to smoke, to which un aflir-
native answer was given. "Thcn give me
your money and III fiji your pine" The
money was handed her; she took UP sew
cral pipes, put the stems one after another
into her mouth and began blowing into
them. When she finally found the one she
wanted, she quickly rubbed the moisture
off the mou,h-piccc with the dirty sleeve of
her dress and handed ii to the visitor, say
ing, "Thcrc fix it for yoursclf--hcrc's the
stuff" On being told that the reporter did
not understand manipulating il, she dcftly
put her long, bony forctlngcr into the jar
containing the opium and rolled n small
quantity of II between her thumb and fin
ger she then placed 1t into Il small hole in
viz PiI'CJ ~ tltll CIl0uSl, oI 90
you want more2" On being told that it
was sufficient, she pointed to one of the
bunks, to which the reporter, with shud-
der, retired At n small lamp on the table
the pipe is lighted and Il few pufls taken
The sensation is indcscrbablc; sleepy Ian
guor pervadcs the whole body, Il pleasant
tngling from head to foot cnsucs, and with
the fifth and last puff, dreamy unconscious
ness ovcrtnkcs the victim. Dc Quinccy's
confessions Of an oplunl-cntcr DO not de-
scribe those Of an opium-smOkcr, although
the feeling must be somewhat similar. The
strnngcst dreams Oycrtnke the unconscious
sleeper, the pipe falls from his hands, his
face becomes livid and the visions that
pass before his druggcd fancy are simply
delicious. No dream of pleasure, no fam
cicd beauty can equal the scenes and forms
called up in the visions Of the opium smo-
kcr. After half an hour Of perfect content
and rest the victim wakes up 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 report
crs 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, ono Of them closely
vcilcd, but dcccnlly dressed. The other
was of the lowest class; yet in spite Of her
squalid appearance, her bloatcd looks, the
crime depicted in every feature, she looked
rs if some time in her life she must have
been very attractive. Her hair tum-
blcd and unkcmpt, was fine and Of bcaut-
full color. The eyes were large and well
set, although ii became painful to look into
them, their expression being so wild, SO
wrctchcdly unhappy; her hands were small
and wcll-forned in spite of their rcdncss
and dirt, they showing in strange contrast
TO the closely -vcilcd woman sitting next to
her, who wore kid gloves Here's your
pipe" said the old cronc, handing it toward
the two women. Both made Il jump for it,
and the closely -vciled female being the one
nearest, secured it without any ceremony,
showing that she was well acquainted " ilh
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.