The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-06-19
Op1UM.sMoKINa.


- 4fs. lL
AChinese Opium Den In SAN Francisco.
Isan Francisco Chronicle.l
A gentleman residing on Vallejo-street
was on Wednesday last informed by q
young man with whom, he was
acquainted that he had until recently
been victim of the opium-smoking
habit. ard that, having been rescued, he
deemed it his duty to inform the gentle
man that the son of the latter, a lad of
eighteen, was also victim, and that as
such he nightly visited a Chinese opium
smoking den. The gentleman was
horrifed, and although still hopeful
that there must be some error in the in
formation. the light it threw on recent
physical ailments of his SON rendered it:
possible that it might be true, and he
determined 70 ascertain. On Wednesday
night, therefore, he stationed himself in
the immediate vicinity of the place des-
ignated as the den, so that he might see
all who entered. 1t is in one-of- the
vilest and most squalid quarters of the.
city, the den itself being in house in a
filthy little court leading off Pacific
street, between Kesrny and Dupont.
He watched from eight o'clock till nine,
and in that single hour he counted over
twenty American boys, ranging in years
from fifteen 20 twenty-one, who applied
for admission and were hurriedly passed
in. There were few grown men and
many Cinnamon, and of the Americans.
the dress betokened that they were of the
better class. They would come to the
corner of Paci6c-street, glance hastily
around, to be assured that they were
unobserved, and then effect hasty
entrance, apparently by giving an
understood signal. Atlength he saw his
own son enter, and SO quickly that he
could not intercept him. He then him
self went to the corner, and approaching
the door he raped for admittance as
nearly as he could in the way he had
seen the others do. The door was
opened by a tremulous-limbed, blear-
eyed Chinaman, butwhen the gentleman
attempted to pass he was stopped. It
was in vain that he said it was all right,
that he wanted to smoke opium and that
he offered to pay ne was not possessed
of the cabalistic sign, and consequently
the Chinaman was utterly unable to
"sabe" any thing. The father then went
home and waited for his son, who
returned late in the night, still stupeied
| from his regular nocturnal deadly de-
bauch.s When he learned that his
father knew of his whereabouts he dis
closed every thing. He had first ac-
quired the habit when only fifteen years
old, and before he knew of its horrors it
had obtained such control of him that
all efforts to break it were futile. For
three years he had smoked constantly.
Recently his family has noticed the COM
plete prostration of his nervous system.
During the last six months he has been
SO nervous that in the mornings he has
been almost unable to convey his food
to his mouth. His parents have con-
suited physicians, but as the boy would
never tell what the real malady was, the
medicines prescribed have done no good,
and to-day, at eighteen, he is almost a
/ physical wreck. He persistentfy refuses
to give the signs by which admittance
may be had to the den, but he says that
it isso jealously guarded that four doors
have to be passed through before the
smoking-room is reached, wherea" DOPE
for ten cents, requiring about twenty
minutes to smoke, is obtained, and on
the bare floors Of which the smokers lie
extended during their torpor. He says
there are over a thousand boys who are
regular habitues of this or similar dens
i The father yesterday made a full state
ment of the facts at police head-quartert
to Counselor Clarke, and it is expected
that this particular den will be raide6
and broken up. But unless a keer
watch shall be maintained for the
detection of others, or the re-establish
ment of the same one, and q RELENTLESS
prosecution of the keepers of all com
menced, the business of supplying ths
deadly drug, the use of which more
swiftly than any other known process
hurries its votaries to irretrievabl,
physical and mental ruin. will be fur
, lively conducted. This is one Of th,
most malignant phases of society. iTh'
domestic government of the family o
which this young man was a member,
not more lax than that of the averag
family of San Francisco, the affection o
, the father and mother for their oldes
, boy is of the warmest and most thought
: full, and yet for three years he has beel
: enabled to indulge in the habitual use o
the deadliest drug known to humanity
i till, with shaking body and shakin
r voice, he doggedly declares his ute
inability to free himself from the awfu
: slavery that has thus soon brought hir
to the very verge of the grave.
l