Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-11-29
A BLUSH OF THE ORIENT.
A Night I'm an Opium Den
Where Its NOtaries ReNel I'm
Dreamland.

Comparatively few persons are aware
OF the extent which the use Of opium has
obtained in this country, and the num-
Der OF houses which are conducte
solely and purely for the accommodation
of both sexes who have been lured
upon the treacherOus current, and have
slowly, but surely, been drawn into the
vortex Of opium smoking.
THE ALNOND-EYED CELESTIAL
is not alone i'm this species of dissipation,
but has many who are silently follow
iny him who DO not delight IN saffron
colOred complexion. To the novice,
who il attracted 10 an "opium den, II
has AN interest which rarely attaches To
any of that class and character OF habits
which are considered questionable by
the moral element of every community.
NV friend. YOU are at leisure this even
ing, and have call To make by APP
pOlntment. suppose YOU accompany
me? We will go quietly mp this alley
% a little sign which reads washing
and Ironing" We shall have company.
We walk quietly in, rs the place Is un-
der surveillance by the blue-cOated
stranger, who wants Clew to make an
example OF this resort. Here we are,
and the fumes Of the narcotic are waited
against our OliaCtOry nerves. Ii is not
unpleasant, but the first sensation Is
peculiar. All is quiet, except the sub
dued conversation, which Is carried on
i'm an undertOne. We push aside the
curtain which covers the door, and a
sight greets us which is seldom seen by
even the average repOrtOrial eve. We
are not among our Mongolian friends,
but "JOhn" stands ready 10 do our bid
ding. Without any ceremony We drop
down on the raised platform, a kind ola
bunk covered with white sheets, sup
Piled with hard pillows eucased in slips
Of snowy whiteness. We say, "Chin
Lee" clap fifty cents" The bronzed
proprietor, only too glad to do our ser
vice, yanisheS. and soon returns with a
piece of cardboard on which the drug
is. Ii looks like a small piece of shoe
makers wax which has run down by
the action of the heat. We cannot use
il in this shape; il must be- cooked,
which DESTROYS the deadly poison which
il contains. \ piece the size OF a pea
is rolled over small silver wire about
the shape and length OF a knitting
needle. On this IL Is held over the
lamp, which is filled with sperm oil and
covered by globe, with an opening at
the top. IL is cooked and rolled on the
fingers, and on the top OF the bowl of
the pipe. great care being taken not 10
burn the opium. When It u ready Tor
use il resembles small piece of black
rubber pipe, about One-fOurth OF an
inch in diameter, with hole through
the center the size which would be
made by an ordinary knitting needle.
II THIS SHAPE
il is put ON the outside of the bowl,
which is hollow, being closed at the top,
with the exception OF a very small open
ING in the center, through which the
fumes Of the opium are tO he drawn.
For our hali-dOllar We have enough to
make ten capsules, each one Of which
has added % our feelings a bOyancy,
while our brain has seemed tO tighten
up. The first attempt il usually accom-
panied hy "A terrible sickness, 10y nausea
twelve hours, hut II never returns, and
should the novice become q dcyOtee,
the onlyunplraSant consequences which
are liable 10 occur are when an attempt
is made 10 shake oil the habit. Then
the feeling of remOrSe amounts 10 a ter
rIhle depression, and l. accompanied by
prustrJtiun, acute pain ami soreness ui
the entire body, sometimes lasting Tor
weeks. As far a. the immediate effects
are concerned when the habit is fully az
uuirrd, 10 does not act as an lntoAICant
unless thirty or forty pipes are con-
sumed. Then thi smoker falls into Il
stupur which soon amounts % 4 torpOr
i'm which be- or she lies Tor hours. The
swish and swirl of silken attire is no
novel feature tn thus
sILENr HOUSE oF DISSIPATION.
Mothers with children at home, daugh-
trrs who have wandered into the world
fnrweal or woe, make their way alter
night-lall into this alley and into the
.lrn, becoming aS expert IN the prep
aration uf the opium aS the celestial him
self. The habit is necessarily expensive,
and in some instances - AMI = per day
are consumed i'm opium by one person
thoroughly addicted to It's Use. In or
der to smoke tO advantage the person
must lie down, and on the LETT side OF
the lamp i'm the blaze OF which the eopium
must be- cooked. Near me on the same
bunk lies pretty woman, who tells me
she has been using the drug in this
manner constantly for more than four
wears. In appearance she Is bright,
modest, quiet and intelligent, but with
her the habit is confirmed. She has
lust recovered from a stupOr, the result
OF smoking thirty pipes Of opium, and
calls for cup of tea, which Is brought
by a Chinese waiter. IL is served with
out milk or sugar, and is of an excellent
quality. She SAYS. languidly, "l have
had such lovely dream. Ii seemed a.
IL was in a great field OF waving grass.
was lying down, and
EVERYTHING WAS so BEAUTIFUL.
"Then the scene changed, and | was
ON 4 great bed of ruscs that eNhaled a
perfume which was delicious. The air
was balmy, the birds in their yariegated
plumage sang So Swcetly, while ! could
see the crystal streams whose lImplt
waters murmured under the periumed
pressure of the crimson lilies. There
we're mountains of azaleas, while the
great red blOssOmsstared al Won through
the groves of orange trees. Everything
seemed % pass from my eyes too quick
lv. Then / was transported into a pal
ace; everything seemed to be royalty It
self the splrudor Of my apartments was
dazzling. Everybody was happy ami
contcuted, smiling faces everywhere,
while the sunlight was streaming
brightly through my lattice, seeming 81
delicious wishcdit were 80 always Not
a harsh word or a wall to crate upon tho
ear. The voices and laughter OF Joyous
children only served tO break the SOOth-
ING quiet and charm oi the scene; all
was grand and beautiful. From this
sweet oblivion ! must 20 % my home,
I have everything 20 render my life com
Portable, and this Is my only vice Tor
which il seems to me that society would
hold me 10 task. MY daily opium ha>
become a part OF my life. | could not
do without il. The most singular iea.
ture Of the habit Is that il DESTROYS all
desire for everything save the opium
itself Consequently no gathering here
ever amounts 10 a debauch. Beyond the
smoking OF opium, all has a moral tone
Even
HILARITN DOES NOT FIND ROOM
here. The smokers come and 20 quiet
ly-almost surreptitiously, and the out.
side world is generally in peaceful ignor.
ance OF the transactions in their imme'
date vicinity. Wherever the almond
eyed deyotees OF JOSS yegetate, the
opium houses may be Just as surely
found as that darkness will follow day
light. Even here in this beautiful
City Of the Plains" which gathers Its
romance and inspiration in the shadow
~ the grand old Rocky Mountain peaks
il has already found fOOthOld. 1t Is
not confined 70 the the seething
sickenlng slums OF vice, where com
mon midnight picture is made attractive
nv