Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1879-03-15
The SLAVES OF THE PIPE.
HOW OPIUM Is SMOKED,
WHERE, AND by WHOM.

Taper ihieht-l me FIrSt Effects
Agreeable, but of Brief Dura-
tion-Ihe Strong Grip Which
the Vice Has Upon lis Victims
Death Preferable to NOn.In.
diligence.
One of the greatest curses in
flicted on the Pacific Coast by the
Chinese is the pernicious practice of
smoking opium. This habit has be-
come so widespread Of late years
that the authorities have been com
PEELED to take official cognizance of
it, and provide severe penalties for
those who indulge in il. The law
on this subject is never enforced,
however, as a conviction for opium
smoking is thing unheard-of. The
consequence is that the number of
victims to the habit or vice " (for it
is vice, and most degrading one)
is increasing with alarming rapidly.
In Virginia City alone there are prob
ably not less than two thousand
white persons addicted to it, In
Gold Hill, Silver and other places in
habited by Chinese the number is
proportionately great, and includes
representatives, OF every class of So
ciety, of every age, and of either
sex. In order to ascertain the effects
of indulgence in opium. smoking,
and with the view Of publishing a
trustworthy account Of them as a
warning to those who might be
tempted to "fall down y to this life
destroying enslaver, TIMES reporter
has been investigating this subject
for some weeks past. and we to-day
present the result Of his inquiries,
observation, and personal experience ::
noP.pEN YoN (opIUM),
As smoked, is not the gum opium
to be found in our drug stores, but
. preparation resulting from the
and repeated boiling Of the
crude article in water. As sold by
the Chinese 1t is of dark color and
syrupy consistency. To prepare it
for smoking 1t is necessary to"cook"
it, in the following manner: A small
lump taken on the end of wire Is
held near the margin OF flame,
care being taken not to burn it. The
lump swells and expands, I'M.
til 1t soon hangs from the wire in
long thread-like film, and assumes
a bright yellow color. 1t then emits
a swedish odor which the Chinese
describe as that of baking peanuts. By
this time the poison which was con-
tanned in the opium has been driven
of or consumed-a necessary pre-
caution, as very small quantity OF
opium poison would prove fatal to
even strong man. The opium is
then gathered up and spread evenly
upon the bowl of pipe until the
top is covered. The wire is then
withdrawn, leaving pm in the
center, and the article is ready. The
surface OF the pipe is now heated,
the opium is placed in the bowl, and
the smoker can begin.
THE OPIUM PIPE,
Or "Hop-pen Yon Tang" as the
Chinese call it, consists IF bowl
and stem OF holder. The bowl can
hardly be described. Oftentimes it is
round and resembles ounce cut in
half, with the stem-end turned down,
and has hole about large enough to
admit small pea at the top; some
times it is octahedral. 1t is made of
either hardwood or clay. The
former is generally inlaid with coll
ored woods, ivory, gold, silver or
precious stones, and varies in cost
from ten or fifteen to several hundred
dollars; while good, useful article
of clay can be obtained for from
twenty five to fifty cents. The stem
is q piece of bamboo about two and
a half feet long. Four inches from
the further end is hole about the
size of twenty-cent piece, into
which is fitted cylinder of silver or
some baser metal, which receives the
bowl. The stem is also frequently
carved or inlaid with precious
stones, the wealthy Chinese priding
themselves upon the elegance of
their pipes. In the smoking dens
the utmost sociability exists, and
pipes are used indifferently by all
the patrons. This is more especially