The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-09
WITH OUR HOME HEATHER.
AN EVENING WIN THE CHINESE GAM
BLERS AND OPIUM SMOKERS.


mont in the city is in Mott street. near Park. II |
Ia cntorod by going down two or three stone |
steps and passing through basement doorway |
thut fronts tho street directly undor the main |
entrance to tho house. which Is Of rcd brick. |
and has nothing TO distinguish it from the |
ncghboring houses save small box attached |
to the doorpost. on which Is some lettering in |
Chinese md English The low basement win |
dows fronting the street are curtaned with |
some ycllowish material When the games
are running. the peculiar sound produced by
confusion OF Chinese voices is audible on
the sidewalk. but IL not loud enough to attract
the notice OF tho casual passer by.
The reporter Knocked Mt tho outer door
ono evening between II and IL o'clock. Howas
not accompanied by tho deacons OF his church
and n squad OF policemen. voice within
cried " Wakee." and almost nj tho same Instant
the door WINS opened by Chlnaman. who wore
ayellowish blouse, n long queue. and N duizzi-
cal look. Tho door opened almost against the
end OF long tablc-long enough to seat dozen
men at each sde-which was covered with
mating that seemed to be woven q some kind
OF straw. At the farther end OF shc room. di-
| rectly across from the entrance. n sign per
| haps four feet long and ten iDehcs Wide. dis
| played three large Chinese characters in ychow
paint on a background of that peculiar bright
red that appears frequently Gu articles Of Chi
ncse manufacture. These characters repro
sent the name OF tho club; for the establish
ment il conducted somewhat ON tho club
| principle. Another rcd board contained the
| names Of the members, neatly put ON with yel-
! low paint In the corner NJ the room al the
| right OF the entrance, MAS small cook stove.
| door opened from the hack part 81 the room
! into another apartment. through which the rnd
OF "A table occupied by players WAS visible. Inc
| first room was lighted 10y Kerosene lamp in
the centre ~ the long table. Twenty or more
mon sat Mt this table. the most OF them In un-
sa aT1V OF Eur6pcans. At either end q ihs
table sat "A man who seemed to be- acting MS
which was ulny"d with cards about two inches
long and ono men wide. ana tho othcr WIN
than fvc-eighhs Of an inch wide. Tho cards
were very thin. and cach pack comprised
II great number " them. Tho short aud WHO
cards were shutlicd 10y mixing them on the
table. like domiuoes; the long and marrow ones
by setting them up on edge, punching them
! with the finger. Withdrawing the ones that pro-
truIed. and chipping them on II" outer edges
81 the pack. The dealer did this WIN great
! drNtcrity. Then he placed tho pack Ola the
table the edges II the cards down. and urcss'd
them TIL the cards lay like shiugics-onc over
inpping another the black backs facing up-
ward. The players then moisi"ncd the tips ~
their thumbs ana iorrlnggrs and IN turn nrew
the oyerlapping card. lhey Ernspod IN W.
the Chinese characters on the faces ot them
while they arranged them IN suits when mo
pack had been dealt. each pnycrS mana re-
scubl"d n small ian that opened almost wide
enough ~ form "a disk. Tho playing then be-
In front OF NN'll liONfl WIS "a tlNhi N'il''-
ton q coupcrs There appeared TO be not
more than one or one and a half dollars on the
table. Tho players laid down cards. ma'hrd
cards. took TRICKS" cnippcd UP their copp"rs
host and won them with apparent good nature
, smiling aud chatting all tho while. Ihey took
man" No drinks were taken. and no smoke
icatcd in the room. Not word Of English
was spoken.
The reporter went across tho room to tho
door opening into the rear apartment. and
twenty pairs Of almond eyes glanced up from
lone faNtl for . MI "a nj
STONE walls and was arrhed overhead with
whitcwashed bricks. gaming table like the one
in the other room, extended from near The
door to the rear Of the apartment Al the lett oi
the entrance WAS high bench. sOm.thng ik,
, a wide counter. with blankets on Il. happenrcd
a. be- "A cot for opium smokers. thoush ther,
' Wis no smoking. In the corner near inc col
farming on IL witch iSoSci ms though il might
! he one Of the many dcitles OF the Assembled
hcuthcns. The long tabio was occupied ~
players, each of whom had lew corprr7 b"ior,
! him The game WINS played with douino-'s and
, dice. When the reporter darkcned ne do"i
/ | TIA" players glanced NJ from the table ana
quickly resumed The game. paying NJ inrih"I
attention e him. Chinnman from " "n mt,
= tiVate bus acIuHintan'~'. and - on"rvd him .
cigar. smiie ran DOWN from We corners o.
= ! fcred Havana. II was one the rcporter bought
4 of an Italian IN Baxter street. whose bnscincn
! he uistoOk Tor IA Chiurse 0pluu den. NJ
e ! .r,otnn J'hn - nurrl.d the rt.n0rtsr. hut III,
u heart OF tho hehtnrn did not open oven Z,
. pigeon English and tn. INTRUDER ahandone,
outer . room AND assed Il there wis any gentle
: man in the crowd OF sporting te.e-tiais from
4 Nuncod in English literature 10 inform hin
! wherc no could drop in aud ENJOY a rpc o.
"A :. You wanieee smoker"
! The Chinamnn had caught thu word
opium" and had supplied the context II,
arose from tho table and SAID You comcc.'
Out into tho street he he'd the way down To- thu
: Ter: along tho west side OF Baxter short dis
= ! tance. and into u hallway; through tho dark
. yard into another aud darker hallway. and
7 through u door NJ the end, The room was small
I low. and dingy Several Cinnamon and one
, like European than q CHINESE still th"r,
! Vas s0me'hing q the soasollan, SSprrssioI
= that the woman was European. stove. severn
|, chairs, II trunk. and large cot occupied neariy
p blankets and holsters. and in the c"ntre OF II
= burned lamp. the flame Ot which WAS covered
ire though WITCH th liz % Of thc lain" iickcred
= A stone, or eHuhrn jar. of a capacity OF about
I quart. stood on the cot. and several pipes win
, | bulky stems ana sinai bowls VERIFYING around
. A peculiar. fragrant. yet slightly Siekening odoi
p"ryadrd tho room. Tho reporters heather
guide ms we'll known here, aud the two were
< pirasnntly received by n CpinnmHn who ap'
= pcured 10 BE- the man q the pn'H 90
THkre chuic.' said he. Nardling one OF the
1 chairs and pushing II toward the reporter. The
guide sud something to those ptosrht.c nnu
they looked NJ each other and laughed. Then
. he picked up a pipe and. motoning toward the
y cot. said;
y You smokee now2"
D No, John: you smokco."
John" curled himself uuon the bed and
l. took n lump Of opium from the Jar. lie put tht
pipe in his mouth and held tur bowl close go the
l lame OF the lamp. With u long. slender piece
D of iron he picked small pieces oi opium from
the lump. held Thorn ~ the iiamH and dauOed
them on the iuurr surface oi The plpc bowl
. after they were partly mNlt H. He b'gnn draw,
> ing through tine pil rsirui. still lodiugt the bowl
, | close to tho flame; thn pipo gave out u sizzling
, sound. und soon volumes ul heavy, slch thlul
smoke came from the smukcr's mouth Is hc lay
D ! with his head ON one of the bui0irrs. The men
- who had ceased smoking when the visitors en-
= tered closely eyed me reporter and smiled At
7 the interest he manifested in tho smokoTt
, You no smokee1" oueriod the man Of the
: house.
l Would II mako me sick I"
o Yes; thlow up;" and no smiled blandly and
in a rhild-llko mhnner,
"Ney bad habit" he continued. Bimoby
getter so likee Vrly much. Sometimes fuo-
pecan Indies Gomez heAh. One Vclly gleW lady
iium Catalonia. she c0mcn gleai many times
smokre ALE same Chinnmun. now. sometimes
lrpoltes iom the nrwspnp'ls CONGO. They 70
home. lite lies about Cinnamon; say they las
all lound. smOkee. smukre. ust llkee see any
lcpotel comeo hcah. ! Just --"
And the Indignant Celestial mude motion