The Osceola times., 1882-09-23
FASHIONABLE VICE..
An Opium Parlor Pstronixed by Fair
Philsdeiphians.
Philadelphia Times.

An Opium Parlor Pstronixed by Fair
Phiisdeiphians.
Philadelphia Times,
Mrs. Kate Chisom is the proprietress
of the only opium parlor in the city. She
resides in q small, unpretending brick
house on Mount Vernon street, few
doors from Tenth. A silver plate on the
door bears her name, but there is no
other indication that the house is inhab-
tied. The blinds are always kept closed
and the door is only opened for the pat
rons of the place who silently come and
go. Mrs. Gibson is pale, refined-look-
ing woman of about 80 years, and her
appearance does not indicate victim
of the opium habit. AZ far a could be
seen in a hasty inspection of the three
rooms on the first floor the interior is
| furnished with luxury rarely attempted
in house of the kind. The walls are
rich in gliding and decoration; on the
floors are heavy Turkish and Persian
rugs and statuettes, pictures and bric-a-
brac are scattered about in every direc-
| ton.
"The rooms used for smoking are up
stairs" said Mrs. Chisom yesterday, "and
of course ] cannot let you see them but
you can Judge by these that no expense
has been spared in fitting up the house.
came to Philadelphia on the 18th of last
February, and am quite satisfied that |
shall do very well here. My customers
are constantly increasing, and among
them are some of the wealthiest ladies il
the city,
On being questioned about her antece-
dents Mrs. Chisom told story of an adj
venturous career
Seventeen years ago." she said, 81
married a wealthy Southern cotton plan
ter He was the owner of large plan
tation near New Orleans, and for two
years lived there happily. How did |
begin to use opium? Well, it is the old
story. was i'll and friend advised me
to try it. did and ever since that day
have been unable to do without it. My
life became burden. ! neglected every
| thing and could take interest in nothing
connected with my home. made several
efforts to give up the habit, but found it
impossible; and after every attempt | be-
gan taking it in larger quantities than
before. Ny husband died two years after
my marriage. and after his death | turned
everything | had into money and went to
| live in New York. There ] put myself
under the care of physician who adver-
tised to cure the opium habit. He gave
me coffee baths and brandy in large doses
| but | used to elude him and get the drug
and take it secretly. 1t was in New York
that | first learned to smoke opium. l
was taken by friend to an opium parlor
on Eighteenth street, kept by French
woman called Madame Fanlan. Mans
! field, Montaland, and other notorious
women were regular patrons of her place.
| No men were admitted, and the rooms
were fitted up with Oriental luxury.
81 often remained there a week at a
time without seeing the outside world.
Women prominent in society came there
also, but as a rule they did not smoke
much the novelty of the. thing alone
seemed to attract them. 1t soon became
too expensive for me to continue to go
there, for her charges were enormous.
| About this time the idea of having place
of my own suggested itself to me. / had
number of friends, and money enough
| left to furnish few rooms. So | opened
an opium parlor on East Sixteenth street.
| Nv place soon became popular. Many
me. and my success was assured. | would
| be there to-day had it not been for the
| treachery of one whom had befriended.
Among the frequenters of the French wo-
mans place was a young actress, then
playing leading part in one of the New
| York theaters. She was very beautiful,
and quite the rage among the gilded youth
who affect things theatrical. She came
originally, | think, from England, and of
all the opium takers | have ever seen she
was the worst. She was completely infat-
uated with it, and whenever she could
escape from her duties at the theater she
would come to Madame Fanlan's and
smoke. A short time after / had opened
my place she came to me broken in health
and in abiect poverty. / pitied her and
took her in and gave her home, but she
proved an migrate and soon regretted my
kindness to her. In order to obtain
money she informed the husbands of
some of my best patrons that their wives
came to my house to smoke opium. Of
course this greatly injured my business in
New York, but it taught me lesson that
have not forgotten"
Mrs. Chism claims that many of the
frequenters of her place on Mount Yer
non street move in good society and re-
side in the fashionable quarters of the
city, and she seems to consider herself a
public benefactor in offering quiet re-
treat to women victims Of the opium
habit, where they can indulge in safety
and comfort. "Those who are in any
way known are stared at little by the
others when they first come" she naively
remarked, "but they do not seem to mind
this, and are very sociable with each
other. They would use opium anyway,
and they might as well come to me as
take it in their own homes. During the
day parties of three or four will often come
together. Actresses generally come in
this way, remain two or three hours, and
then leave together"
Mrs Chisom refused to tell how much
she charged these aristocratic opium
smokers but from her indirect illusions
to coffee served every hour, and carriages
constantly on hand, her charges must be
considerable She vigorously excludes
the sterner sex, saying that men do not
much interest the women who indulge in
opium.
Utilization of Solar Heat.