Morning journal and courier., 1882-09-02
Philadelphia's Opium Parlor.
A House Over Whose Threshold Only
 Wealthy Women Can Step.

From the Philadelphia Tines,l
 Mrs. Kate Chisom is the proprietress of the only opium parlor in this city. She re- sides in a 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 inhabited. The green blinds are always kept closed, and tho door is only opened for the patrons of the place, who silently come and go Mrs. Chisom is
 pale, refned-looking woman of about B years, and her appearance does not indicate a victim of the opium habit. As far could be seen in hasty inspection of the three rooms on the first floor, the interior of the house is furnished with a luxury rarely at tempted 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 brc a brac scattered about in every direction. The used for smoking up stairs said Mrs. Chisom yesterday, land, of course I cannot let you see them but yon can judge by these that no expense has been spared in
 fitting up the house. l came to Philadelphia on the 10th of last February, and am quite satisfied that shall dol very well here. My customers constantly increasing, and among them are some of the wealthiest ladies
 in the city" On being questioned about her antecedents, Mrs. Chisom told story of an adventurous career.
 ''Seventeeu years ago." she said, 'I married a wealthy southern cotton planter. He was the owner of a large plantation near New Orleans, and for two years lived there happily. How did I begin to opium Well, it is the old story. was ill and friend advised me to try it. I did, and since that day have been unable to do without it.
 My life became burden. I neglected every thing and could take interest in nothing con- nected with my home. I made several efforts to give up the habit, but I found it impossi- ble and after every attempt l began taking it in greater quantities than ever before. My husband died two years after my marriage, and after his death l turned everything l
 had into money and went to live in New
 York There 1 put myself under the care of a physician who advertised to cure the opium
 habit He gave me coffee baths and brandy in large doses, but used to dude him and get the drug and take it secretly.
 "It was in Now York that first learned to smoke opium. I was taken by friend to opium parlor on Eighteenth street, kept by French woman called Mme. Fanlan. Mans field, Montaland, and other notorious wo- men were regular patrons of her place.
 No men were admitted, and rooms were fit. ted up with Oriental luxury. I often
 mained there week at 8 time without seeing the outside world. Women prominent in society came there also, but as rule they did not smoke much tho novelty of the thing alone seemed to attract them. It soon became too expensive for me to continue to go there for her charges enormous. About this time the idea of having place of my own suggested itself to me. had num- Der of friends and money enough left to fur niSh few rooms. So I opened an opium parlor on East Sixteenth street. My place soon became popular Many of Mme. Fanlan's customers came to me, and my success was assured. I would be there to-day had it not been for the treachery of one whom l be-
 friended. Among the frequenters of the French woman's place was young actress,
 ri Iy1n If Ina
 York theatres. She was very beautiful and quite the rage among the gilded youth who affect things theatrical. She came original ly, think, from England, and of all the opium-take I have ever seen she was the
 worst She was completely infatuated with it. aud whenever she could esorpe from her duties at the theatre she would come to Mme. Fanan' $ and smoke short time after I had opened my place she came to me broken in health and in abject poverty. pitied her and took her in and gave her home, but she proved an ingrate, and I 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 l have not forgot ten. "
 Mrs Chisom claims that many of the fre- qucnters of her place on Mount Vernon street move in good society and reside in the tashlonaole quarters or tne ciey' anu sho seems to consider herself a public benefac- tress in offering quiet retreat to women victims of the opium habit, where they can | indulge in safety and comfort. "Those who
 are in any way known stared at a 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 we'll come to me take it in their own homes. During the winter parties of three or four will often come together. | Actresses generally come in this way, remain l two or three hours and then leave together" '" l Mrs Chisom refused to tell how much she
 charged these aristocratic opium smokers | but from her indirect alusions to coffee
 served every hour and carriages constantly l on hand her charges must be considerable. ! She vigorously excludes the sterner sex, say ing that men do not interest the women who | indulge in opium.