The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-04-08
NEW YORK OPIUM DENs.


NEW YORK OPIUM DENS.
was out to see some of the American
opium smokers, of whom DIR. Kane, in
his recent book, says there are at least
three hundred in the city. One of them
had made an appointment to take me
about. As we stood for moment in the
shelter of the doorway of public house
two women passed us. They had just
turned out of Chatham Square. They
wore long listers cut close to the figure
and fashionably made. Their shoulders
were protected by deep fur capes. Their
heads and faces were pretty effectively
wrapped up, and a tilted silk umbrella
concealed them still further. They passed
a few yards beyond us, and then turned
and disappeared down a cellar-way.
1--WE shall see them again later on my
companion said, and he led the way to
the first place of our investigation, which
is Just below Mott Street in Chatham
Square. 1t looked like deserted bar
racks. The moist fog from outside had
invaded it. Its hunks, or platforms,
built all around the walls, were unoccu-
pied. A young Chinaman stood in the
middle of the room, smoking tobacco
pipe with a long stem and bowl the size
of child's thimble.
"Hallooy' exclaimed my companion,
where are the smokers?"
"For week, no." returned the China
man, smiling gloomily, and shaking his
head.
.What; no American smokers?'
s.For week, no."
"Why? Did they steal all your pipcs?"
"Yah. steal some"
The fact was, as my companion ex-
planned to me afterward, that American
smokers had cleared out of this place be-
cause it was not kept clean. 1t is true
that the American smokers are occasion
ally nimble-fngered gentlemen, who are
not averse to appropriating without pay
a really good pipe when they find it, but
they are neat In their personal habits and
cannot stand vermin.
Our second visit was to an opium eel
lar, or Joint" in Mott Street. 1t is one
of the few which are favored by Ameri-
can smokers, and they frequent 1t for
the reason that its tidiness is measurable,
that its pipes are good, and that the
opium supplied is Ii gun, or of the No. l
grade. The cellarway leading to it is
like most of the others in Mott Street.
A citizen who did not know what was
on the other side of the door would hest
tate about descending into it. 1t was
about three o'clock in the afternoon
when we went in. As the door closed
behind us all the dismal suggestion of
the fog and the rain was shut out. Ihad
half sense that 1 had got into some
small heather temple by mistake. 1t
was warm and dingy, and peculiar
aromatic fragrance filled the air. A
Chinaman with round silver spectacles
fairly glowed in an illuminated cubby
hole. He was busily engaged in the
manipulation of some mystic trinkets.
A husky voice from somewhere called:
"Wing, gimme a quarters worth, "
when he instantly bobbed out of sight.
Through another Illuminated cubby hole
/ saw table, upon which glittered q
pile of polished metallic wedges, curl
ously inscribed, and Twas told afterward
that this was gambling paraphernalia.
Between the two cubby holes lay dark
passage, which we passed through, fetch
ing up against what suspect was either
shrine or Chinese toilet table. II
was laden with pots and brushes and
saucers, and lots of other matters with
unknown outlines and inconceivable
uses. A bunch of punk-colored joss
sticks on pink standards smouldered
upon it somewhere, and off to one side,
flanking it like bastion, lowered gray
and massive jar of tea.
e In room behind all this we came
upon the smokers. There were eight,
all men. Only one was Chinaman;
hewas tightly rolled up in horse blanket
and fast asleep. Two only were smoking
opium. The others were smoking TO-
bacco and conversing. a
This bowl of the opium pipe is called
so only by courtesy. 1t is the size and
nearly the shape of door knob, made
of metal or clay, and solid save for q
hole that would be filed by knitting
needle, and that leads down through its
center into the bamboo stem. The
opium pill, when it is cooked, is set up
on the bowl like q small washer, the
opening left in it by the steel needle COM
ing Just opposite that in the bowl itself.
Allbeing ready, the smoker places his lips
to the ivory mouth-piece at the end of the
stem, turns the opium pill to the flame,
and as it burns with bubbling sound,
draws the smoke into his lungs. 1t takes
about twenty seconds 20 consume pill,
and smoker can finish his pipe with q
single inhalation. From twelve to If
teen pills can be made from twenty-five
cents worth of No. ] opium.