, 1882-11-04
A Lady's C : ~3'or'
Phila,sluh,a nmS,

] Nou>c on hOuut hcIacu sSESSt, ics
doors from Tenth A silver plate on th,
door bears her name, but there Is no 9th
er Indication that the honse is inhabited
The green blinds are always kept closed
and the door is cnly opened for the pat
rons OF the place, who silently come an,
90. Mrs Chiscm is a paie, refned-look
Ing woman II about - years. and her ap
pearance does not indicate victim al
the opium habit. As far as could be seer
in hssty inspection Of the three room:
on the first floor, the interior Of the house
Is furnished with luxury rarely attempt.
ed IN house Of the kind The walls are
rich in gliding and decoration on the
floors are heavy Turkish and Persian
rugs, and statuet,es, pictures and brio a
brac are scattered about III every direc-
ton. ''The rooms used for smoking are
up stairs" said Mrs. Chisom yesterday
'1and. of course, | cannot let you ses
them but you can judge by these that
no expense has been spared in fitting up
the house. | came to Philadelphia on
the 10Th 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 wealth.
est ladies In the city. On being ques-
toned about her antecedents, Mrs. CHS
ON told story of an adventurous career.
"Scyenteen years ago, she said, 81
married wealthy Southern cotton plant
er. He was the owner Of large planta-
ton near New Orleans, and for two years
lived there happily. How dad | begin
to use opium! Well, 1t is the old story.
| was Ill and friend advised me TO try
it. did, and ever since that day nave
been unable 10 d. without II. Ny life
became a burden. neglected everything
and could take interest IN nothing con
nected with my home. | made several
Efforts to give up the habit, but L found
it impossible and after every attempt |
began taking it IN greater quantities than
ever before. My 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
advertised to cure 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.
at WAS in New York that first learn
ed to smoke opium. | was taken by
friend to an opium parlcr on Eighteenth
street, kept by a French woman named
Nine. Faulan. Mansfield, Montaland and
ether notorious women were regular pat
rous OF the place No men were admitted,
and rooms were fitted up with Oriental
luxury. | often remained there a week
at a time without seeing the outside
world. Women prominent in society
came there also, but as rule they did
not smoke much the n0veiIy of tire
thin" alone seemed to attract thm- IL
soon became too expensive for me 10 cun-
tinue to 90 there, for her charges were
enormous. About thus the the idea "f
having place Of my own suggested itself
to me. | had a number Of friends and
money enought left to furnish few
rooms. So opened Al OPIUM parlor on
Eas, Sixteenth street. My place soon
became popular. Many of Nine Fanlans
customers came To me, and my success
was assured. | would be there to-day
had it not been for the treaehery Of one
whom befriended. Among the frequent
e.s Of the French woman's 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, l
think, from England, and of all TIE
op;um-takers | have ever seen she was
the worst. She Vas completely infatu-
ated with it, and whenever she could es-
cape from her duties at the theatre she
would come to Nine Fanlans and smoke.
4 short time after ! had opened my
place she CAME to Inc broken IN health
and in abject poverty. pitied her, and
took her in and gave her home, but she
proved an migrate, and | soon regretted
nv kindness to her. In order 10 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. Chishcm claims that many of the
frequenters of her place on Mount Vernon
street move in good society and reside IN
the fashionable quarters OF the city, and
she seems TO consider herself Il public
benefaciress in Offering quiet reireat 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, "out
they do not seem to rliud this and are
very sociable wI,h each other They
would use opium anyway, and they might
a. well come u me as to take II III their
own homes Daring the Winter parties
Of three or Jour will nften come together.
Actresses generally come in this way. re-
main two OF three hours and then leave
together" Mrs. Chisom refused to tell
how much she charged these arlstocrat.c
opium smokers, bu; from her indirect al
lusions to cufFee served every hour and
carriages constantly on hand, her charges
must be considerable. She vigorously
excluded the sterner sex, saying that men
10 ~, ;n..ra-t tna vornea who indulge