The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-11-21
A Hashish House in New York.

luUely uark. ana t1e eOtranCe-Way
looked dirty and desolate. Four pulls
at the bell, a pause, and one more pull
were followed by a few moments si-
lence, broken suddenly by the sound of
falling chain, rasping bolt. and the
grinding of KEY in the lock. The
The outer door was cautiously opened,
and at a word from my companion we
passed into the vestibule. The outer
door was carefully closed by some one
whom / could not distinguish in the
utter darkness. A moment later the
inner door was opened, and never shall
/ forget the impression produced by the
sudden change from total darkness to
the strange scene that met my eyes
The dark vestibule was the boundary
line separating the cold, dreary streets
and the ordinary world from a scene of
Oriental magnifcence.
A volume of heavily scented air, close
upon the heels of which came q deadly
sickening odor, wholly unlike anything
had ever smelled, greeted my nostrils.
A hall lamp of grotesque shape flooded
the hall with subdued violet light that
filtered through crenated disks of some
violet fabric hung below it The walls
and ceilings, If ever modern, were no
longer SO, for they were shut in and
Dl ltSbOOuS duu VI ucdNN
cloth fresh from Eastern looms. Tas-
sells of blue, green, yellow, red and
tinsel here and there peeped forth.
matching the curious edging of vari-
ously colored bead-work that bordered
each fold of drapery like q huge pro-
cession of luminous ants, and seemed
to flow into little phosphorescent pools
wherever the cloth was caught up.
Queer figures and strange lettering, in
the same work, were here and there
disclosed upon the ceiling cloth.
Along one side of the hall, between
two doors. were ranged huge tubs and
pots eff maiolica-like ware and blue
necked Japanese vases, in which were
plants, shrubs and flowers of the most
exquisite color and odor. Green vines
clsmbered UP the walls and across the
ceiling, and catching their tendrils
in the balustrades of the stairs (Which
were also of curious design, threw
down long sprays and heavy festoons
of verdurc.
As my companion, who had paused
moment to give me time to look about
me, walked toward the far end of the
hall, followed him and passed into
a small room on the right, where, with
the assistance of colored servant, we
exchanged our coats, hats and shoes
for others more in keeping with our
surroundings. First 8 long plush
gown, quilted with silk down the front,
and irregularly ornamented in bead and
braid with designs of serpents, flowers,
crescents and stars was slipped on over
the head. Next tasseled smoking
cap was donned and the feet incased
in noiseless list slippers. In any other
place or under any other circumstances
1 should have felt ridiculous in this
costume, but so in keeping was it with
all / had seen, and so thoroughly had
L seemed to have left my everyday
self in the dark vestibule, that / felt
perfectly at home in my strange dress.
We next crossed the hall to q smaller
room, where young man, apparently
a Frenchman, furnished us, on the pay
ment of two dollars each, with two
small pipes and a small covered bronze
cup, or urn, filled with a dry green
shrub, which J subsequently learned
was qtsjeh (the dried tops and leaves of
the hemp planD, for smoking. My
friend, on the payment of further
sum. obtained a curious little box
which contained some small black loz-
enges, consisting of the resin of hemp.
henbane, crushed datura seeds, butter
.f00rs, amongst rne bfo0rs as Et dtogcn.
Passing from this room we ascended
the richly carpeted stairs, enarbored by
vines, and paused upon landing from,
which three doors opened. Upon one
a pink card bore Dryden's line:
'-Take the good the gods provide thee"
The knob turned by my friends hand
allowed the door to swing open, and,
welcomed by a spice breeze from India,
we were truly in paradise.
.sThis," he said in a whisper, sis the
public room, where any one having
pipe or lozenge, and properly attired,
may enter and indulge-eat, smoke, or
dream, as best suits him."
Wonder. amazement. admiration but
family portray my mental condition.
Prepared by what / had already seen
and experienced for something odd and
Oriental, still the magnificence of what
now met my gaze far surpassed any
thing | had ever dreamed of, and
brought to mind the scenes of the Ara
bian Nights, forgotten since boyhood
until now. My every sense was ire
sistibly taken captive, and it was some
moments before 1 could realize that
really was not the victim of some dream,
for | seemed to have wholly severed my
connection with the world of to-day,
and to have stepped back several CEN
turies into the times of genii, fairies
and fountains the very heart of
Persia or Arabia
Not an inharmonious detail marred
the symmetry of the whole. Beneath,
/ my feet sank almost ankfe-deep into q
velvety carpet-a sea of subdued cOlors.
Looked at closely, found that the de-
sign was that of garden: beds of
luxurious flowers, stars and crescents,
squares and diamond-shaped plots,
made up OF thousands of rare exotic
and richly colored leaves. Here
brook. edged with damp verdure, from
beneath which peeped coy violets and
tiny blue bells; there a serpentine grav-
elled walk that wound in and out
amongst the exquisite plants, and every
where thousand shrubs in bloom or
oud. Above, magnificent chandelier,
consisting of six dragons of beaten
gold, from whose eyes and throat sprang
flames, the light from which, striking
| ~, uir1st -ssT.ias- of curiously set priSms.
fell shattered and scintillating into a
thousand glancing beams that illumin-
ated every corner of the room. The
rows of prisms being of clear and vari-
ously colored glass, and the dragons
slowly revolving, a weird and ever
changing hue was given to every object
| in the room.
All about the sides of the spacious
apartment, upon the floor, were mat
tresses covered with different colored
cloth, and edged with heavy golden
fringe. Upon them were carelessly
strewn rugs and mats of Persian and
Turkish handicraft. aud soft pillows in
heaps. Above the level of these divans
there ran, all about the room, a series
of huge mirrors framed with gilded
serpents intercoiled, eifectually shut