The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-22
THE DREGS OF HUMANITY.
A Hoosier's Experience in the Dark
Spots of a Western Metropolis.
A Visit to the Chinese Opium Joints. Gam
bling Dens and Dance HOuses of Col
OradO's Capital City.
Correspondence of the In .snapolis Journal

DENVER, COl., sept. ID was taking WIFI
Captain Lora Wilder, of the police force her,
last evening, and he asked me if would like
to visit the vilest dens on earth. l inquired,
with some surprise what they were and
where 1 would find them.
ooh! Over here in Chinatown, the dens of
the Celestias," said he
In short time we had reached the quar-
tiers OF Long Woo, the first of the twenty or
thirty places of resort for the most depraved
of humanity. 1t was in a cellar, below
laundry, which he kept as his business dur
ing the day. A PALE Pickering light
was the only illumination of the
dark place, and as We descended the
rickety steps intuitively opened a spring
back dirk in my pocket, as l had been told
that these fellows did not like for Ameri-
cans to come walking in on them in their
reveling places. The room was not more
than eight by ten feet, and a table and bunk
were the only articles of furniture seen. Woo
was lying on the bunk with his opium pipe,
having stopped sucking the stem when he
heard US coming His reply to the gruf sal
utation of the officer was short, sullen
grunt, and then, without paying any atten-
ton to us relit his pipe from the low-burning
wafer and fell back in ahalf-drunken stupor
While looked at him now thought him a
brute. His dress was dirty and hung on him
loosely, while his scrawny limbs were bare to
the knees. The pipe was an earthen bowl
that would hold a handful of tobacco and
was fastened midway on stem three feet
in length and fully two inches in diameter.
This pipe can be used by two at time one
sucking at each end, and presently fien6-
ish-looking little old man. with bushy eve
lids and orrible-lookng, prominent teeth,
walked in from behind us and passed for
ward to the bunk, and without saying
| word took his position at the unused end OF
the pipe-stem. He drew long and full drafts
of smoke, which passed out through his
large nostris in great volumes, and soon an
expression of supreme comfort came over
his hideous face. 1t was not long before
they were both insensible from the effects of
the poppy, and we left them lying
stretched out, each with one hand
clutching to the stem. In a similar
looking room, Immediately adjoining were a
half dozen Chinese gambling at a game
known only to themselves. They were very
quiet during the progress of the contest,
though they kept up constant crowding
closer around the little table upon which the
in not one looked up or spoke to US, and the
officer winked at me, which | understood to
mean that they did not appreciate our call.
The room was full of smoke, and was eit a
loss to know where it came from and what
was burning. I presently observed the gam
bling crowd going through a motion some
thing like that made by stump-sucking
colt.
"Thev are taking it all in" the cap
tain said to me, cautiously. 1t at
once flashed through my mind
that the smoke was from the
opium smoked in the adjoining room by the
now drunken men we had just left and these
were refusing it.
at comes through this tube, that is made
to coil in order to get up a draught Just
stand over here and you can see it coming
through" I not only went over to where
the officer indicated, but bolted through q
door, determined to escape the foul atmos>
phere which was rapidly poisoning me, but
instead of getting out into the open air,
found myself in a place even mere filthy.
The Captain was soon at my side, and asked
him in the name of all the gods what place
is this.
"Why, this is the pok-a-loly room, where
they make opium cakes out of
bean they get from China 1t is a
pretty loud place, amt it?' 1 nodded to him
in the semi-darkness, and wished earnestly
for the refreshing breeZes of a skunk sausage
ldClOTy. I'VE Iueu were mere db WOrk WITH
their hands dipped in a tub of dirty water
huling the beans, which were long fat
white berries with red skins that slipped off
easily
eve makee cakee outee beanee," said
wizard faced fellow. "Chawee in moufee
makee cakee slow" And he held his hand
up to the mouth of the man next to him.
who was the 'chawer," and received from
the disgusting-looking place a handful of
the masticated beans, and then quickly shap-
ing the mass into the form of thick batter
cake, proudly exclaimed:
"Cakee, cakee havee cakee?'
growled out that | was not hungry and
he said: Mclean man he no eatee
cakee. Mclean man diam foolee; no likee
cakee. Me eatee clkee" shut my eyes for
a moment, but my companion said that the
same recently masticated cake had been
eaten, and a bitsof opium taken to give it
seasoning. My stomach began to rebel
against all this, and we passed on to another
apartment 1t was hall-ike room, twenty
feet in length and five in width, used for
| a smoking room, and as we pushed along the
hunks and rubbing against the overhanging
feet counted thirteen smokers. The air was
thick and made me faint, so
brutes and went into dance room,
further on This room was about twenty
feet square, and we found here twenty or
thirty men Of all types of Cinnamon and
ten Chinawomen, who were quite small in
stature, and some better-looking than the
rest These were the younger ones whose
ages were from fifteen to twenty-five years,
and were dressed in gay colors. The older
women were dressed neatly but not so
gaudily, but they talked loudest and seemed
to be running things. The men were SLOW
emily dressed, and many smoked cheap cigars,
and now and then one would be seen smok-
ing very strong pipe, which was frequently
passed around to give others a draw or two
from il. No attention was paid to us when
we walked down the steps into
the room, the ceiling of which was five feet
below the top of ground, and we passed
over to quiet corner to be out of the way