The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-04-08
JorNrn IN THE GRAY DAWN.
OplHai Smokers and Their Surroundings
an a Natural Light.


When a newspaper reporter describes an
opium joint, not den in Chinatown but
one of the Joints further uptown patron
lied exclusively by white fiends, as the
smokers are called, he pictures it as he has
seen it at night. He daringly takes few
whiffs of the seductive drug himself, and i,
either heightens his imagination or he thinks
it does. There is sufficient material in his
surroundings, as they appear, to base
superstructure of airy fairy magnifcence,
but il the aforesaid surroundings were put
up at auction they could not be realized
upon to any great extent. Where an ex-
pense of several hundred dollars has been
made for the first months rent--police
protection, perhaps-and stock, furniture
and fixtures, IN opium joint, If the pro-
moter is man with some taste and iudg-
ment, can be made very attractive place.
Imitation Turkish, Indian and Persian rugs,
mural hangings and lambrequins do moi
come high at the big carpet stores now, and
'ey look royalty magnificent by gas light.
Mating on the floors, kakemonos, OF
Japanese scrolls, on the walls, and Chinese
lanterns, fans and umbrellas add still fur
tler to the sham Oriental splendois without
making big hole in the purse of the calcu-
lating speculator who starts the place. Tint
ed globes soften the garish gas light and
opium smoke paints over the rooms con-
tents with an invisible blue.
In the morning these traps look tawdry.
Dust, cobwebs and other evidences of the
lack of feminine care for the carpets, cur
tains and furniture become apparent On
the floor, lying like dead woman-this is
from real and recent observation-was the
wife of the proprietor. She had been for
three or four hours unconscious of the queer
alk made up of thieves jargon, actors
ilang the vernacular of the ignorant and
the well worded exaggerations of the edu,
Gated slave of opium. The curious end the
transient visitors were mostly gone. One
was left. He was young man trying to
learn to be q rounder. He had chit too
many pipes, and against good advice had
drank much iced water and lemonade He
was lying moaning on the divan and his
iociihBS "oie hhih ~ tuoSo iucluental tC
seasckness.
The smokers had scraped their shells O
.he last vestiges of the tar-like opium, and
were yawning and scratching their shins
one of the effects of habitually smoking
opium being an intolerable itching. They
were also wondering where they could rails,
the wind for another days sustenance.
The proprietor, nervous and irritable,
was Laying out the poor wreck who took
care of tue "layouts." This being, doubly
a slave to opium and to his richer fellow
fiends, was recompensed with enough opium
to keep his system pretty well up to its nor
NAL condition, and the tips he occasionally
caught from flush fends." Family the
gray dawn streamed through the curtains
The increasing light fast cheapened the
effect of the low-priced fabrics and orna
ments within. The gas was turned out fol
economy's sake. The fends stretched theil
cramped limbs, gaped, snored and stagger
ed out all shiyering.
The proprietor stirred hia wife with hi
foot with surly "Come, get up out o
this" Her upturned, immoble face was sc
CHASTITY, had it not been for her red, infam
ed under eyelids, that she might have beer
taken for corpse. She shuddered, stirred
arose, staggered and fell half length on the
divan. The proprietor went out for cock
hill. The wreck began to sweep out. When
he reached the woman he dragged her up
On the divan out of the way. This aroused
her; she sat up. Her head fell heavily into
her hands. Desolation had supplanted
gayety, and she bust into tears.