The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-12-23
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Just after leaving tho bright lishls ii
Kearney street our guide said: Come
this Way and turned into a long. mar.
row, dark passage, that brought Us into
o low room, with ten tables, around
which we're built little benches and
cooking utensils, greasy plates and chop
sticks scattered about everywhere. A
contractor, who furnishes Chinese Ia
bcEers, feeds them hero. and sleeps the
most otthem TOO, for there we're rows
Of dirty looking bunks or terths on
each side Of the room, built almost a.
close together as shelves Ia q library.
A Amoment Of Gods pure att, aud we
heard: Gentlemen, light your can.
dies; ladies, your perfume We went
down q steep digit Of stairs, into a pas.
sage that was quite as long and narrow
as tho first, then down another stair.
way, which might hare led to Hades, it
was 50 BLACK and uncertain, . into a
litaeo open space with 1 door on eyefy
side. Our oaicer opened the FIRST Of
these without the ceremony Of knock
and showed Us one Of the ROOMS, which
was about sSi0. aud IN which twenty
s0hiuameu slept Some Of them were
smoking their opinm all lying thefe IN
their filth like 50 many animals. lives
glad enough 10 yacate for the benefit Of
Others Of tue party. and verify believed
that there was nothing worse tosee
anywhere.
But on opening another door what a
sight was therei On a bunk covered
with mating, with a.few old blankets
under his head, lay a feeble looking old
fellow, with his pipe and lamp and Jar
Of opium at hand, looking 50 haggard
and miserable thBt l thought he must
DO very Ill, and l said: John, you
slcki" and he answered, me heap
sick, me heap old But be Is only As,
although his sunken, CLASSY eyes and
checks, made him seem 100. Il Is any
wondcri Fifty feet under ground, damp,
foul air, into which ray Of daylight
never came, rags and 1llth-is 1t strange
that We never see an aged Chinamanl
II Is wonder they don't die BY the
thottsaiid. II must be true that opium
smoke neutralizes, to some extent, thiJ
thick, impure air, else how could they
liYsi own another fight Of stepsip
Murciful p0wersl You don't mean to
take us any further from tho pure air
Of hearvui' Right industriously did
we use our smelling bottles now, and
very close did ! keep 10 our bravo
leSder, for | began to DO covered with
goose aesh, and to feel q sinking seisa.
ton in the region Of the pit Of my
stomach and shaklnesS in my knees,
which WAS not altogether quite tom
Portable TO bear. We were to see tie
happy family, and a sightit was indeed.
A room no larger than a good.sIIed
closet, shelves or bunEs about three feet
apart, with "standing.room only" for
about three people, and you have a
good idea OF the arrangement Of this
home OF the happy family" In this
hole are three women, a man, a baby,
two dogs aud a cat. The fires on which
these underground residents cook
their food, are simply q few uharcosls
In an old tin can. This lstove, somes
times chair, and a can Of oil in which
Is placed a rag which gives their light,
compose the furniture Of these abodeS.
don't thinks can ever make you uu-
derstand how dreadful these places
were Lodging douses underground
where perhaps fifty men slesp and
smoke in a little room sxlO room, until
midnight, when they are reused and
turned out 10 walk the streets while
other take tho hunks for q few hoRrs'
rest. Anything viler, more loathsOme
than these holes would be difficult 10
imagine.