Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-01-10
THE ploE."


Alarming Growth OF This Heathenish
Habit rs Noticed In Chicago.
The smoking Of opium in Chicago
began about ten years ago, among tllo
white population, though the habit
ms prevailed with the Celestials since
heir first arrival in the city. In 1879
} &c fact that the custom was ontagious
cas- brought 10 the notice of the police
department. and the ''opium joints"
were pulled. This served to kill il for
time. at least apparently, though il
was not long before rumors were fly
ing around again that the practice was
going on and growing. Considerable
difficulty was then experienced in To-
sAting the joints, but so soon as one
was found it was promptly pulled.
Despite police vigilance, however,
the Celestials continued to spread their
business until two years ago. when il
attained such a growth that a, system
ATTIC warfare was begun and waged
against il, headed by a detective who
has since resigned" from the force,
with the result that, saw a few small
''ioints. the Celestial business was en-
tirely broken up. Not long ago, how
eve il began 10 show signs of a resurs
rection. and now there are 100 estab-
lishments, and they are increasing in
geometrical progression.
An old timer can detect a Joint by
standing on the steps leading 10 the
basement. so strong is tie odor of the
opium. Upon entering the visitor is
met by an almond eyed pigtail, who
gutturalizes an inquiry. If the visitor
is a stranger and desires a smoke he
must give his name. The keeper
looks in a book and if the name
is not there il is no 90 IL, how
ever, one of the ''steerers'-as a half
dozen or more inveterate white
smokers about town are called and
10 whom a novitiate must apply
has seen that the name has been
registered, the celestial parts n curtain
behind him. and usherS the visitor
into a long, narrow passage. on each
3de of which are a number of small
rooms furnished with hunks. Into
one of these the visitor goes. lies
down on the bunk, gives his guide the
regulation fee and is given a pipe
containing a pill Of opium. A few
-whiffs and enchanted dominions are
reached. and there the visitor remains
for half an hour. Sometimes he takes
another pill, but generally one suflices
anti the next visit.
And there is always a mex visit, so
long as money and life lasts; for one
man Tor woman, for that matter)
takes the drug, he is, with most rare
exceptions, ever afterward its slave.
After a few indulgences. which be-
come constantly more frequent. the
newly enthralled suffers a weakness
of the nerves, he becomes suspicious.
n crafty air tinged with a strong and
unmistakable suggestion Of guilt takes
possession Of him, his skin loses its
Gear complexion and gradually its
whiteness changes TO a yellow hue.
The gratifying Of the habit becomes
absolutely essential, many fold more
irresistible than the sway Of King Al
oohol. There is very little hope Of re
-covery, and once within its clutches
the captured is a goner. When his
money has disappeared he joins the
I3IhS vi tut olttItTb, dlu III tpl-
sideration of steering a new customer
into the joint, receives the privilege of
hitting the pipe, and in hat way ekes
out a most wretched and miserable x
istence until, even his steering fac
ulties being lost, the habitue is dis
carded by the Celestial, and is thrown
upon the street 10 die, which he shortly
does amid the acutest sutferings.
Most Of the beginners are between
IS and 25 years old, some eve
younger. Comparatively few begin
when over 30. An observer between
the hours of 2 and and s and IL
D. m, may see smokers enter these
Joints, ostensibly laundries; but if the
observer waits he will be surprised at
the length Of time il takes to get ones
washing. When a joint keeper be-
lieves bis place is being watched, he
will furnish the smoker when going out
with a bundle 10 carry US a blind, and
many a bundle has been opened and
found 10 contain, instead Of carefully
laundried linen, a lot Of waste paper.
Women. though mostly outcasts, form
a M small part of the Celestial's cus-
toners, and not ~infrequently young
girls with an adventurous and roman.
tic turn OF mind are decoyed into
'just one indulgence" The smoker
is invariably robbed Of all his valua-
bles, not by the Chinaman, but by the
steerers, who wait until their victims
are asleep, when anything can be done
with them without their knowledge