The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-15
The Dark Side Of Life as Il Is
Seen by Kate
Jordan.
Summing on the Great East
Side OF New York
City.
At abe Florence MIssIon-A Ray Of Llght-
One Of the ResIsImcd-A Nights
Experience.


Especial Correspondenoe1
NFw York. Jan. S-There were four ~
rs and a detective. We were not under ar
rest. and the presence of the law in the
shape Of big. bluff man in a shaggy ovcr-
coat. a slouched hat and mittens had no
saddening effect upon US. We were IN his
charge only for the evening-he was taking
Us stunning"
One of US was an artist seeking types, an
other was a stranger in New York and so
far only acquainted with the fashionable
nucleus of the town. The other two-wen,
they were women, and I'm afraid the curso
of I've had descended upon them. They
were morbidly curious. They wanted to
see. They had a delightful consciousness
of doing something they should not, and a
odelicious-that they were
going TO be horribly shocked.
In Historic Locality.
The dingy car went zigzagging through
portions OF the town never seen az night be
fore IL was Blocker street. that neigh
borhood OF ruins, once the rallying ground
of New Nork's gentility. Peering through
the clouded panes at thev sidewalks, the
old mansions transformed into cheap fish
markets, what was once a church ringing
with shouts Of ribald laughter and tho
banging Of a cheap piano, one wondered II
the spirits Of dead Knickerbockers ever
came back TO wander sadly amid this desc
Grafton OF sacred, familiar scenes
But-farewell fancy. We were az the
Bowery. and ''by the same token" as the
Irishmau SAYS, here was a newsboy az our
elbow singing the hackneyed refrain that
sets forth the temptations Of that gaudy
thonoughfare and assuring US he would
''never go there any more. D."
And now-where;' asked Miss Eve,
named after her mother.
Don't ask any questions said the de-
tective pompously, and we followed him
trustingly, feeling very much Ike sheep
after a shepherd.
A Trip TO Chinatown.
Down the Bowery we went We looked
into gin palaces and saw lines Of hungry
tramps waiting with marvellous patience
for a free meal, went through dark, mys-
FERROUS side streets lined by most offensive
alleyways. We beard words that taught
US how cramped is the vocabulary Of the
polite We saw faces more animal than
human. We were surrounded by vice. IL
was not pleasurable. however. even as a
forbidden sight We began 10 feel a little
heartsick. and we saw how quickly sin is
robbed Of poetry when there Is no gliding.
We turned a corner. Was this New N0rks
or had we in some inexphcable way sent
our astral bodies on an airy journey % Hong
KonEs yellow skinned Celesrials, who
looked as il they had Suddenly materializ=d
from tea caddies. surrounded u.s. We
heard queer. tinpanny music from some Of
the dimlv lir. red currained shops We saw
strange names on windows and doors, and
we heard a language that was uncauny in
its unusuliness.
Chinatown,
"Are we going % an opium Joint ~ queried
Miss Eve ia a breathless tone. 'Oh, that
would be positively divine"
Think so, young womans Rather ike
the other place 10 seems 20 me. But I'm
not going 10 show you lot Of miserable BE-
ings hitting the pipe YOU'D never forget
it. stay here, and III give you just an idea
OF what it's like"
lie left us at the entrance TO a narrow
alleyway that might fifty have led TO In
ferno. so dark was il, 50 full Of eerie oaths
and wailing.
An Opium layout.
For a few moments we shivered there ere
the detective appeared carrying something
in his hands and followed by girl OF
about H.
"This is a layout. It's worth looking at.
Smell it."
We handled the little tray, the filler, and
shifted at the oddly shaped, dark pipe. The
odorwas fiat and sickly. There was nothing
seductive about that at any rate.
Take "A good look at the girl, our guide
whispered.
The light from the laundry next door
showed US a thin, round shouldered. heavy
eyed creature, her skin yellow, her hair
short and fuzzy.
Got froOi" she asked. "IIuhr as she
received some money. Tanks, sarl' and
with broad grin she caught up the lay
out and disappeared
'.she might be labeled as a queer speci-
men and one peculiar 20 this strangely
mixed city Of ours. / doubt if you could