The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-04

pipe these five years now ana am not
'fiend' yet. You don't catch this girl get
ting to DE 'hophead.' ,"
This appears to be popular hallucina-
ton with the victims OF the opium habit
every one knows the other is fend, but
thinks himself or herself only dilettantl
i'll the vice. But the CLASSY eyes and
shrunken frame tell their own story.
Carrie was the name of the girl who vol
unteered the information about herself.
She kept on rolling the pills and putting
the smoke.
This is the twelfth" she said, as she
laid back on the box that served for pill
low, and drew in the seductive fumes OF
the brown, sizzling little pill. Presently,
when the twentieth pill had been burned
to ashes, Carries head sank back on the
box and her eyes were heavy.
Guess I've taken bit too much this
time,' she said. ''Tll sleep it off a bit be-
fore CO.,
"She's good till morning." said the
guide. ''She has the desired effect now,
sure. She always talks that way about
taking little too much, but she never
quits till the sleep comes on"
| Carrie was the first of the patrons of
Annie that night to receive the desired
| effect"-as the simon-pure Chinatown
guide always calls it. The others were
in various stages of indulgence. Annie
stroked the kittens beside her and crooned.
| w nel the CuSlOIudIy HlChtlS were uIOPPOO
on the tray in front of her by the visitors
she said Tanks" quite plainly.
Didn't the gentlemen want to smoker
she asked the guide in her native tongue.
| They did not.
All Sings joint, on the top floor OF oS4H
Washington street, was the next place
visited that night. The entrance is through
small tobacco-store kept by chinese.
When you reach the landing at the head
of the first flight you find narrow court
yard with balconies at eacn STORY. lou
turn to the right and 60 up sun announcer
fight of dark stairs Ihen niue 10 Ihe
left. and the first door you come to is All
Sings. His room is a triie larger than
Annie's and there are only two big hunks
in II one on each side. He has an assistant
of his own race and the two OF them wait
ON their customers asslduously. There
were three of the latter stretcneo out on
the hunks, and one OF these mad already
secured the desired effect"
..Ue,s only been smoking about month,
I'D - baIf dozen pills sets him off," ex-
NAMED the guide, who recognized the
slumberer. r.,
All Sing was careful to lock the door
ot.or hts Visitors had been admitted. He
m los surprised when he found they did not
m"1 n smoke, but he accepted the two
OK can't pieces rendered him with becom-
nc Monaghan meekness and thankfulness.
Tbe other Chinese joints visited were
ohout the same. Inc layout is the same.
There is always a hop tray of dope in
front of the reclining smoker; the nut-oil
iamn 1.-THE dong) for cooking; the hank or
needIe with which the ah pin yin (opium)
IS manipulated, and the big jim ten, or
bamboo pipe.
In one night six places in Chinatown
we're visited, and at every place white men
and women were found smoking. Another
night four joints were entered by the
white tourists, and in all of them whites
were smoking and the visitors were offered
the privilege of hitting the pipe" for the
small fee of 10 cents.
Though it was not easy for novice to
find these places it seems strange that the
trained policemen and detectives, with
every resource at their command, cannot
discover their whereabouts. Indeed, it is
said that the police do know the location
of these and many other dens. 1t is said,
too, that the police wink-but, then, this
is narration of fact, not of hearsay.
These are the facts regarding Chinatown.
If the police have been in ignorance of
these dens, as Chief Crowley has declared
himself to be, at least they need be no
| longer in ignorance.