The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-16
Plum Alley Opium Joints Still In
Operation.
HAVE MANY VISITORS
NO TROUBLE TO SECURE PIPE
AND BUNK. 4
Opportunity at All Hours of the Day
and Night For the Victims of the
Habit-one Joint Fitted Up In
Luxurious Style-Description of
Three of the Resorts.

Salt Lake City cannot boast Of a
large Chinatown, but for the size of this
distinctive settlement more evil is dis
seminated from it than probably any
other celestial community in the United
States. In spite of two recent raids
opium can be readily purchased and
smoked on Plum alley.
This is true, not in but a single in
stance, but half a dozen. Opportunity
is open at all hours of the day and
night for those who desire to take adj
vantage of it, to saturate the system
with the iniquitous drug, and, amid
undeniably picturesque surroundings of
half oriental, half-American blended
splendcr and squalor, listen to the
glowing tales of escapades so ruinous
to the young mind.
Description of One Joint.
One of the joints is a small general
merchandise store dimly lighted by a
kerosene lamp which is almost OBJ
scured by the smoke from the long
stemmed tobacco pipes kept in active
operation by a. group of Cinnamon
seated about. A short, fat Chinaman
presides on high chair behind the
three foot counter A bunk, in the
rear of the store, is generally occupied
by one or two celestials, smoking the
concentrated juice of the poppy.
Above the bunk, which is nothing
more than a plain table about 5x4 feet,
standing about ~ feet from the floor,
and covered with mating, squatS an
evil looking, tinseled joss, about which
the smoke curls in snaky wreaths. On
either side of the joss burn ey.l-smsM-
ing punk sticks, tributes to the little
grinning god, while before him stands
a plate heaped high with sliced cocoa
nut, sugared watermelon seeds and
other delicacies.
Here opium can be purchased In
quantities of from 10 cents worth UP.
Passing through this store and climb
ing a pair of stairs on the outside OF
the building brings one to hall, al
the end of which is a room fitted UP
with a bunk and the necessary smok-
ing paraphernalia, the use of which
costs 10 cents additional.
More Aristocratic.
At another joint farther up the alley
opium can be purchased just as readily
and by passing upstairs more luxur-
ious apartment for smoking is found
This room containing two hunks, pos
sesses the merit of semi cleanliness
which the other does not. The aesthetic
in the proprietor is shown by the drap-
ing of one of the hunks with light
stuffs and the appreciation of this was
exemplifed by a group Of three
smokers, whereas only one had betaken
himself to the first place.
Seven Hop Fiends Found.
At a third establishment, run by one
Sam. with an unintelligible surname
the smokers are even holder than at the
other places mentioned Here opium
may be purchased in the front of the
store and smoked in the two real
rooms, containing four hunks, with
nothing but a thin partition to separ-
ate the smokers from frequenters OF
the store, and, strange to say, when
visited this place contained no less thar
seven dispicles of the so-called oriental
pleasure.
"Oh, one may smoke in almost any
of the places if he looks pale and
knows how to handle the tools" re-
marked one of the smokers.
The conversation in these Joints is
fascinating to a young mind. Thieve;
frequent these places with glowing
descriptions of past escapades; laugh
ing at danger and dealing out sarcasm
at the law; treating life as a joke AND
Imprisonment as the result of indi-
vidual folly and not crime; the element
of danger which must Turk in any
opium joint, prescribed by law, and the
seductive influence of the drug itself
all tend to attract the young an6
imaginative. The great majority OF
opium smokers begin frequenting the
joints for no other reason than tc
/ listen to the tales or watch the opera
ton of cooking the opium; a fascinat-
ing art But there can be but one re-
suit; the inevitable must occur, ano
statistics say that nearly one half OF
the felons in the land ascribe theil
downfall to opium.