The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-19

clean, with a great many ornaments
4 around. Frank goes over and opens the
Washstand drawer and gets out his lay
out. 1t was the first time Fned and had
seen one, but Horace had already told us
downstairs about 1T, as he was up the
night before smoking. Frank took the
tray "a common tin try) and laid it on
the bed, then Lit the lamp, and after get
ing everything prepared, he told us to
remove OR coats, vests, collars and ties
also shoes, SO as to be able to lie as
comfortable as possible One of the main
Things to do when starting in for a pleas
ure smoke Is. to make, yourself as com
Portable as possible. After preparing our
selves to lie down. Frank placed us in
such a manner that we formed kind of
circle around the layout, Horace lay d.
rectly across from Frank who did the
cooking. Fred lay with his head upon
Horace's side. and I did likewise on Fred 8
side. The idea was to have our faces near
the lamp, so we could take our turn to
smoke a pill when it came.
There is n great fascination laying
around layout with interesting COM
pany.
I shall now begin by describing what
constitutes an opium smokers layout He
can, of course, like everything else, make
the cost cheap or expensive. First Of all
Is the stem and bowl. The stem is of
bamboo, and you cain have any dimension
you like Some are an inch in diameter
and one and a half feet long, while others
go as high as three and one-half to four
inches thick and one and one-half to two
feet in length The main thing in select
ing stem or bowl is age. It is like liquor
the older the more valuable A new
stem is no good at all. If it so happens a.
smoker gets a new stem the first thing
he viii do will be to pack 1t tight full OF
yen-she (the Chinese word for opium
ashes and let it stand few days; then
drive rod through the packing. It will
then be in condition to use. A new bowl
will get the same treatment, only the ven
= sne VIII be beaten to a fine powder and
mixed with water. so it will run all over
the inside of the bowl and adhere to all
sides.
AS a general rule. most smokers prefer
stem about two inches thick and one
and one-haf feet long. Both ends are
ivory tipped and about four inches from
the lower end large slit is cut so as to
place the saddle. which is piece of metal
rounded so as to fit snugly over the stem.
About the center of the saddle and right
over the slit in the stem is very short
tube. into which the bowl is fastened, and
you have a pipe, ready to use.
The balance of the layout + shall use
Ranks as a sample only he had lot Of
unnecessary articles 4oT his tray, which
was common, ordinary lin waiting tray.
In the center sat the lamp, made Of glass,
and burned either sweet oil or peanut oil,
as they give a steadyg mellow light, with
out smoke or smell The next articles my
eye noticed were three or four small wires
about six or seven inches long, sharp at
one end and fattenGd out at the other
Those they call yen-hocks, and are used
to cook the opium with Then a small
sponge, dampened, lay in small saucer.
1t is called the sou-i-pow, used to cool the
bowl when 1t gets too hot and strong,
also to clean the surkaeeEwhen too much
opium clings to 1t. The xen-she-gow is
round piece OF ironk hooked at one end
and the hooked part sharpened on both
sides, that Is, placed in handle like a
chisel or any other tool. The use of this
little article is to clean the bowl OF ashes
(called yen-she) when full.
The next is what Is called hop toy,
round cylinder affair made of bone. That
is used to put opium In, as smoking opium
Is thick paste. and when warm runs
like thick molasses, but -eongeals when
cold. 1t is q light brown color when of
the first quality. No. 1, the best, comes
from China and is called LEI yuen No. 2
Is mostly made in Victoria. Opium comes
in cans about three inches wide, five
inches long and two inches thick. The can