The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-06-13

and bon bons, all of which, cake in
cluded, is imported direct from China
Some of the tea served at these recep.
tions costs twenty dollars pound.
Upon entering the store each guest is
received with a "Happy New Year"
greeting by a very polite attendant,
who speaks good English, and while
he is conducting you about the place
and explaining things to you, you are
met by another attendant bearing a
dainty little lunch upon tray which
he presents with the compliments of
his master. Upon your departure you
are met at the door by another attend
ant who hands you little yellow slip
of paper with Chinese writing upon it,
and says "Good luck" Such is social
life in Chinatown.
Chinese satire, of which the follow
ing is sample: A typical Clark St.
bum came into a Chinese restaurant
one day begging for something to eat,
when the following dialogue took
place:
Chinaman: "You slay you hungly ?"
Tramp: eyes, nearly starved"
Chinaman: swell, thlat Ito blad,
you likee tlish?'
Tramp: EYES,"
Chinaman: "Alle light, you CLONE
abound next Fliday"
THE shop JOINT"
| Now here is something that I can
never forgive the Chinaman for. But
I'm not going very deep into this fea-
ture of my subject, for an opium den
is too deplorable to think about, much
less to write about, but at the same
time 1 think this paper would be in
complete without the mention of a
few facts concerning that moral cess
pool.
The way leading into an ordinary
opium den, is usually down flight of
stairs into an innocent looking Chinese
laundry, or cigar store, then into a
back room where you lift trapdoor
and descend another flight of stairs in.
to long semi-dark tunnel. After
proceeding along this gloomy passage.
way for hundred feet or so, you come
to stout oaken door with an electric
bell attached. You press the button
and wait. All is perfectly quiet; not a
sound. You wait perhaps minute
then you hear a faint grating noise
and all is quiet again. But you fee
conscious of the fact that there is an
eye upon you. So there is, for the
Chinaman inside has pushed aside the
, covering to the little "peep hole" anc
is looking you over. After be has sat
, isfied himself that all is right, the dool
: swings open and you are admitted
, Now I'm not going to attempt to de
, scribe the horrible scene in that room
, but will confine myself to few facts
> concerning the room and fixtures. Tht
room is long, low, narrow, and dirty
, There is no sign of wallpaper, carpe
, or pictures, and the only furniture i
, contains is row of hunks against tn
l wall clear around the room. Thes'
hunks which are large enough to &C
commodate two or three persons, ar
q built out of common lumber, and ar
q covered with sort of grass mating
< Upon little tray at the head of eacl
| bunk is an opium smokers "layout,
9 which consists of pipe, two needles
y and tiny lamp that burns peanut oil
h The bowl of the pipe resembles an In
q verted ink bottle more than anythln
O else, while the stem is made of BAN
y boo, and is about eighteen inches lon
by one inch in diameter. The needle
are used to roll the opium into littl
y pills, and to hold the same over the fam
= of the lamp while it is being cooked an
n smoked. You see the opium that
q used in hop joint is the pure, unadu
n terated article, and resembles chic
y black molasses. 1t comes in small tin
n and costs about sixteen dollars
70 pound. The Chinaman weighs it on
is to his customers (victims) upon pal
Is of apothecary's scales; enough for on
d smoke costs from twenty-five to fit
d cents; that depends upon how bad
J. ayen yen" (habit) the fend has got.
l. I've seen q great many hop fiends