Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-04

although their final qualification is abso-
lutely inevitable.
There are Chinese Joints and there are
joints devoted exclusively to a white
clientele. OF the former It is estimated
that there are approximately 1000 scattered
throughout the United States. There are a
lesser number of the latter. The Chinese
opium dens are generally dark, dingy and
squalid. On each bunk two almond-eyed
devotees OF the drug may be seen hitting
the pipe as opium smoking is vulgarly
termed. The '~jointS'' for white persons
are, on the contrary, usually very luxuri-
Gus. They are clean and are generally
beautifully finished. Oriental couches. dra-
peries, diyans, etc, being prominent. The
smokers, men and women, lie partially dis
robed on the touches as they inhale tho
fumes from the opium pipe.
Methods of Hitting the Pine,
The smoking of opium is SO very different
from tobacco smoking (although compare
lively few persons know i) that it may be
we'll to describe the pipe and other ap-
paratus used, and the manner in which
opium is smoked. The opium layout" as
1t Is called, consists OF the pipe Tor wen
tshungO }; the bowl of the pipe Tor "yen
owl; the lamp Tor yen dong''); the round
horn box for holding opium Cor HOP toy');
the needles used for cooking the opium
over the lamp (or yen hok'): and the
knives for cleaning out the pipe bow (or
yen gnow'). The opium pipe is about two
rect long and Is invariably made of bamboo,
hollow and about an inch and a half thick.
one-third its length there is fastened into
the pipe a bowl made OF clay or of stone
This bowl is covered, save for a very small
hole uhe thickness OF a PIN In the center
of the top.
opium is always smoked in a reclining
position. The smoker lights the lamp. and
on the Ioint Of one Of the needles uhey
much resemble crochet needles, taperinR at
one end and flattened out at the other)
takes from the hop toy" a little opium
the size OF a pea. He holds this above the
flame of the lamp, and It slowly cooks
In cooking, the opium bubbles and sizzles
slightly like burning sealing wax does. The
cooking takes all the moisture from the
opium, which before 1t is cooked in con-
s~istency and color much resembles treachle.
While the smoker is cooking his pill every
once In a while he 'chies' it-that is to say.
he rolls II over the bowl of the pipe again
and again with a twirlinE motion of the
fingers holding the needle, until finally the
pill assumes the shape of a little cone.
Then the pipe bowl is slightly heated at the
%orifice, and the point of the needle is thrust
into II up to|the pellet OF opium. The pellet
sticks to the bowl, and the needle is with
drawn. Now the pipe is ready to be
smoked. This, also. is a curious operation.
NE smoker, still reclining. places the end
OF the pipe to his lips, and. holding the
other end with the BOWL over the flame,
draws in a deep breath. The pill OF opium
sizzles over the flame and is drawn into the
pipe In smoke. and the smoke from the
pipe to the smokers mouth or lungs. When
one pill Is consumed as many more are
cooked and consumed as the smoker de-
sires, The average opium smoker consumes
about eight Of these pills at one session.
Two Kinds of Smokers.
There are two kinds Of opium smokers,
known as 'long-draw' and "short-draw"