Show A GLIMPSE OF SALT LAKES CHINATOWN salt lake city has in its very center a chinatown N not ot aoh such a one by any means as san francisco pos possesses tout but one that is more numerously inhabited perhaps than any other dis die brict of the same size within our borders about three fourths of the chinese peculation of salt lake which numbers nearly four hundred live within it but how bow few people have bave any idea A ew nights ago accompanied by one of the best beat detectives detective of the wet west I 1 made as ae complete a tour of that section of the city in which the follow fellow countrymen of confucius the philosopher reside as it is possible poa sible under ordinary circumstances birou m stances of cours a the be trip was not undertaken until long after nightfall except for the uncertain glare of an electric light here and there the city was in total darkness dark no business of a legitimate character was over for the day and the abe stillness prevailed in those sections immediately surrounding the chinese qu quarters arttra only the measured trend tread of the policeman walking his bis beat broke the silence allence quietly curiously and closely watched we made maae our way among the oll shacks in the interior of 0 the block bounded by main and state and fleet first and second south streets here is salt lakes chinatown and our prese arese ce in it at midnight caused the mongolians Mongo lians to regard us with uia ilis trust always sussic ous of the movements of Melio ant s in their midst they appeared doubly po fo on this occasion an am we cautiously tripped up ald aid down rickety stairways and along dimly pass ates eyes as black as night itself would flash out upon us from all directions and an alarm of our approach auld be sounded Boun deil instantly lights would be extinguished keys would be turned in their locks bolts be slipped into their sockets and bars be placed in pos position itin thropa the doors further progress to in such euch cases cages was impossible there was waa only one thing to do and that was to retreat and m ike ake an attempt to enter an adjoining building our main object was to visit their opium dens and gambling resorts we knew kaew that while our undertaking was not necessarily hazardous it was wan very difficult and that we could only be successful by exercising the greatest degree of caution to obtain admission to the principal joints was not an easy matter vigilant and surly sentinels closely guarded the entrances entrance which either led into large underground apartments apartment or to peculiarly well protected rooms on the second and third floors no one was waa admitted without giving the password or countersign these of course we did not have and therefore were compelled to resort to othet other meane john to is passionately fond of playing laying If his national game fan tan he loves the dreamy sensation which follows the of opium but he covets coveta money more than either of these for with it he can enjoy them both so with a few pieces of silver slipped into his itching palms and the assurance that we would molest none of the inmates we were given the sign of admission and allowed to pass pasa without further interruption on the interior we were greeted by the proprietor an emaciated individual who might have been thirty or fifty years of age for all that we could tell at first brat he eyed us suspiciously but his dist distrust dl was soon superseded by conal denoe dance A description of this place will give the reader an idea of what most opium done dena are like in the centre of the building were two large filled with tables around which mat at probably yone one hundred chinaman on en skied vr aad I 1 in playing fan tan and other geatal games around these two spacious ioui apartments forming a square were dozens of small email rooms each having three tiers of bambao bunks one placed laced 11 directly over the other as is the fashion faibian in it a miners mineral cable cabin pr or an n board asbia a ship upon each of these thaw lay a chinaman on his big right side ride with his feet drawn up tip toward ii hla his chin forming a semi in the center of will which ah was wa an opium lamp the yellow flame alami of which was wai scarcely able to penetrate the elaud of stifling etl fling and nauseating smoke moke that filled the place the work of preparing the pipe for use was W an interesting one to u us the pipe la in a polished stem item or joint of bamboa about twenty four inches in length and is often uniquely carved and costly being mounted with sliver silver or gold so ao the wealth and fancy of the owner at the lower and slightly larger end to Is an earthenware bowl sometimes flat but generally rounding in addition to the pipe the requisites to an opium smoking kit PY are a small wooden receptacle about the size of and strongly resembling a students pocket wooden inkstand which when full holds 1 worth of first class opium a number of email wires which at a first gla glanco nce might be mistaken for ordinary knit ing needles a cup of water and a sponge which is used to wipe oft off the bowl with this outfit the poppy slave is happy but with it he makes himself miserable and his bis life a Jb burden the earthly exI existence of which eventually goes oe out with his lamp we closely watched these wretched creatures creature as they would take one of the small wires and dip an end or of it into the minature min mini iture sture box described and draw forth all of the opium which is in about he the color and thickness of cane molasses that would adhere to it then the smoker would hold it over the flame exorcist exercising ng the greatest care as he did so that it did not overheat or burn the fire causes it to expand to an extraordinary extent and form into a bubble which looks very much like a diminutive hot air balloon A considerable quantity of steam generates within during the he process and as the bubble is rolled upon the bowl of the pipe it escapes and fills the space immediately surrounding with a sickening odor which strange to say to is quite different dif forent in it its effects upon the olfactory organs from the smoke itself the operation of heat ing and rolling is quietly and pa tieni pursued for a period of two to th ir minutes by which time all the lin me properties of the extract extrac t have laquil 11 evaporated and the substance b e colv con ed into a soft and gummy art though sticky state the opium is now ci a condition for bomfa ing and with 10 needle it is with a hole m gilb 11 through it put directly over ovar piero oel around the hole in the bowl ala of pipe it I 1 as it gradually ooola cools ta being rolled the opium again ofte r the wire the heating beating and roasting ticks t to 0 ess ass must be repeated B prom POO n the smoker now inserts the atom the pipe in his hie mouth holdi holding H opium over tile the flame and with iri tt A and long lone drawn inhalation lungs with smoke three fills h irk IB or f draughts draught vonc the entire kuure bolus bolua fd rs r S each 14 accompanied with a peer dan nana ja a ia 11 0 wheezing souad the smoke to it emiA allar in IB huge clouds clouda from the nott rila 1 tsa d mouth being used only for inhaling t in loss lew than a minute aeto after 8 benoi commences oem menceR the pipe in a emptied S then the pr oia of IOa loading dIg ic 11 posted three times 1 1 during athla to th to the fumes fumea have been gradually 0 ing through the respiratory oratory KanT n or are absorbed by the aioo blood f arffa ft its n sc rhyad nn beco become 11 ew ala va now me s rapidly visible th J 0 lose loe their lustre and have hare 1 a dels ey far away look the lower jaw W droope muscles relax the handi bands I 1 S them the pipe the body drop 11 anali a a 14 and motionless as ab death la in on the I 1 ful clutches of the laier Berv vet effi i c demon the only signs of are rather irregular though thong b not labo lahr breathing and an ai fl ali and unnatural smile batt poor though his bla body is now bou bount boun oh a ai vice that has haa made 4 of 1 fellow countrymen miserable mia erable ing and despicable gro am wreck oil of hu ity he cares nut not his hia own ali temporarily freed from the dalu world and to in wafted wafred of M away intS fumes on nope ne feints pe to a drean dreamland ws aInd and said aid thit that his mental wander I 1 nira TAK an indescribable pleasant char oh SiraS that he beholds nothing but a berl aart enchanting pictures plo turea of beauty joy This would mould M seem leem to bw be true wbk when the inevitable and ter awakening cornea comes his hl are found by hina him to ahi been but interludes during wh poisoned fancy has ha played me then on hla his stupefied sea remorse remone takes possession of ike mind and pain the body them C the results of opium smoking arlda the victim has long been a of the drug he awakens awaken aja with effort he boas what appa be a perpetual before hallos hideous creatures aid d objects abr him beyond endurance and he agat seeks solace in the pipe sick and almost sleepy ou from inhaling the poisoned polio ned air of murky don den we sought bought the treet street might was a chilly one and a minutes minute walk in the he open sit air won us ua we had not yet finished tour however arid and we next up a creaking stairway of an old trap atnip turned to the right knocked door and were admitted by a ch woman though somewhat itai she he asked so no questions as she he waa alk with the detective who hh q ared her that I 1 was only a 4 fr we were greeted by her bar hijiya huft baud was lying curled up on a matted couch anthe on the opposite side of the room with an eighteen months old child asleep in his arms our conversation aroused the little one from its slumber and it began tj ti cry and refused to be pacified we offered it candy nio nic knacks and nickel iut but it was of no avail it had evidently made up its ita mind to cry and continued to bellow lustily A score or more of popped their heads in ID at the door to ascertain the cause of the disturbance aud when they abey saw us they disappeared instantly and one of them frightened the others almost out of their wits by tolling telling them that we were san ban fran custom house opium seizers urs the woman however soon dis abused their minds of this idea in the meantime her heir husband had succeeded in quieting the little one by folding it in his arms as he lay jay upon the bed and allowing it to inhale the fumes of opium as the smoke was emitted in dease volumes from his own nostrils the child drew the smoke into its lungs lunge in a manner that was truly astonishing lakee smoke too 0 O ob he laughed the ane father when we expressed our surprise and horror at the performance understanding that confirmed opium votaries vot aries are generally I 1 asked the father how long he had been an habitual aker and he replied on year sp he stated further that he oon con eded one dollar a worth of opium every twenty four hours his hii habitation was a perfect picture of poverty aud and woe wretchedness and misery were stamped upon the countenance of the entire family which consisted of the parents and throe three children wlben I 1 saw MW the terrible destitution that prevailed there I 1 asked the mongolian if he be would not forego the awful habit in order to better provide for his hl wife and children and he mb muttered uttered as ae he continued to smoke away at big bia pipe me no can doge ahm I 1 die it I 1 no okee and he no doubt told the truth moat of the in this cou country n it to la claimed by dealers in hplu opium in a smoke moke a superior article of the dug while the majority of la in are poor to buy bay the best beat and consequently got get what they oan can a vile adulteration tte habit babit to is more widespread in hi this country than to in generally imagined aeb americans indulge in it to an alarming extent thiery are an ai a rule however ht weer of the criminal chasm A cloae cloais observer cai detect them on the by their ashen complexion auken and expressionless eyes eye spare pare fortag aej feeble J walk several such neb were engaged in smoking la in one ofte of the places we visited it in some oa cam i moderately used without ill e effect those who thus ibus contend are unqualifiedly mistaken taken the best beat informed say that it cannot be taken constantly in the slightest lightest degree with out soon oon making visible ravages on the system A man who contracts abe habit soon goon becomes become indolent and use low lew looting loosing all business tact and en te and finally bee becomes otnes a slave lave a and a pitiable wreck no reliance whatever can be placed upon the word or honesty of ouch a man he be li in an object who shone ahuna and is ii manned shunned by society moral degradation tion and rula ruin have hare overtaken him V 41 home Is no longer home business he has none he is hopelessly enthralled thrilled ed spending hta his time smoking more and more the desire for food vanishes and he draws temporary strength from the pipe his form becomes drawn and pinched his skin tight and shriveled his bis eyes a sickly yellow there is a terrible gnawing at his bia vitals his strength decreases daily until he grows too weak even to smoke he then falls back upon his bis miserable pallet and dies in such snob agony as would cause the stoutest heart to quail it t is estimated that about thirty per cent of the chinese in the united states state are confirmed opium sots As a commercial the extract to a well paying article san francisco la is the opium smoker imo kerg 18 woos geoa of america there he be revels in it day and night bight and gives no end of trouble to the police he makes opium smuggling aa well aa smoking a part of his hl the vice tice there finds find its lt way see le rolly crelly into the th magnificent palame of even rich americans though my guide who has baa spent bent oon sid erable time the traffic in that city says that such oases eases ari are gratifyingly rare there as here he says say it is generally only depraved white people who use me it but they are numerous kume rou statistics show that nearly if not quite half a million pounds of opium have pawed passed through the hands of rau hau francisco custom house officials during the he last eight years to say may nothing of the enormous quantities smuggled into this the country along th the cacide coast unseen and unheard of it is further estimated aati mated that pou pounds as of opium are consumed by smokers west of the rocky mountains annually most of it in san francisco of course in 1888 the tariff was raised from 6 to 10 per pound OB smoking opium and 1 per pound on opium in its crude state this duty remained in loree force until the fe mckinley Mo Kinley bill went into deot effect neot when it was raised to 12 per or pound tor for all kinds of opium ag this thia enormous tax the trade continues unabated last year I 1 more than throe three fourths of a million dollars dollar were paid as ac opium duties in san alone I 1 have been informed by a number of chinaman that mot most of the opium used ud in this city cornea comes hero here via brit tab lob columbia that a great deal ot at it to is smuggled there is no doubt one hine and ana there area are a number here baft it to is aidi fl now carrying a took stock of eighteen hundred pounds of opium opium as la in well understood oen can taini valuable medicinal properties nd to the dried julee juice extracted from the unripe of the white the tu botanical name of which Is saeni ferbin the plant is an annual and Is ia supposed to be a native of asia alia it is ie extensively cultivated in india persia turkey and western china it te Is also alao growa to a limited extant in southern aou thern europe it varies ta la height from one to six feet and is branched and has ha dark lark green freo ovate oblong bootie emale leaves leav la in india the business buaiz |