Show LARGEST ien DEN gorgeous rooms for the rich lad ind plain ones outs for the poor north china Ir erald the nan gin tein the are erea greatest a test opium OP aum ium den in china is situated ed in the french concession in shanghai within a atone stones throw of the wall of the native city athin which no opium shops arc are supposed seed to exist the throngs visiting it represent all stations of life from the coolie to the wealthy or the email small mandarin it is with difficulty that one gets inside through the crowds of people hanging banging the tile door those who have pot not the requisite number of copper cash to procure the baneful pipe watch with horrible wistfulness each ot of the tile more affluent anesin in with nervous hurried step or totter outwear out wears ing that peculiar dazed espre expression ion which comes climes after the smokers kers craving haa has been patis ratified cleod and d his transient tran ment pleasures haa has passed away one requires a strong stomach to stand the Bick sickening ening fumes with which the air inside is i thickened the clouds of emoke smoke the dim light from the colored lamps the 0 of f reclining tortu with distorted faces bent over the email small flames at which the pipes are a lighted cause the novice a eicke Diug but as a soon as the eye becomes accustomed to the scene it ie is noticed that the place is g got up p on an expensive scale in the center of the lower room hang hangs one of the finest of chinese lamps the c ceiling eiling is of richly carved wood while the painted walla walls are thickly inlaid with a peco peculiar liAr inar barked ked marble which gives the idea ides of 0 unfinished landscape land cape sketches numerous doors on all sides lead to the smokers a apartments part ments in the outer portion odthe of the stands a counter covered with little boxes of the drug ready for smoking which it doz en assistants are kept busy bully handing banding 0 out ut to the servants who wait upon the habl luce of the place the average daily receipts are said to be about the smoking a apartments are divided into four crar classes in the cheapest are coolies 3 who pay about ad for t their b air smoke in the dearest tho the smoke costs about ad the drug supplied ii 1 I 1 in each ach class clasi is mu much ch the tile came same licht both h in in quality a 1 ti r and quantity 1 it i is the tile difference pe in tho pipes t that regu regulates I 1 ates the ille price the tile beat kinds are made of ivory file he stem being often inlaid with stone stones and rendered more costly by reon of elaborate carving the clita yest kinds are made simply of ard wood I 1 the room rooms are also fu furnished rn ibel ac cording to cla in llie tile most exi pensive the lounge upon abi which cb the floker reclines ij is of fine velvet with pillo pil love of the same material the frame frames of each couch are inlaid with mother of pearl and jade and the whole air of oathee rooms li is one of luxury there ie is aleo also a number of private rooms in n the motion section will be seen a number of wearer wearers of the tattered yellow and gray robes of buddhist and atavist priests women form a fail fair proportion of the smokers the common belief is that the opium sleep is attended by a mild cleasur plea sur u delirium with brief glances ol 01 elysium Efy but thie thia i is s an axce exception p tion not dot the rulf rule people smoke to ta satisfy the craving begotten of ous indulgence there is accommodation ino mo dation for 1150 smoker a a at t a time ime and there ie is seldom a v vacancy very long the stream of smoke eru okera rs ghee on from early morning till midnight ni g h t when the place closet clo esthe the cl clouds 0 u d s of smoke emoke go up tip incessantly all day long |