New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-31
"UNCLEAW UNCLEANp
THE VOLUNTARY EXILE OF LErER N

THE VOLUNTARY EXILE OF A LEpER ~
CALIFORNIA.
FRou ~ OCCASIONAL CoHHt srbSpryr ~ rtir rprnrVF.
SAN FHANctsCo Aug 2).-Twicc in the his.
tory ~ California lcpcr colonies have oNgod hero and
have boon destroyed bv immediate action ol tho authof
tcA. tho Chnoao aud llnwntns oonposing them briug
retained o. their countries At tho pfrarnt umr.
howoNrr the Pacific Coast II alarmed over the existence
~ - nnhibHr al ihourabo npria OF thun whites.
AMI irpcr hunLtl Wltl about ttlry patients has been
established Prumpt action Ia shipping tnrso iopcrs b.,
demanded by most OF The san Francisco phora there
danger that In time the disease may become Thoroughly
established he Gallo and thu, lrpcr quarter al l-t
hocomo much san francisco Sic Int the Chinese
quarter now ~.
1t is easy discover the sources Of lcprors infection
which most threaten California one 10 Chinese, from
the lowland4 OF the rivers and from The Malay
PENN and the Philippines, III both OF Which places ep
rosy Is more common than IN China, and from bOh OF
which poinJs Chinese have removed to Francisco
But the most dangerous source undoubtedly IIaw in
for in that group Of Islands The best medical authorities
declare that two per cent OF the natives injected
There lies the awful eprosy isle OF MooSh the most
horribly fascinating and Danesque sight 70 be witness
ed in the world The true story OF the Hawaiian
life that developed leprOsy these islands be
told to civilized 10 Is enough say that centuries
dcbuchery corrupted the blood race and in ts
paradise the sting OF the serpent leprOsy. IL light
matter lor California that commercial and social
.
that young Caiornians hid employment tie sugar
plantations for few years and return and that ad
vantIges OF Honolulu winter resort attract many
tAher. The upper glasses Of the natives are intelligent
and cultivated, but from the lower classes Infection my
be and has been spread to Americans
The saddest OF lcpro,y he Pacific Coast that
ever came under my Obser,a alton about ten years
ago Leaving log cabin schooihouse san Luis Oblsp0
County, where had taught barefooed mountain girls
and sturiy youngsvaquerOs through the months
saddled up my wild brown broIcho for ride nOrtAwd
through the passes OF the hills 10 he.Dd STAGE road
careless absolutely guileeSs OF wOoder!t,
little wonderi .thai lost NY way before nlghtfA,
wandered in anOrtheastery direction, and involved my
self for time, almost nezricaby. in the widest
portion Of the headwaters Of the Nace uiento River
boundary line between Monterey and LUIS Obs pc
Counties. There * 10 more picturesque or Ia cTcstlng
region in the entire California Coast Range In the sO
to which penetrated before nishtiall Nomuay
a cattle range. but practically ut that tine, one nAAt
spend week there without meeting any thing except
hirs SQUIRRELS and ynxes Sow II is no okc 10 be lost
even il the mild climate OF California. !or certain
hereditary food instincts of the normal man salts
neLLars diet has never won human approval 30 when'
late IN the afternoon rode into narrow r1Yuc anu
found signs Of occupancy, great rejoicing There
seemed be path trodden N tie tail dry Wild
oats leading to sprnS set low IN the bank. aud htte
further open space, the head OF tue gueh with
Gins beLiud H. wa. rude cabin. Something about Is
thrilled with strange feeling OF dread There was
curious sckeuug OdOr that came from Il on tie breeze
and startled me into wondering whether any lay
there dying OF fever disease. know what that
odor was but did not know then great hve-oak tree
stood by the path near the sTng and a. rode past II
| saw board nailed 10 H. AMI on thLt board ruGeiy
painted in weak and wdvernS letters was The sentence
For Gods sake, nearer. did not understand
It, de- now.
rode past the sentence rrady tO turn and gal0p OF
at any danger On the slope OF the canon rOl
of garden lay, brush-enced ana watered; quditgdps
were piled 10y tho door; this hermit bad food IN aOuua
harsh, cracked voice called on, to me- from Tie
cabin door hand projecting closed II. aud then, speak
ing through the creyiee heard In good English words
like these You must 60 away II Is death TO stay here
| an accursed The air il poison asked the way.
Climb that mountain no cried; Go, 60 az ouce. The
words were spoken with ntonso earnesness, and WIN
an Understandable q9ahy OF suPerruan agony e
place Kept finding new meanings Ia that hdrsl pahuI
cry -. ,,...- s-..---,,- -
grass, I dismounied and examined 81. A fragment OF a
letter It most OF the words lebe the Handwriting
delicate and the OF the costest Hal u
belonged that poor leper crOuchng In his oaihsOme
cabin crying uneleant That L. OF the secrets tor
the hereafter 10 reveal Before dark on the hilltop
height beyond height In vast ridges OF pine aud spruce
the Pacific lying low along the western horizon. found
cattle traI and followed II 10 pioneers cabin some
time about midnight, uDding food, and blanket on tho
ha for the rest OF the night but OF the hermit In
the mountains said not word.
Five years later local Journal mentioned the fact that
cabin had been found in the mountains AT the head
waters Of tie Saoiemiento aud In t MANI skeleton lay
ma refugee from iu.tioe U was thou ght had per,hed
the catleo OF that region and questioned him
corning It, Yes they had board by the spring but
all had been burned In the fireplace. They raked the
ashes over and could tell there had been Bible u
photograph album aud packages OF letters; but really
no consequence, they said. He shec herda,
lunatic, d stage -robber they believed. but
knew that had aud spoken With seex,led leper
and that his torture had come 10 end because nesh
and blood could bear NO more.