Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1884-09-30
uUNCLEAN! UNCLEAN !"
The Voluntary Exile of Leper in California

nave Deen destroyed Dy immaculate
action of the authorities, the Chinese
and Hawaiians composing them being
returned to their own countries. At
the present time, however, the Pacific
coast is alarmed over the existence of
n number of incurable lepers, some of
them whites, and leper hospital with
about thirty patients has been estab-
lished. Prompt action in shipping
these lepers is demanded by most or
the San Francisco papers, as there is
danger that in time the disease may
become thoroughly established in Cal
ifornia, and thus a lcper quarter at
last become as much a San Francisco
sight as the Chinese quarter now is.
1t is easy to discover the sources of
leprous Infection which most threaten
California. One is Chinese, from the
lowlands of the great rivers, and from
the Malay peninsula and the Phillip
pines, in both of which places leprosy
is more common than in China, and
from both of which points Chinese
have removed to San Francisco. But
the most dangerous source is undoubt-
edly Hawaiian, for in that group of
islands the best medical authorities
declare that 2 per cent of the natives
are infected. There lies the awful
leprosy isle of Molokai, the most hor-
ribly fascinating and Dantesque sight
to be witnessed in the world. The
true story of the Hawaiian savage life
that developed leprosy on these islands
can never be told to civilized ears. 1t
is enough to say that centuries of de-
bauchery corrupted the blood of the
race, and its paradise is the sting of
the serpent leprosy. 1t is no light
matter for California that commercial
and social relations with the Hawaiian
islands are increasing every year, that
Young Californians find employment
on the sugar plantations for a few
years and return, and that the advan-
tages of Honolulu as a winter resort
attract many thither. The upper
classes of the natives are intelligent
and cultivated, but from the lower
classes infection may be and has been
spread to Americans
The saddest case of lcprosy on the
Pacific coast that ever came under my
observation was about ten years ago.
Leaving a log cabin school-house in
San Luis ObispO county, where | had
sturdy Young vaqueros through the
SUMMER months, saddled up my wild
brown broncho for ride northward
through the passes of the hills to the
old stage road. | was careless and
absolutely guileless of woodcraft, so it
is little wonder that | lost my way be-
fore nightfall, wandered in north
easterly direction, and involved my
self for some time, almost ineXtricably
in the widest portion OF the head
waters of the NaciemientO river, the
boundary line between Monterey and
San Luis Obispo counties. There
is no more picturesque or interesting
region in the entire California coast
range than the spot TO which | pene
trated before nightfall. NOminally il
was a cattle range, but practically a
that time, one might spend a weeI
there without meeting anything eX
cept birds, squirrels, and lynXes. Now
it is no joke to be lost, even If it is II
the mild climate of California, for Ger
tain hereditary food instincts of the
normal man crave satisfaction at no
too remove intervals, and Nebuchad
nezzars diet has never won human ap
proval SO when, late in the after
noon, | rode into narrow ravine anC
found signs of occupancy, great wa
my rejoicing. There seemed to be
narrow path trodden in the tall Dir,
wild oats, leading to a spring set low
in the bank, and little further, in al
open space, at the head of the gulch
with cliffs behind it, was rude cabin
Something about it thrilled me with
strange feeling of dread. There was
curious sickening odor that came fror