The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-11-09


The recent discovery OF a Chinese
ieper named sam Ling. IN Newark, and
the consequent local excitement there
upon have bad quite q marked effec. in
re-awakening New Workers TO a consci-
business that there Is o vast deal of this
horrible disease wherever there are
Chinamen, and that this city has a
large Chinese population. Out o. pru-
dent consideration for the prejudice OF
white people. who generally believe the
disease infectious-an opinion not
shared by the Chinese-our Mongolian
neigabors generally take very good care
to hide away their lepers.
Only q few weeks since an American
physician, learning from a Chinese con-
vert where there was a leper in far
advanced stage Of the disease, sought
to view the case for the purpose OF
making a study of it. He found the
house, on Mott street, where the man
was secreted, bat was met on the stairs
by couple of Cinnamon, who made
him understand by signs that they
would chop his head with a couple Of
very ugly-looking hatchets that they
orandished if he persisted in trying to
penetrate any farther. He fed, but re-
turned the next day, accompanied by a
health officer armed with authority to
search the house. 1t was too late, how
ever. The leper had been spirited
away during the night, and whether he
! is still kept somewhere in the swarm
ing hive of Mott street or was shipped
of to Belleville or Newark none bu5
Cinnamon know, and they will not tell.
Whether leprosy is really infectious
or not, Callfornians-who have had
more opportunities to study Chinese life
than we OF the East have enjoyed
think that it Is, and certainly a good
many white people have died Of it on
the Pacific slope. 1 was perfectly cog
infant OF one snch case that was pain
fully tragic. A young man, treasurer
and general manager OF a fourishing
brewing company, in which he owned
an interest, boarded where did, on
O'Farrell street. do not think that
ever knew more genial, generous,
clever and popular young fellow than
he was.
One day he called me into his room
and directed nv attention to a sipgu-
lar spot on the right side of his neck,
where the collar ordinarily covered it,
1t was about the size of a dime, round,
and looked as IL painted with zinc-whIte
or rather as IL all color had been extract
ed from the tissues there. do you
know what that is ?" he asked me.
L hesitated. While believed that 1
knew-for / had already been examin-
ing leprosy consIderably-it seemed too
awful thing to teink that my hand
some, talented, olithe, young friend,
whom we all liked so much for his
manly worth, had upon him the inet>
faceable brand of that most horrible
doom.
Il believe you suspect what it is, as l
do" he went on, but We will see how
it progresses. We may both be wrong"
Some six weeks later he called me in
again to look at the spot. 1t had
grown to the bigness OF a silver quar-
ter And another spot was showing.
No doubt was possible. He was
doomed.
- know when caught it, three years
ago." he remarked.
We wasted no words discussing the
situation, for we both knew that his
condition was hopeless. He simply
pressed my hand. saying, Don't men
tion it TO anybody" 1 said. ''No'' A
few days passed, in which he seemed
as lighted hearted as ever. Meanwhile.
as We after ward learned, he was quietly
and Systematically closing up all his
business affairs. Then one night as we
met N the hall he shook hands aud
said. Goodbye" / understood him
correctly, but could not, under the cir
cumstances, disapprove of his purpose.
He went out-snd did not return.
Two or three dsys elapsed. The land
lady-a pretty little widow, as good as
the was charming, TO whom he was en-
gagged to be married-was very anxious
about him. AT his place of Business
there was much wonderment over his
disappearance. His friends, and he
had many, were all exercised about
him. The news reached US that way
down In Santa Rosa, ia lonely place
by the bank of q stream, mad been found
the body OF a young man, handsome
and wel!-dressed, but without anything
about him to give any clue TO his iden-
tity. A bullet-hole was through his
head and revolver, with one chamber
empty. vas still clutchea in his right.
hand. L. vas our friend. He had put
stop to his leprosy, the only one possi-
ble-death.