The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-22
THE LOUISIANA LEPERS.
A COLONY OF wRETCHEs SUFFER-
ING II EXILE.

Dragging Out Their Lonely Lives in
the MalariaI swamps Near the Gulf
The Wasted and Pallid Forms Of
the Lepers Stunned by Everybody
Superstitions Connected with the
Dread Disease
From the Nctc York World.
NEW ORLEANS, March 1.-The people Of
Louisiana are exceedingly careful never to
mention to strangers the fact that a consid-
cradle colony Of lepers exists in the state.
The horrors of the dread disease are such
that any allusion to the poor wrotches
causes a shudder, and the subject is one
rarely discussed. Most Louisianians do not
care 70 say where the colony exists, aud the
World correspondent found no difficulty in
Locating the exiles. 1t was finally ascer-
tanned that the "rerre aux Lepreux" is
along the swampy banks Of the Bayou la
Fourche, near the gulf, and that the
afflicted exiles are mos ly Acadians.
Having secured a letter to wealthy
planter at Thibodeux, the metropolis OF the
sugar region, the World correspondent
took a steamer from here t. fad the lepers.
Crossing the river the steamer enters a mar
row channel, and on the wilderness Of
tropic vegetation begins-huge expresses,
growing up out # the black water, vines
that cling to the trees like serpents, long
vls.as in the swamp en0lng in impenetra-
bic gloom, and then a clenlere or
group of magnificent Gve-oaks draped
in long streamers of Spanish moss
ievees begin, and sugar plantations, with
fields flat as a checker board and extending
for miles without fence or hillCck. This IS
the last stronghold Of the old Creole regime.
now fast fading away. Sugar planting
to-day requires capital aud the energy and
courage that are The special Inheritance of
tho Anglo Slxons. The easy-goiAg, pleas
ure-seeking Latins inevitably succumo to
the new condition Of life and trade.
Thibodeux, the capital of La FOurche
pa ish, is Leau Iful place, full Of gardens
luxut liant in beauty, Ledged in by thickets
or Cherokee rose and casino, with its deli
cate waxen foliage, and there are the usual
contrasts of miry way, dilapidated, un-
painted buildings and squalid negro huts.
The letter of introduction procured hearty
reception, and the gentleman addressed,
although he wondered at the reporters OBJ
1ect In coming, promised to do all in his
power. He warned the reporter t at the
lower swamps were full Of malaria, ana adj
vised Gaily doses of qulnine as a preventive
Of fever
II never" he said, "saw but enc of the
wretched levers that live at Cqeniere Ca
mi1aao and hope lever to witness such a
sight again-it was horrible, and the odor
indescribable 1t is, believe, a fact thai
when the hunted Acadiaus settled here in
1904 they brought with tlem this dreadful
disease, aud it has remained in certain
families ever since; moreover, believe that
the plague has received a new impetus from
the coming of Chinese, Manlamen and VA
lays who are, in their own countries, sub
iect to this disease. The horr rs OF leDrosv
are heightened by the superstitions of the
people, who believe that the victims are
lost t. eternal salvation. All the ties Of
kindred are abrogated, parents and children
Zee from the sufferer, and ne takes to the
distant swamps to herd with the wild ami
mails until deaCh releases him.
Il cane here in 1856, the grea. hurricane
year, and every hing has changed since
then. This was land of legends and the
manners and beliefs Of the people were as
prim tive as in the beginning of the CEN
tury. viii tell you a story which will
per haps be Of interest to you. There lived
south Of this and not far from the gulf a
Frenchman who had a large plantation and
many slaves. He had been an officer on
one of Dafelle'S vessels. and was doubtless
savage, souiless cid rutfian. On one occa-
sion he tied up one of his men for some
trivial oTense and whipped him to death.
The mans wife was a famous monteur or
vOudoo woman, and she put a curse on the
planter, his family and all that was his.
(Mind you, people believed In those things
in those dayS) The Frenchman had three
beautiful daughters and a promising son
who was being educated in Paris. The
eldest girl was engaged to be married to a
wealthy G cole of New Orleans, hut ten
days before the wedding bright red spot
came on the brides cheek, and as it gre "
rapidly a famous doctor from New Orleans
was summoned. After patient exalnina-
ton he pronounced IL leprosy The father
was almost frantic with terror and grief.
and the bridegroom fl d in disrnay. But
there was no hello. and, t ) make my story
short, all the daughters died within year
of the plague. and the son came back from
France a leper, white as snow. The old
man went mad, aud in 1856, when all the
evees went, the waters of the gulf swert
over his plantation; he and his wretched
son and may of his slaves disappeared and
were hear% Of no more The plantati n is
now a pestilent morass This is a curious
story anu the natives here attribute all his
mi fortunes to the curse placed upon him.
The next morning the planter aud the
World correspondent went to the levee to
engage q lugger to take the party down the
bayou. Lounging about the wharf were a
number of cul iOus- Hooking men, narrow
shouldered with their arms and legs and
ADD omens stra gely dis ended, their faces
were pulled out and whitish saliow in color.
"TheSe, said the pla ter, ''are the Cat
fish Cadjuns,' the Acadiaus who live on the
upla DIS and raise cattle. They are a sturdy
race, but inhabit the swsmps and islands
along the Gulf, and live almost entirely on
fish and rice. They are harmless but un-
fortunate race, and it is among them that
the leprosy is most prevalent
The cor espoudent succeeded in hiring a
lugger, manned by two stolt negroes, and
after putting prov sions and plenty Of
drinking water aboard, started down the
bayou. 1t was lovely morning, and the
OFT air blowing from the gulf, while pleas
ant to feel. was a great hindrance to
progress, as it forced the boatmen TO tack
and go about every few hundred Yards
There is something depressing in the savage
prodigality of nature seen here, and a
stranger longs for look at the open field
and rugged landscape of the north
Very soon the party was in
the great swamp land that reaches TO the
gulf. The waters of the bayou are of inky
blackness, and great cypress trees are
growing where tho waves wash against
their trunks. Snakes, gray-black and red
banded, are curling and writliug around
the butts that spring from the cypress
roots and one about five inches thick and
black as night, struck at the reporter
viciously as he prcdded him with the boat
hook.
"Mche" (Monsieur), said Hypolite, the
captain and owner Of the lugger, ''das a
congo. If he cut you wild his teeth you
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