Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-12-13
hAwAlIAN IslANps, LePRoa y.
The Only Hop. Of tho Native Raos The
Lspers' Colony.


Lspers Coiony.
It Is now more than half a century
since leprosv was introduced into the ]
Hawaiian Islands. Ii would be quite I
impossible 10 point with certainty 10 the ,
original case, but Il Is generally under
stood that the seed Of the dreadful NAL
ady came from Asia. and came n the
person of an i'll fated foreigner. He may
or may not have been aware Of the In
calculable injury he was about TO infhct
upon nation that had been, until the
arrival OF Capt. Cook, In 1890, almost
entirely free from the numerous conta-
gious diseases that prevail among civil
lied communities, but the life he led In
I Hawaii was such as to speedily cbmmu-
nicate this mortal disease, and 1t was not
long before its unmistakable symptoms I
were developing IN every quarter OF the |
kingdom. Leprosy develops slowly one
may be leper for months or even years
before the symptoms Of the disease be-
gin to discover themselves and at last
become externally evident Then they
are unmistakable; but by this time great
mischief may have been done, and done
innocenty CROUCH. perhaps; for the
leper will have but recently become con-
scious of his state. Thus leprosy spread
through tie kingdom. and spreall 10 such
an alarming degree that IL became neces-
sary to take public action in tho matter.
The disease is Acknowledged by the
, medical world 10 be incurable II has
ever been 40 considered and as yet,
though n Thousand experiments have been
tried. the most hopeful OF the scientists
! have abandoned the field in despair. The
, Mosaic law was explicit in regard to the
/ treatment Of those afflicted by leprosy:
!, they were TO he set apart, without the
gates, and to walk alone, crying, 'Un-
= cleanl uncleanl" Their garments were
/ to he burned, their houses cleAnsed, and
:, all direct communication between the
Il clean and the unclcan was expressly pro
:, hibited. In like manner, segregation
:. was considered To be the only hope Of the
N Hawaiian race. 4 suitable spot wa:
!. sought TO which the Iepers might be re
N moved. where they might tie tenderly
g cared for and jealously guarded, ant
81 there they were to end their miserable
in days. The prospect Of life banishmen
p alarmed the natives. both the sick anS
,a the hale; they were not, and they still
,e are not. afraid Of the disease They ar
a. most aiiectionate people: they low,
~ their friends with love passing the low
70 Of woman moreover, they Are fearles
nj Of death--at heart they are fatalists.
~ When the health agent Of the govern
~ ment went forth in search of The afflicted
ch hoping to gather them togfther, hous
In them. feed them and clothe them at til
government expense. he found great dill
,r. ticulty III securing any Of them. At th
no approach Of this health officer the leper
IA would be secreted by friends. who wer
n. willing to brave possible contpgion rathe
~ than part with those so dear TO then
al Sometimes the unfortunateB were SUI
IN prised and given into the hands of I'll
H. police, who were to have charge of theI
mn until they could be shipped to the ne
IN settlement. Eye witnesses df the hear
~, rending scenes that followed these cai
n lures will not soon forget Ehe agony
~ the final partings Terrible as was ii
!. emergency the voice of the goyernmer
III could justly say. with Haml Vet:
IN. must be cruel only to b kind.
rry II was question OF saving the remnar
be of the nation at the price of the hopelei
lie few. Tho little lowland at our feet WI
nth found 10 be, by all odds, the most desi
inc able locality in the whole group for
his settlement such as was PROPOSED.
ith There are few white people on Il
/, Island OF Molokai. This lowland W
90. seldom. perhaps never, visited; certainl
yer there was no necessity Of itA being visit
by those who were not concerned in q
welfare of the natives. There was amp
by sustenance both ON land and sea; fishe
ge- were living among the foam crest
10 rocks; the husbandman would find
ARE immediate market for his produce, al
col he was alike fearless and Hospitality d
ish. posed Indeed. all things considered,
eek better refuge for the leper could
,yer found; and so the little lbwland und
,am the great windward cliff of Molokai v
ors. speedily and permanently SECURED. Tral
he'd portation began immediately, and
ice twenty years il has continued; It
| by continued in spite of the pFtifal protes
tnE. tions Of friends and relations, and
acts spite Of the iirst instinct M humanity
pro. the natural appeal Of thf sympathet
and 1t has continued 1T must continue III
tine the last vestige Of leprosy has disappear
ces. from the kingdom. THE Lepers
-. Molokai ["