New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1890-01-29
q LEPERS LETTER.
A Missive From a Resid emit on the
Island Of MoIokai -

Island CT Molokai.
A shick, comfortable letter that
looked as if it might be the bearer Of
good news and much loving gossip,
passed from hand to hard in the De-
troit postof1ice, says the Free Press,
and at last found refuge in the mail
bag of a postman whose route is on
Jefferson avenue and was duly deliv-
cred to the address recorded on the
envelope. 1t would have startled the
postoffice officials and the postman
who delivered it could they have
known that it was, a leper's letter and
that it came from a leper island It is.
indeed doubtful il any one of those
who handled it had noticed the post
mark stMololai, +" or if they did would
have known any reason why they
should throw it aside and cry Gun
clean! Uncleanr' Nor. could they
judge by the pleasing bulk. Of the mis-
sive that it was the last farewell of a
Wretched leper to his former friends
and relatives in Michigan, It has
been permitted The Free. Press to
MAKE few extracts:
The writer states states: 'sThe To-
cation of this place is about fifty miles
from Honolulu, on the Island of Molo-
kai, with weekly communication by
steamer. 1t is a point of land of about
six thousand acres, throws out of the
sea abreast of range Of mountains
Its hight is 1000 feet. It is.the bed of
an extinct crater and is a fine grazing
land for cattle and horses and is as
beautiful and romantic as anything
that can be found in the new world;
tropical vegetation is perpetual. The
cattle feeding on the mountains are
wild, and in driving down herd ten
or dozen of them will fall, and when
found nothing will be left but the hides
and horns This is one of the liyeli-
est places I ever have seen. Lepers
are full of hilarity. Girls, boys,
children-some, very bad-all playing
together as if there was nothing
wrong. They play the guitar and
flute constantly. When first came
here and had to go through row of
lepers with their hideous faces and
hands | wanted TO die, but now l am
used to them don't mind them; so
much.
''When I first came UP here. &
wanted to commit suicide, but I am.
Gained down now: I have built neat
little cottage some distance away froma
everybody, all inclosed with stone.
wall. have a horse and sulky,
plenty of new spapers and magazines.
My great trouble now is my eyesight.
When | can't read any more, then
want to die. l would sooner be here
with this disease than in any other
AN, ,%r J
Stunned by everybody"
''My right hand is giving out I
have two fingers that do not have
much feeling in them. My left foot is
also affected. [ am breaking in a.,
horse. He stepped On my foot. I J let
him stand there some time and had no
pain. You see, it is a curious disease
that appears to destroy without pain.
There is no cure for it. 1t is sure to
kill and is only a question of time"
In postscript sheet he says: #
have now a good nurse who will see
me properly buried, which I hope
will be soon"
The letter abounds in horrible de-
tails OF life among the lepers, and is
grotesque at times in its hideousness,
but these scenes and descriptions are
better left to the imagination. Since
its receipt the news OF the unfortunate
mans death by suicide at the leper
hospital in Honolulu, has been re-
eeived. His friends live ct Plymouth,
in this state, and the leper's letter is
going the rounds among them as vaIn-
able mortuary testimony to fantas-
tic and dreaded disease which the an
cient Israelites bcqueathed to posteri6y
the plague of leprosy.