The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-05-21
TIE LEPERS OF MOLOKAL.
Report by n Physician OF C,nc,nnati.
From NE Cuiho,ie Telegraph.

Dr.. Leonard freeman. a. prominent ply
much trouble lie secured the privilege Of visit.
Of Moiof Ssi0Ot 6fthe i stand fG he says ." that ,"e Il tSt son,
three sides by the Pacific Ocean. and guarded
cuts it or from the rest Of the world like a
gloomy wall. There arc about / LOO lerers In
any other that 'Ye who enter here leave hope
behind" Even the ground itse!i looks rs i Il
ibro isGSr9 ,Ss XII Mith .n If volcanic debris sticking
We went, at once to the little Methodist
S GHn,a ;,n m Rds e. e fGn,ds amt m,, Painted ID. White mss
on the steamer. was to deliver n sermon, The
church was rs plain as u church could be.
panes OF stained glass inserted above the win.
dows. In order to impnrt 2 religious air to at
5 lSnst S q p25,iH The OF dp ehe d i,Snt I w aoSIa s ses tss
white surf pounding against the black rocks
with q roar that sometimes threatened to
"Ihis was one OF the strangest congrega-
tionsi in tile whole ~world-some ithoutfinge
s acme Nv MIN n 1hsir s!unHs T # bands Is. and nSt feet nnt
who did not in some way show the stamp Of
the si IPaths some N maI q d p,rr., ,.,,ros ox,.n.
picture Of hopeless detection. MIR. Emerson
ihHieH su Sfence'I list te .%S e nsaafs 'a lAiisr he had
finished he requested me, to address the con-
s saps i"ss s sna Z pfe Ses 81 the my le ,sst a Rith bs an
obvious pauclty OF fingers. arose and thanked
me. Among other things. he said he hoped I
though leprosy to him involved every evil in
the world. and ii l escaped IT l could not fail to
After tho sermon we got some horses and
rode about the, settlements. The lepers live
v white frame houses about the size of an or
ture: because they prefer sluntting on a floor
dogs. and other domestic animals. and some
81 them cultivate small gardens. When &
kanaka gets leprosy he regards it as a dispen:
ambitions at inHii soes to HMt oietai ito to d Hep' TO sn be
sure. the disease Is only feebly contagious.
healthy lives led by many natives are con-
duciYe to its spread. Hnddled together in
and smr' imp pn%e h ,ood. e eStin. with I'll lneir Girty
fingers frcm q single dish. smoking. the
same, pipe. it. is no wonder the Hawalians
with other terrible diseases. One may. live
with lepers for many years. however. without
woman OF Honolulu sent three husGanis to
In Il s sSc eulou yh BESIDES ere the ssy Mrsho Stssr j Ssn5Shss
q Catholic church and a Mormon church; but
tho Catholics seem TO be doing the most Of the
two fathers. ali IRON, Syracuse. !" T. The
eiran. and IN are wn sSrro .mSy i've Sy are ssrd dens and
banana trees. These noble women are sarri-
flcinG their lives to a great and loving work un-
der tho most iiscouraging circumstances. How
sweet. good; and gentle they were to the lep-
ers! Some have been in the colony nve or six
OF Charity are sometimes peculiar. like the
rest Of US. Sister Rose Gertrude WAS one OF the
81 trumpets That shs had deslI.i to conse.
crate her life to the lepers of Molokai. bona
tions poured in freely; Including considerable
trude reached Honolulu she. pockrted the
money. sold the piano, married IL doctor. and
possible without having 50 much as seen u
:AnXC {. Fowler. who assumed the name of Sis:
ter Rose Gertrude. was never either IL sister Of
Charity or n pr9fessed nun Of any order.I
II met on the island "A gentleman named
States Army. and had Iived fora time in Gin
e%innati. He was, formerly, wealthy. and stood
h,s" was =" cosv err to tho Cath HoieH ls yiftS d aRo
posed OF his fortune, gave up his social posi-
lion. and went TO Mo!1kai to devote the re-
a good looking and extremely INTEL gent man.
about - years Of age, with black hair, and
on"-storied. ,hree-roomei cottage. surround.
ed by a high stone wall. rho little rooms con-
GhrIse and many yh F%e' virSfn s M"ry. nsd %p Esrs ssr of
neat and clean for u bachelors apartments. A
century plant grew In the yard. emllematical.
Every morning this good Samaritan puts
on an old blue blouse and pair Of ~overnlls and
II small frame house with a veranda. arouni
di;hrans, fl!ed with warm water. Mis-;
u premium. Mr.. button. with true religious
sores in, the pans Of water. and applies y esr iresh
salve and bnndages. ACincinnnti lady has pre-
him with n large music box. and while
great ulcers on the soies Of their feel. md
without toes. or even without much OF any feet
genuine piece Of sarcasm. Mr.. button is
nohly carrying ont the work innngurated by
r pn,ner nthn a Z nsr wn nnd ily si",, s9% 1ies di !, t % years
tho disease. tie horror Of which Ne had en-.
deayored so long to mitigate.
ana nearly two days. and was Just as glaito
get away from the place. as l was to get iuto 1t.
scn neSS could hstq Be i rs1 .piss 1 n"E Sss srsnTy q land:
the background. Although. strictly
characteristics Of tho disease Is the early dc.
: leg. might be backed or without much dis:
| |Ess guards ~ ard, !, iSfir pS5lson ara JUMP OF: 'Gat
comparatively resigned and happy. There arc
80 mnny OF them that they do not lack, society.
s9n t tho WoT r. tt cases Tnpesr to- minTls freely
neat. bread; pol. plenty OF clothes and he'd;
, ,lng, SShhM n%ss q Hr6 FEEDING ling. roSm; ana g"od
good performers. Tho Catholics have erected
several plain paviliops. Ike hospital w.Ta7.
NTH kitchen and dining room attached.
Ihs %sisters try to induce tho l.ener
girls to occupy these quarters. designed for
a usual thing. the girls would rather enjoy
perfect freedom of tho separate private
cottages than 70, be under the rules and re.
Of the Church. Tho 5 sisters were !nst
some Christmas boxes. nlled with
arge. eoloTel rubber balls; doll. and p]rssepts
u various kinds. and | thought TO myself, II
he people In the outside world knew now
much, things were needed IN ;Moiokai, there
would be not oniy a few pitiiul little boxes to
,pen. but whole steamer-loa u o, them.
1T was with a~.feeling %"fr'.iett that took my
nackintnsh under my arm, uade iarewel! 70
he kind-heartsd doctor. and climbed tho
Winding trail up the pail, stood on tho top
md took a last View ofthe !cpar colony. There
treen with moist grass, and iringed with lines
itude Of cottages. shining white IN
he sunlight: the same ,blne Sky. and
leeoy clouds, But the beauty OF the
pot, Its watorlnc-p place appearance. was
knew what a dreary, fostering ulcer
n hole 1t really was; and | felt q deep love
he Fathers. and for Mr.. Dutton and the good
loctor. who were dsvoting their lives and