The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-04-13
SANDWICH ISLANDS LEPERs.
With Certain Death Staring Them In the
Face They Are Apparently Happy.

| inc leper settlement In the Hawaiian
group, Is about eighty miles from Hon
olulu," said f. c. Macfarlane, who as.
sisted the deposed queens representa-
tives in presenting her case at Wash.
ington. There are about one thou.
sand one hundred wretches who are
suffering in all the various stages of the
disease at the settlement, and when.
ever new case is discovered in any OF
the other islands under the laws of the
country the victim is removed to
Molokai There is no help for it.
| The sufferers go to the island to as
sociate with others who are stricken
like themselves, and there they remain
until they die This period depends
much upon the constitution of the I'M
fortunate victim. In most cases it is
from four to seven years between the
appearance of the disease and death.
Sometimes it is longer, but not often.
Most of the victims now there are
native Hawaiians. A few are Ameri-
cans. The whites seem much less sus-
ceptiblc to the disease than the natives
visit to the settlement Is full of in
terest."
Mr.. Macfarlane said that he had Wis
tied the settlement at Molokai about a
year and half ago as one of 9ah2mmit-
tee from the Hawaiian Legislature, and
had thus learned something of the life
OF the lepers, and to some extent had
! become familiar with their condition
The disease he did not consider conta-
gious, and, while the present methods
of segregation are in existence, there
was little or no danger to visitors or to
whites who might settle on any of the
group of islands making up the ex-
| queens domain.
1T is said that seven years may
elapse between the time the leprous
poison enters the system and any WISH
BILE signs of the disease" said Mr. Mac
farlane. when it appears, the victim
is taken to MololSai and henceforth is
doomed to remain there in circum-
stances dependent much upon his finan-
| ,ial condition and the disposition of his
friends and relatives.
Some of the lepers live in fine
houses, which they have built with
their own means, or which have been
provided by, sympathetic friends Each
Of these has his own tract of land to
till. He has books to read. His house
is furnished to suit his taste, and all
the luxuries of the kingdom are within
his reach. The best that the markets
afford is on his table. He may enter
tain as extensively as Is possible with
such limited social circle as the set
Element affords. He has nothing to do
but wait with grim death slowly and
certainly coming upon him.
THE government is bound to provide
for those who have no means. There
are several settlements or villages on
the island, and to some extent the
sufferers are classified in these. Cen
orally they till the soil, which is a good
thing, not only because it gives them
something to distract their attention
from their own sufferings and the suf-
ferings of their associates, but also
because it is healthful thing for them.
"The superintendent of the island
lives apart from all the patients in a
house surrounded by high stone wall,
within which no leper may come His
| position is not one which would be
| sought for by most men, but he need
| associate very little with the stricken
| subjects over whom he has control.
Physicians and nurses are employed
who attend to the wants of the stricken
people and they report to the SUPER
intendent
"One might imagine that this settle
ment would be a gloomy place. filled
with beings who were in abiect
misery, the abode of suffering, with no
sunshine or any bright side to life.
This is mistake. The lepers seem to
be happy Many of them spend their
leisure time in gambling. They own
horses, and nearly everybody is an ex-
pert rider. They have picnics, gala
days and all manner of celebrations.
The casual visitor would say they were
happy, easy-going race, who had as
much enjoyment a. the average of
human beings-perhaps more than the
average.
'The visits of the committee from the
legislature are made the occasion of
great festivities. The day is looked
forward to from the time it is first an
nounced, and when the visiting states
men come they are received with pro-
cession which, for picturesque beauty,
is unsurpassed. The houses are deco
rated. Every one is at his best, and
the visitors are met at the steamship
landing and escorted to the superin-
tendent's house.
The procession is one of the most pe-
culiar which could be gotten up any
where. Men, women and children, all
on horseback make it up, and their
costumes are striking and unique. The
women ride astride, and they- have a
style of dress which is not down in any
of the fashion plates. They wind about
their bodies and legs long streamers of
the most brightly colored fabrics.
These form not only their dress, but
the saddle, and are of all colors of the
rainbow. Imagine hundred or more
stout Kanaka women decorated in this
way flying at canter up the road,
while behind each the ends of these
red, white and blue streamers trail out
over the horses tails to length of six
or eight feet. They look like group
of circus riders in unusually bright
costumes In the distance they seem to
/ i