The herald., 1895-04-24
A Pest House Located Among
Residences
THE SUPERVISORS CENSURED
The Inmates Are Free to Go and Come
at Their Own Will
A Sewage Polluted Stream That Runs Through
Thickly Populated Section of the
City-Danger to the People
Residing Near There

man who was out taking a walk, appar-
emily for exercise.
Eyes, SIR" continued Mr.. Biggy, 'if
this thing is allowed to remain here, we
who bull. up our homes here will simply
have to move out and leave our property
which represents years of labor and care,
to say nothing of the money invested,
for we cannot take the chance of having
ourselves or our families continually ex-
posed to the danger of contact with this
loathsome disease. 1t is nothing less than
a living death. Have you ever seen a
genuine case of leprosy?"
And the scribe confessed that he had
not. Then Mr. Biggy led the way across
the avenue to the pesthouse, and, the
door being open. stopped at respectful
distance and called to the inmates, when
the Spaniard and the German came to
the door. and at the sight of them the
reporter was ready to believe all. the terri
BILE stories he had listened to in regard to
leprosy. The Spaniard had his head
bound up with bandana handkerchief,
and his face and hands had the appear
ance of having just sloughed off, being
of purplish color, and his feet were in such
a condition he could scarcely stand on
them while ha talked to us. He could not
speak English, so the German acted as
interpreter. He stated that his name
was Joe Galleman and he had been
afflicted with leprosy for four years. an
has been an inmate of the hospital al
most that length of time. He has fam
ily consisting of wife and two children,
the eldest five years old and the baby one
year old. They reside onCastelar street.
and he visits them occasionally. The last
visit he made to them was within the
past month. His wife had. visited him
the past week.
These statements clearly show that he
is not isolated or even restrained fro III
associating with his family and mixing
with the outside world.
The Germans name is John Martz.
He seemed to be very intelligent, answer
ing all questions readily. He has had
leprosy for about five years. He drifted
in here last summer with the industrial
army that came down from Stockton and
was one of the number arrested by the
United States marshal. Being sick at tha
time he was sent to the hospital. He
complained of being placed in such
quarters, where the rain beat in on them
and the open joints let in the damp
night air laden with the nauseating odors
from the garbage dump and sewage outlet
a few feet distant He said: All we
ask is that they give us Christian .reat-
ment as Christians ought to do
His case appeared to be decidedly the
worst of the three, his face and hands
are covered with scabs and sores in all
stages of formation, suppuration and
slougning ulcers, presenting most re-
voting and nauseating spectacle.
/ Passing to the end of the house, Jim,
the Chnaman, was found sitting outside
in the sunshine. He replied to questions
in fair English. He had come here from
Denver about year ago and was sent to
the hospital shortly after his arrival. He
showed very little appearance of the dis
ease on his face or hands, but when he
displayed his lower Ii lbs they were
covered with small scales, dry, hard and
feverish in appearance. He said he was
not sick, that he felt ''yelly we'll all
time"
When asked if he was allowed to 60
away from the premises he said no, but
stated that he had driven the cows to
pasture and back until very recently,
since he had been put into the new