The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1896-03-07
HAWAII THE PnARL.o OF THE PACIFIC

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HAWAII THE PEARL OF THE PACIFIC
"A Visit to Molokai, the Home Of the Lep.
ers. How These Unfortunates Live.
4 Copyright, 1896. by Funk q Wagnalls Co.. N. Y,
Molokal is the curse of the Hawaiian
islands. It is their skeleton in the closet
| There dwells the dread disease ofleprosy
the Oldest known and perhaps the most
fatal of maladies. There issno well au,
thenticated cure for it. For some reason
Hawaii has become known as the land 81
lepers, yet one might live in the islands
a lifetime and never see O leper or ever
hear of one
On the north side of Molokai there is
strip of land which forms sort of q
tongue, projecting out into the sea some
ten miles. This tongue of land is abou,
two miles wide at the south side. where
there is preclpice over two thousand
feet extending across the island and cut.
ting off all communication with the main
island. There IS but one place at which
it is possible for human being to scale
this cliff, and that is narrow winding
path known as the "Pali." b.
This portion of the island, naturally
isolated from the rest of the world, was
wisely selected by the Hawaiian govern.
rnent as a proper place for segregating
those unfortunate people, the lepers.
Here they live, some to, good old age.
They have houses small fields, gardens,
horses, cattle, poultry, and pigs. Some
marry and children are born to them. If
the child born of leper parents shows no
signs of the disease at certain age, it is
taken from the island and Ike pit in confne-
ment for certain numbers OF years.
Then. If found "clean," is so declared by
the "board of health" and permitted to
60 about freely everywhere. Tt is edu-
Gated at the expense of the government,
and may never be afflicted by the disease
Aeprosy, moreover, IS not very conta-
goius. One of best authorities on the
subject declares that leprosy can be con-
tracted only by innoculation, and that it
is not more contagious than consump-
ton.
1t is not an easy matter to visit the
leper settlement. One can only 90 as a
guest of the board of health, and these
officials make but two trips year. i
was very fortunate in being in Honolulu
when the board made one of it's semi
annual visits. On the afternoon of No.
yember Goth, Mr., J. T. Waterhouse. the
president of the board of health, told me
over the wires of the telephone to he at
the dock of the Inter-Islaud Steamship
Company at $50 sharp. reported on
time, and found the steamer, Ke-an-hon
lying at the dock with steam up and
Kissing from every valve, ,.
Going on board the. little craft we
found Bishop Ropert with Father Pam
;phile AM and the young priests who were
gong to workas missio naries among che
lepers. There were many prominent
visitors in our party, among them Mrs.
Il. Lewellyn Jenkins, deaconess of the
Methodist Church, aud a member of the
Washington Square M. e. Church, of
New York, Miss Kate Field, Senator
Waterhouse, Judge Wilcox, DR.. Day and
others.
Shortly after nine O'Clock the whistle
sounded and, our craft pushed out from
the dock and steamed down the bay. It
was too dark for us to note the tropical
beauties along the shore Night in the
tropics comes quickly. There is no AFTER
glow, no twilight. The sun sets and it is
dark. If the sky is clear, the stars shine
Wondrously bright, and if there happens
to be moon it is almost as light as day.
No poet ought to sing of moonlight
beauties until he has seen the moonlight
of the tropics
Shortly after passing Diamond Head
the ship began to roll. and some mem-
bers OF our party complained Of headache
and began to "turn-in" as rapidly as
they could.
eve are crowded for room" the pres
ident of the board of health said. You
will have to sleep on the Deck"
There was less than dozen cabins on
the little vessel, and these were given to
the ladies and "elderly gentlemen"
while the remainder of us cheerfully con-
sented to sleep on the deck with nothing.
but the starry heavens and some of the
ships rigging above us. Tho 1t was in
the last part of November, the night was
quite warm. ~s9$s...s q. ~. ~
Not feeling desire to turn il at once
1 went forward of the captains cabin.
and, taking seat on the deck, gazed on
the brilliantly lighted heavens, while my
thoughts wandered to home and the
loved ones far away, Wearied Of eit-.