The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-15
A VISIT TO MOLOKAI.
Hawaiian Leper Colony as Seen by
an English Correspondent.

an English Correspondent
Honolulu Cor. of the London Standard.
I accompanied the board on it's last reg
ular visit to the settlement Besides mem
bers of the board, the medical profession
and the press about one hundred rela-
tives of the lepers We're on board the
steamer, which left Honolulu at 8 o'clock
in the evening. At daylight next morning
the vessel anchored off the Molokai
coast, and the passengers saw before them
the white cottages of the village of Ka-
laupapa, the principal village of the set
Element. A large company of people was
gathered on the Shore for the mails had
brought news of the steamers coming
and these semi-annual visits are looked
forward to as bright days in monoton-
GUS existence. While the village brass
band of lepers played welcoming strains
the steamers boats took off the passen-
gers. The landing, often dangerous here
and sometimes imp ossbe, was made with
out dfiiculty-wind and sea being favor
able
The superintendent received the per-
mits, without which no one may disem-
bark at the "Leper Colony" and the pas
sengers were then at liberty to visit any
part of the peninsula, The groups of
dark skinned Hawaiians at the landing
lage appeared very like their countpymen
in Honolulu. At the first glance one would
not think of them as being 1epers or as
sufferers from any disease. But a closer
inspection showed many with swollen
and elongated ear lobes-one of the marks
of leprosy-whie some had lost part of
their fingers, and swellings and open sores
disfgured the faces of others. The Sores
which are the outward manifestation of
the disease are said to be almost pain
less, the principal suffering being from
the accompanying fever.
The settlement consists of two villages
-Kalaupapa, where the landing was
made, and Kalawao. on the opposite side
of the peninsula. Both are situated at the
peninsula's base, near the mountains and
the sea. At the former, which is the larg-
er, is located the Bishop Home for Girls
1t consists of numerous cottages grouped
in pleasant grounds, which were built by
the generosity of c. r. Bishop, formerly
of Honolulu, now a resident of San Fran
cisco. The home now has about one hun
dred and twenty-five inmates, women and
girls, some of the former having grown
to Womanhood under its protect ton In
common with the entire leper colony it
is maintained by the Hawaiian govern
ment, acting through The board OF health
II is under the immediate supe rVision of
the S steTs Of St Francis who watch over
and care for the afflicted inmates and
are each paid a salary Of 800 per month
The object of the institution is to give a
home to the unprotected female lepers
who are sent to the colony. A similar ref
uge for boys and men is the Baldwin
Home. at Kalawao. Senator r. p Bald
win, of these islands, gave 5000 to erect
the buildings for this establishment, and
has ever since been most generous pa
tron. In the present month he has ordered
new suits of clothing lone hundred and
ffty), besides extra material, rs a Christ
mas gift to the inmates, at an expense Of
about 1900.
The Baldwin Home Is in charge of one
of the worlds heroes-a cultured, modest
unassuming man who without hope or
expectation OF early reward or honor, has
cheerfully given his life TO work for the
good Of humanity Years ago Brother
Joseph Dutton, who had eptered a mon
astery but had not taken the final vows
read of the leper colony a Molokai.and de-
cided that his life work lay among these
unfortunates. For more than thirteen
years he has lived among them as a
friend and brother He has not only
counseled and instructed them, but has
ministered to their daily needs, washing
and dressing their sores with his own
hands, continually working with and for
them, cheering and waiting on them in
sickness comforting them when death IS
near, and, above all else, giving them an
example of a noble. self-sacrificing life
with his aid and under his direction
the once bare and stony ground on which
the home cottages are located has been
cleared and planted with bright-leaved
shrubs and flowers. A model garden
where grow the finest of bananas and
sweet potatoes, gives evidence of constant
and intelligent care, and the inmates Of
the home have been taught the blessings
that result from wisely directed labor
Besides the two homes mentioned there
are many cottages at the settlement
built by the Board OF Health. for families
and individuals who prefer to live by
themselves; also some built by lepers who
having the means, prefer to own their
homes.
The total cost to the government Of
maintaining the settlement Is over 100000