The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-23
BOARD OF HEALTH At
THE LEPER SETTLEMENT

has been in the work. he is not a cleric
but devotes his life without. salary TO
the care of male lepers who do not live
In separate establishments. The people
Of the Home were In gala attire Saturday,
most of the boys and youths wearing
khaki uniforms with brass buttons.
They lolled about under the trees or
dashed up and down on horses, riding
with the abandon of cowboys. With
Brother Dutton are number of re-
ligious men of a minor Catholic order,
principal of whom Is Brother Van LII,
a Belgian whose face speaks his large
heart and industry.
BIG TARo FIELDS.
They have taught their charges TO toll
TO a purpose and the green fields. banana
and sweet potato patches and extensive
taro plantations show work and skill. Now
there are over a hundred acres in taro at
Waiskolu. near Kalawao. the product of
which is consumed by the lepers, poi be-
ing the staple food. In the last year great
advances have been made in taro growing.
A good deal of IL Is upland taro which
does not need a wet soil. Those lepers
who cultivate the taro are paid fifty cents
"A day and other work on a percentage
which yields them about the same. Abou;
twenty-five men are employed. There
These are the nohu. pala-i, ipu-o-lono,
ha'okea, pii-alf and kali A considerable
lot Is the royal variety. making pink poi.
Recently Mr.. Baldwin gave the Home an
entire new cooking outfit of the latest pat
tern. OF course the arrangements for
steaming the poi are on a large scale, and
Brother Dutton says that Mr.. Baldwin,
gift Is highly appreciated. The new wa
ter system affords bountiful supply and
ha farfIffafad ha N i'm
mensely.
In the hospital Of the Baldwin Home
are eight very. bad patients, several OF
whom are blind and all OF whom are to-
tally helpless. The ministrations of these
brothers to these stricken men is emo
bling to learn about. They wash theiI
bodies and dress them daily and all fol
nothing but their sense of duty and de-
votlon TO the life they have chosen. Ons
finds no morbidness among these heroes
their days are too fun of labor for auga
but hope and perhaps a more real hap
| piness than is known by more selfish
persons.
! The Board of Health was much graf
/ flied at the progress of the agriculture
/ features Of the colony and instructed
/ Brother Dutton to attempt a variety
OF products. There seems no reason
why the colony should not grow every
4 Ahiilk netulul except Sutn edldDicS a.
Hawaiian sol ldoes not produce.
Along the road from Kalawao to Ka
/ laupapa were dozens of cottages
many of them tastefully furnished ii
native style and surrounded by tree
and arbors. flowers and vegetable gar
dens. A year ago w. o. Smith of
fered a set Of prizes for the creates
Improvement in the appearance of pri
lvate premises. The prizes were award
ed in April last and the incentive mad
a remarkable change in the appearance
OF most OF the homes. The stone
were cleared away. grass planted, wa
tered ana cut, flowers planted, trees Sc
out and houses pairfed and cleaned
The prizes were s25 for the best, $2
SIS, $40 and s. for others. A prize con
! test for results in tree planting. know
as the Press Prize. will be decided 1
October. The prizes are $50. $40, $50. s:
and sf0-s150 in all. There was a sligf
dissatisfaction over the first award
and a new set of prizes to be given
the summer Of 1901 will be for tire
lplanting and Improvement Of premise
together. The prizes will be $50, SIS. s.
and s.. A committee of three to loo