The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-01-16
SOME SICKLY LABDRERS
400 MORE HALT-sTARVED PORTO
RICANS
Malaria and Dysentery and Lack Of
Food Have Reduced Them-Rest and
Feeding up Needed.

Nearly four hundred consumptive-
looking, hald starved Porto Ricans, with
constitutions undermined by malaria
and dySentery and bOulStered up by
quinine and other drugs, dressed in
rags and filth that show only too well
the existing conditions in the country
they have just left arrived on the City
they hope to find a climate that will
free them of malaria, and work by
which they can get enough to eat.
1T will be a month before they are
any good for work." said one of the
men who went on board to examine
them this morning. The Porto Ricans
Will have to be strengthened by pc
riod of better living than they have
enjoyed before they will be very res
pectable-looking plantation laborers.
The doctor on board the Peking used
more drugs this trip in trying to keep
the Porto Ricans in condition than are
ordinarily used in three round trips
between San Francisco and Hong Kong.
Malaria and dysentery and semi-star-
walton have reduced nearly all in the
lot of 1913 to a low condition.
About half the new arrivals are wo-
men and children. These are as bad
as the men. Some of them are babies
in arms and even many of the young
sters look thin and emaciated, like aged
consumptives.
There We're also 40 negroes on the
Peking. These We're about like the last
lot that came, appearing to be in fair
condition. They mingled with the
Porto Ricans during the trim down. In
fact there We're Orientals together with
the other two races in the steerage of
the Peking when she came in this
morning. About 200 Chinese are on
board on their way home. The steerage
was an ill-smelling place this morning,
/ crowded as it was with about 600 ill
clad, ignorant and not overclean ira
veers.
The Wilder steamship Helene was
placed alongside the Peking as soon as
| the latter had docked and the immi-
grants were at once transferred to the
smaller vessel, for transportation to the
various plantations at which they are
to work They are to be distributed in
many places on Maui and Hawaii The
Helene will leave them in lots of fifty
or seventy five along the coasts of the
two islands. oahu gets some of them.
Waialua and Eva plantations both be-
ing each down on the list for about
fifty.
Three of the Porto Ricans died on the
way here from San Francisco, not be-
| ing able to stand the trip Nearly all
were sea-sick and during most of the
journey the Peking had rough weather
Two of those that arrived this morning
are in danger of dying before they
| reach their new home.
There was quite crowd of people on
the Pacific Mail wharf when the Pc
king came, many drawn there by GU
! rioSity regarding the new lot of i'm
migrants. Hackfeld & Company, Theo
H. Davies & Company and Alexander
! ~ Baldwin all had representatives to
/ look after the various companies for
different plantations and, with the i'm
migration bureau and customs officers
they looked after the arrivals. None
| were allowed on shore. The journey in
fact was practically continuous, the
transfer to the Helene beginning as
soon as the Peking docked.
| Many diverse opinions We're expressed
| about the new arrivals by those who
watched them. Some thought they
We're better in appearance than ac-
counts of conditions in Porto Rico haC
led them to expect while others said
that nearly every one in the lot had one
! foot in the grave. About seven days
| rough weather on the sea had not
worked any improvement in the condi.
! tion of the travellers since they started
Some of the young men and wOmer
| had either been much better looked af.
! ter at home than others or had with.
stood the hardships better for they
! looked quite healthy and strong. There
are some pretty young girls among the
immigrants, and there will undoubtedly
be work for priests at the various plan.
tations to which the Porto Ricans are
going. Some of the small children, al
so, are fat and strong g-looking, in grea
contrast to many puny thin ones.
| 1t is thought by those who brough
the Porto Ricans here that they will
make good wOrkmen, when they have
had time to get into reasonable con
dition. Hawaii ought to be a HEAVIER
of refuge to such people as those" saiC
one Honoluluan who came to look a
| them. "There has never been a tim,
when any people of any race got int
such conditions of weakness and power
ty as that while they lived in these
islands. People here don't starve, any
how, and they never get so poverty.
stricken that they haven't some clothes
to wear and a bit of baggage to tax,
round with them"