The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-11


! trio Bay Of Chaleur 1t was an evil day,
in 1875, when they tired of the simple
pastoral life of the Arcadian village
and abandoned it for the freer life of
the neighboring parish of L'Assomp-
ton.
They left the home one day and
started on their way, and, when but a
snort way from their destination, met
an old man whose strangely crippled
condition touched their simple hearts.
They stopped and talked to him, gave
him Of their frugal store of money and
went on their way. They had reason to
regret in after years-aH the long, long,
weary years that were to foIlow-that
simple action prompted by their good
ness of heart.
Three weeks after their settlement
had been arranged, in their new home,
lovers were surrounding them. Shortly
after they were both married, and it
was not long after this that both de-
Yeloped symptoms of a disease that
none of the neighbors could diagnose.
The doctor was summoned and his
first glance told him that it was lep-
rosy; but through a motive of mistaken
kindness he did not inform them Of the
nature of their affiictiOn. Thus they
were left to spread the ravaging plague
among their neighbors, who were as
ignorant of the name of their ailment
e1o themselves, ana ere long the ten
der hearted doctor had a rapidly grow
ing colony of lepers on his hands.
He repented Of the course he had
taken, and, with the assistance Of the
priest of the parish, he persuaded them
that it was for the welfare of the par
ish at large to be immured on the ISL
and of Sheldrake, in the Miramichi,
which flows into Miramichi bay. The
priest, like all the great characters Of
his cloth boosted of by history did not
prove a recalcitrant; and, by means of
the same persuasion, he proved to the
doctor that it was his duty to be inn
INJURED with the lepers in their lazar
place. Thus it was that the physician
paid in triplefold the debt he had in
goodness of spirit contracted.
Lazaretto Is Established.
But it was not until the year 1874
that the attention of the government
was directed to the matter and in the
following year there was erected a
lazaretto with all the comforts that
could possibly be given the suffering
wretches. 1t is estimated that at pres
ent time there are not less than 100
lepers in this place Since the year
1852 there has not been single case
of leprosy discovered in all Tracadie
outside the laZaretto. The primary
causes of it's inception in that place
was the bad hygienic surroundings due
to the shiftless nature of the happy 60
luck French; their Unsuitable craving
for stale fish, which they preferred to
fresh, and their indifference to the
necessity of bathing.
Another colony of lepers falls to the
lot of the Canadian authorities to cope
with. 1t is comprised mainly Of Chi
nese, who have landed upon the shores
of British Columbia, and is situated
upon the island of Shoal, which lies at
the southern extremity of Vancouver
island. Among this band-there are
about one dozen in all-is couple who
have been married since their advent
into ShoaI island society; though who
performed the ceremony is not given
in the records dealing with this inter
esting party.
A highly interesting, if somewhat
gruesome, story is told of the exploits
of party of young girls who landed
had overtaken them while out on
pleasure trip in a small cat-boat.
An Awful Experience.
One of the party is now the wife
of prominent piano dealer of the
city of Victoria, B. c., and is famous
as a writer over a nom de plume ia
miliar to every reader in America.
These young women declared them
selves as being tired of the company
of men, and. taking the boat, sailed up
the coast about half the length Of the
island of Vancouver.
They camped when night overlook
them, and the next morning renewed
their way, this time to the southwark,
passing ON their way the city they had
quilted the day before. When just
off the coast of Shoal island they were
overtaken by a storm, and in their dis
tress they landed, not knowing where
they were, but nightly pleased to
find such hospitable people as the ma
tives who met them proved to be.
These friendly people were the lep-
ers famed the country over, but the
girls were not aware that they had
made a landing upon the dreaded
Shoal island. They were taken up to
a neat and comfortably furnished cot
tage; and the lepers, not doubling
that they had just received a new
consignment of doomed ones, were
pleased to think that someone had
come who could give them an account
of the condition Of affairs in the
world to which they were dead. For,