Arizona republican., 1904-05-12
HONOLULU VISITORS
Interesting Features Of Life in IslaI d
 America.

s. l.. Rumsey and P. R. Helm. of Honolulu, are among the tourist resi- dents of Phoenix and have been for some time, MT. Rumsey coming here in January and MT. Helm in Febru- ary They are very much pleased with Arizona, but still think there are some wonderful things elsewhere in the world.
 MT. Rumsey, though temporarily seeking a dry climate and appreciat- ing its virtues, is still true to his island home, where he has been engaged in business for the last ten years. He says that they sometimes get more rain there in one day than Arizona gets in several years. Not long ago there was a precipitation of two feet in one day. An attempt to total up two feet in Arizona would take the calculator back some distance ia the records of the past.
 It is fact known of all well read persons that Rawaii is a wonderful little country and that it's vegetation is luxurious but few people realize just how rich a country it is or how rapidly vegetation grows. The statis- tics compiled by the government af- ford ample proof of the wise invest ment the government made, from d financial point of view, when the island kingdom was annexed, to say nothing Of it's strategic value to this country. Speaking of the vegetation MT. Rum sey says that the products of the country are more varied than many people imagine, nearly every tropical fruit such as bananas, pineapplcs, etc., being easily raised, notwith- standing the weather does not get so hot as one might suppose. It is land of perpetual summer without the extremes of temperature either way, though of course the climate is very wet Among the many products that would be considered a novelty in this country and that by many people have never been heard of is fruit or vege- table very similar to the cantnloupe, called papias. It is served on the table as cantalOupes are in this country and is considered very hea,thful and great aid to digestion. From it are made the little tablets cn sale in all drug stores under the name of papoids, and claimed to be remedy for indi- gestion.
 Cocoanuts grow prolifcally as do dates, although it is usually considered the date is a desert plant All sorts cf palms grow well and there are in the islands many varieties of cactus which grow much more rapidly than they do here by reason of the moisture. MT. Rumsey says he has sent some s0eci- mems of Arizona cactus to a florist friend and he expects that when they get to growing nicely in that country they will push the roof off his green house.
 Asked respecting leprosy. bubonic plague, cholera and other diseases of that character Mir. Rumsey says they are not nearly so bad in the islands as most people believe. He says that in the first place the Hawaiians have no native epidemic disease. Leprosy and all the other diseases that have made so much trouble were brought to. the islands by ships from the orient and that every enc of them has been stamped out. Since the country was annexed to the United States the gov { ernmcnt authorities have been "etcr- nally" vigilant. There is no plague there except the leprosy and there is rone of that at large. so far IS known. Whenever a suspect is found he is placed in a detention hospital and kept for six months. If leprosy develops he is sent to Molokai island for life. If it does not develop he is released.
 There is a great deal of unnecessary fear of leprosy. It is hardly infectious till the symptoms are plainly developed and there are numerous health in- spectors always on the lookout fer sus- picious cases. And with ordinary cleanliness there is little danger of in- lection even when one is thrown in contact with a leper. MT. Rumsey has visited the island Cf Molokai and knows lots of people who live there. The resident physicians and nurses who care for the unfortunates rarely ever contract the disease, though liv- ing in inc midst of it year after year. Molckai has a little government of it's own, pOliced by lepers, and with many ,conveniences and pleasures. Among other things it has leper band of ac- complished musicians. Another thing that many people are not aware of is that the off spring Of leprous parents are not necessarily infected Many children born in Molokai are at once CeuueStrated from their DarentS and