The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-06-11
8 Folklore Tales of Old Hawai-.
BE~kndJ

One of its strangest features is that
children born Of leprOus parents are
seldom afflicted. All children born at
MoIokai Are carefully watched until
they are years of age, and if at that
time they are found to be non-Iepers
they are taken to Honolulu and placed
in an institution provided for them
These children are carefully sheltered
and nurtured and almost invariably
grow up 10 be useful citizens.
It seems horrible to be sent te an
out of the way island for life, but it
is said that few OF those who have been
committed to MolOkai would care to
leave There are schools. churches,
musical societies and a good band
There is even a race track. where those
of the lepers who own horses can in
dulge in speed contests. The ieperS live
in rows Of pretty little houses and all
may have their gardens and their little
fields
They are permitted to mingle with
each other socially and may marry
if they choose. The state pays for all
expenses of living and Chdritably in
ciined persons supply many comforts,
such as books. magazines. music and
other luxuries. Once each year an en-
tertainment is given by the society
people of Honolulu and all the pro-
cecds are devoted to providing com
forts for the Iepers- No Christmas or
ing gifts and goodies TO the children
on the island
Heartrending Scenes at Parting.
To be committed to Molokaf is really
not such a great hardship upon any
unmarried or Unattached person, but
when a husband OF wife becomes af-
fiicted the separation is, of course, a
terrible ordeal It Is worse than If
hpF- Mt
Worse because the prisoner may be-
pardOned. but the leDer has not the
slightest hope of cure. One of the
saddeSt sights in the world is when a
steamer is departing with d new lot
Of leDers for MOlOkai. Husband and
wife are often ruthlessly torn from
each other. and in most all instances
those who are not afflicted beg for per
mission to enter the colony with their
loved ones. There have been instances
where 4 husband would develop into
leper and he sent to the island. leaving
his wife and children with no means
of support. and these cases are SO pitt
full that it seems the government should
provide for all rather than see them
suffer
At intervals a ship is sent to Moo
kai upon which relatives and friends
of the Iepers may have free passage
to pay visit To the afflicted cOl0nistS.
land the visitors are escorted into an
enclosure. which is guarded on every
side by wire They can talk through
this fence. but there must be no CON
tact These visits mean much to the
afflicted ones and their friends
Another sad feature of the island
life is that all children born there must
be taken away at the age Of years,
unless they have become inOCUidted in
the meantime. Imagine the anguish II
must mean to a father and mother 10
look upon their children when they are
little and realize that they will soon he
taken away from them, and that al
though they may return at intervals to
talk to them. they viii never be per
mitted TO touch them again This is
really the essence Of tragedy
Tragic End of One Case.
The sad case Of one young wife who
was sent to MOiOkai would cause the
stOutest heart to bleed with pity. She
had only been married a year and her
first baby was about TO be born, when
it was discovered that she was I'm the
first stage of lepTosy, OF course the
husband did everything within his
power to save her from the island. but
the law was stern and they took her
away. The case was so extremely pitt
full that the authorities agreed to break
the rules for once and allow the hus-
band to remain with his wife until
after the birth of their child. The
baby did not live a day, and the guard
in making his rounds found the UnfOr-
tunate couple entwined in each others
arms. both in the last long sleep of
death. An empty morphine bottle at
| the bedside told the silent story Of
| despair Surely a merciful God will
l deal gently with souls so terribly tried
as thpSpi