Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-22
CHINAMEN AMONG VICTIMS
One of Them Was a Former Sunday
School Pupil.
HAVE NO FEAR OF DISEASE
Family Opposes the Church Work, but
the Young Women Will Continue
Their Ministrations.

BROOKLYN, y. Y, December TO
the remarkable courage and sympathy
of two pretty Brooklyn girls the Misses
Judith NJ. Andcrburg and Jennie {. Ander-
son, is due the only happiness that creeps
into the miserable existence of five lepers
on Blackwell's Island who ale doomed to
living death. Against the wishes of their
relatives and friends the young women pay
frequent visits to the men who are stricken
with the most terrible disease known.
Miss Anderhurg lives at No. Ill Sterling
place. Brook yn, and is one of the most
prominent young members of the Hanson
Place Baptist Church. She is twenty-four
years old
Miss Anderson's home is at No. SD Dean
street She Is twenty yelrs old and active
In the Washington Avenue Baptist Church.
Both girls are teachers in the Chinese Bap-
tist mission connected with the Washington
Avenue Church.
Mystery on Blackwells.
The identity of the two young women.
who for some months have been visiting the
lepers has been a mystery on Blackwelrs
Island. When they first applied to Commits
sioner of Charities Hebherd for permission
to visit Bow Lin, their former Sunday
school pupil who entered the hospital in
October OF 1893, tie girls were to- of the
possible danger they would incur. They
replied that they were willing to accept
the risk.
There are five lepars on Blackwells. three
of whom are Chinamen They are Bow Lin
forty years old; Lin Sng, twentysiX, and
Jung Tie Park, forty-hve; Joseph Melarsky,
a Russian, fifty-hve years old and Ole Han
sen, a Dane, sixty years old. The men are
quartered in Ward K, a small, low shanty
east of the main structure of the Metropoli-
tan Hospital and close to tle Brooklyn side
of the east river. President Darlington and
other Officials of the board of health assert
that lcproSy is not contagious disease and
have refused to take care of the lepers.
They are therefore being looked after by
the charities department. DR.. A. S. Ash
mead. who Is recognized as an authority
on leprOsy and Who alleges that it is con-
tagious, has efraf ge- OF the colony.
The Misses Anderburg and Anderson
made their first cal upon the lepers in
company with the pastor of the Washing
ton avenue church. Since then they have
gone there together and separately. At
first they were only interested in Bow Lin,
but their sympathies at once extended to
the others. Now all five receive the same
attention from the girls.
Girls Lead in Services.
The men are now looking forward to
Christmas. as they understand the signf-
canoe of it and feel sure that the little
angels" as they call the young women, will
not forget them. When either Miss Ander-
burg or Miss Anderson calls. the lepers
gather together in the open, outside their
ward, and an informal religious service is
held. There is reading from the Scriptures
by the visitors, followed by singing, in
which the men join as best they can. After
this the girls talk with the men upon any
topic that interests them. They never leave
without presenting each one with some
tritie that helps to vary the monotony of
their lives.
II am afraid said Miss Anderburg yes
terday. that my friends will misunder-
stand me. What am doing is from a deep
sense of duty. l have long been interested
In the work of the Chinese mission and
when Bow Lin, one of my pupils, became
afflicted with leprosy l felt that / could not
desert him. The little that Miss Anderson
and myself have done to brighten the lives
of those most miserable of human beings
has not meant great sacrifice to u.s. al
though il has been the one ray of sunshine
to the men.
Il do not fear leprosy. as l do not con-
slider that 1t is contagious. If did would
not endanger my life. i do not regard N.Y.
self heroine under any circumstances
My family and friends are opposed to nv
work among the lepers. but this will not
keep me from doing what little / can for
those poor men"
Miss Anderson spoke similarly Her
mother, however said that she was greatly
worried over the matter and did not share
her daughters opinion that leprosy was not
contagious.