, 1872-10-23
Alarming Spread Of the Small
PoX.
A Panic in the City---The Mer-
chants Scared About the
Fall Trade.
How the Papers have Agreed to Sup
press the Facts.

Special Despatch to The Chicago Tribune.
ST. LOUIS, Oct Misunderstanding the
rivalry between St. Louis and Chicago, your
readers can easily believe how intense a senaa-
tion WIS caused here to-day by an an article, in
the Democrat, On the smallpox. For several
weeks past regular and rapid increase in small
pox cases has been noticeable, rather from the
frequency Of smallpox tickets on the doors
tue press Kept very quiet. Tie Democrats
article gave particulars co1lated from the pub
lished returns Of the Board Of Health which
showed q steady and alarming increase in the
cases reported, from 81 for the first week in
For the last two weeks, those ending Oct. u aud
10, the mortality was ~ and 40 Respectively,
though the reports were fixed by clas-
styling them under the head Of vario-
were 1877, and the average OF deaths was so per
cent. In addition to this there we're many cases
not reported by the doctors. and so negiSently
were things conducted, that one woman died
never knew the cause OF death till her daughter
went out to seek help to sh1oud and bury her
mother
The district most infected is mostly occupied
by tenement houses and negro lodgings, dirty
and closely populated, bounded BY Twelfth
street, the river, OFallon street, and the arsen-
al, space OF about six square miles. There are
many other sporadic cases; it is impossible to
say how many, az tho doctors conceal the cases.
s ehante + fes9fu sS A Of their 5 }a trade being
raised lists, pledging 2hat they would not adver-
tise or subscribe to the Democrat. On Fourth
street they obtained 1872 signatures; another on
chief proprietor, Fishback, weakened, and stop
ped publication, as he said For policy, SO as
not to hurt the fall trade Of the city" Meanwhile,
the Democrat reporters had interviewed Mayor
Joseph Brown and the Board OF Health on asking
and Wednesday, Dr.. O'Brien declined giving
them without an order from the Board. a re-
porter, with q stenographio writer, then de-
manded access to the BOOKS as citizens and tax
payers, and we're informed that the Board de-
clared the smallpox reports private, and
their publication inexpedient at present, as
tending to CAUSE q public panic, and in
terfere with public trade. he said
further that Health ofacers. we're working day
to do 30 without notice in public press. They
had just inoculated two heifers and 80 hopel
to secure asupPly Of pure vaccine. On going TO
Mayor Brown, he acknowledged the right Of tie
but said this was the first time, he
and declined, as such information
was for the purpose Of publication. After con-
lin report: II DO not disguise the fact that this
may be terrible visitation. I am prepared to
take the responsibility when the time comee, OF
declaring the diReaae epidemic, and when that
time comes no consideration as to the effect up
on the fall trade or the business interests Of tile
city will have any weight. In view Of the prac-
tical confiBcation of property, and the forcible
removal Of persons which this might
necessitate, it is serious, but human life ia
precious" Mayor Brown then went on to sny
that the City Council not being in session no ap-
propriationB for health purposes we're available,
but he would raise money on his personal ro-
sponsibility. He had te1egraphed East for vec-
cine to several Cities so had several city physi-
inferior quality. The most alarming stories
were ahoat all day. Gay street, between Frank
lin avenue and Morgan, is about to be fenced
across at Fourteenth street.
The public schools, it is reported, will be
closed, and a meeting Of Directors is called for
Thursday night to discuss the situation: The
local papors have agreed to telegraph to the
large cities the utter groundlessnees OF the re-
ports and pay cost of such dispatches.
The last case reported at II tonight ls at No.
1872 Market street, where . woman at Quincy
telegraphed here to her husband to ask his dis
ease, adding, III smallpox don't come" The
messenger found the quarantine wagon At the
$ns &2s' ncee 9ns ndp popuaen Az'''n espsesy
alarmed. Reports from sixteen doctors say the
increase in vaccination to~dny is more than
quadrup1e. just before the fair similar item
appeared in city paper, but it was su1n1narl1y
Stopped, aS LIE I'LL SEUu4u NAo 81 ltcAA SA4o Ill
fected district and might affect the gate re-
ceiptE.
Sr. LOUIS, Oct. 22.-A committee Of promi-
uent merchants aud business men,
with Mayor BToTn as Chairman, has been p ap-
pointed to make the necessary arrangements for
the meeting Of a Commercial Convention which
odjourned last year from Baltimore to meet at
st. Louis IN the third Monday of November,
and also to provide suitable entertainm ent for
it's members.
Cattle Claims on the Texas Frontier.
BRowSv1LLE, Tex, Oct. 22.-Major Thos. u.
Anderson, Sixteenth Infantry, arrived here this
morning, frcm San Antonio. He has been