, 1873-07-11
HYGIENE DOWN SOUTH.
A Memphis Cholera Lcsson for Other
Oitlcs.-Scene Mt tho HIOrEues

A Memphis Cholera lesson for Other
Ottlcs--scone Mt tho HIorguc.
Aemphfs Jaly 3, c0rrs:poa'eee s%sss af the Nc" Ya
Though smallpox recently ravngod Mcmphla,
held here high carnival, tl,ero was not. until
within tho Week, an organized Board Of Hoaltf.
reports tho publio Vas Indebted to rumor and
bo1tons. OF courao, most extravagant stories
went abroad people Of she interior woro aoroly
heightened. For soven wooks trade has been
wn1 sad 1soa n ons hH lost trade
have Board Of Health, hut ainco It
has no monoy, and can control nouo,
ita practical Value IL very question:
sblo: Il may DO proper to say that tho city
1867, and s.reots and alloys, after Ill those roe
cont inceesant ruins, arc rocking In filth. Wo
haye county court, constituted Of thi1ty-cight
country bun1plins called "squires," Theao
rngod, could hardly DO convened. They had a
county soxton, q jolly, drarn.drinking patlander,
Of the classic name Of McCool. Pat authorized
to buy potter 5 fold for tho county, secured
River, just above tho Holly Wator-worka. Thia
pottor'B fold Is Hald to be the fouleat place Of
1oulest stonchos on tho continent. Pats Iriah
cartman told mo that 1t atunk 80 intolorably
that he bud seon tho man in tho moon
fearful graveyard. Pat stowa away corpaos worry
hurriedly. It happens now and then that as
many as three or four people, whon tho
daily mortality was grent, wore chucked
into into the ., ,aanr aaIno H., grave. Rain,storms
and there lay tho grinning corpaeH, negroes and
whiteH, in tho Hame shallow, uncovered grave,
and when the hot sunboams fell upon tho rot
ring corpsea and wator became vapor, etoneh
TANGO Of half a milo. Zach rnin-Htorm that camo
Oh each successive day fortunately clonnsed the
hallowcd spot and added to tho stream that
gives drink to 10000 people Of Memphis. Here
waters Of life arc pumped from riyers Of death.
journey made by the soxton'a wagon to tho pot
tors fold and to reduce tho cost Of these public
buriala Patrick mover drives out without q full
loud. CorpseB are therefore suffered to ao-
cumulnte, often through several days and the
bodies Of tie dead, heapod up in tho large otnpty
shop, aro covered with limo, and constitute a
hi1eouB, ghahtly, morguo-like exhibition. Deg
pite all precautionary measures, tho place Is by
no ueans delightful or n bot, Rultry summon
complain Of strange sights aud vigorous, un-
soomly, inauirorable odors suppose to ariso
On On Sun Sunday ' list it happened that the sexton
mau with tho dead. Tho living body was Ut the
| bottom Of q hoap of dead bodies to ba boxed
and shipped to Pats cemetory next morning.
The poor follow had been narcotized by quack,
who administered eomo potent drug to rcgorse
tho process Of collapHing." Tho patient slopt
almost tho sleep Of death. In tho same apart.
mont wherein tho narcotic was administered
lay nnothor negro corpse, and the
county sexton cartod both bodies away to Lis de-
pository. It WAS 10 o'clock at night when tho
| resurrection occurred. Tho nogro, mortified
when finding himself bonoath hoap Of dead
men, howled like a hippopotamus. Tho sexton
was aroused, and crying "thief !" hurried In
with lantora. Our Hying-doad hero, thinking
himself in another world, imagined the fright
as1ton H. bis the Ian
thore went up a fearful howl Of agonized do
| spair, and the " rosnrrected negro swooned in
terror. The lre-bollB were ringing, tia noigh-
bors camo in, tho northern ond Of tho city Taa
in an uproar, tho Bo1ton fled, the condition for
the depository Of corpsos waa discovered, and
tho sexton and County Court and City Govern
ment each has beon indicted by tho Criminal
Court,