The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1873-11-06

ings, that their hands are big and red
that there Il one lock Of their hair
that will stick straight up, and that
those coat. sleeves will pull up.
| FIGHTING THE PLAGUE.
Letter from q Shreveport Lady
One Thousand People Down a
Understanding Little Harry fol
Ice.
The following letter was written by
lady in Shreveport to brother In
Memphis:
SHREVEPORT, La, Oct. 0, 1873.
Dear Brother:-The last line ] re-
ceived from you was on the day | was
taken down with the fever. The
magazines have never received. The
whole force at the postoffice has been
changed by sickness and death, two
or three times since the epidemic be-
gan, aud now for some time the whole
force has consisted of one man! The
paper mail has not been distributed
for weeks, and to get a letter out is
matter of great difficulty.
saw to-day one of our friends from
the outskirts Of the city. She told me
they had all been down-thirteen
cases at one time in one house! The
first time in thirty-three days, last
night all the family lay down to
sleep, aud then the mother lay on the
side Of the bed where her youngest
child lay sick. This little fellow is
the same age as your Harry -four
years old, and he had been kept in
just as closely yet for three weeks he
was the only one they had to send in
town for medicine. At first the How
ard Association man who was nursing
them would take the child to the
street-cars, and, giving him in charge
of the driver, dispatch him with
note; afterwards he had to leave the
house alone, get what was wanted,
and return with it, The little fellow
astonished everybody by the weight
Of ice and other things he would bring
In. / have related this because think
ing of Harry, it touched me at the
time, and besides it helps to give some
slight idea of the straits to which PEG
pie have been reduced in their want
of assistance. II is the plain truth
that al the worst times there were not
enough well people to nurse the sick,
bury the dead, and carry on the little
business absolutely necessary. Lille
objects to my nursing any Of my
friends on the supposition that mere
experienced nurse might be procured.
How little she comprehended the
time We have had here. The very
children that had sense enough to sit
by patients bedside, and keep the
cover on or give a little water occa-
have had their services an
preciated and friends and strangers,
that didn't want 70 prove
10 wear human fyrm, had
to help nurse Imagine in place
like this, and almost depopulated. too.
q thousand people sink at once, No-
men to nurse have been much scl.cer
than men; for rnany of the last sent
their families away and remained
There have been here
ladies and young girls of nice families
that have been able to get no3e but
men to nurse them, having to call up
Oh them for all the Officer Of nurse in
q sick-room aud men have had 10 lay
out the dead bodies OF women Tell
Lille if she wants to hear one little
of a long chapter of horrors
to make +. :. write, rs she told 10 me,
The account of Mamie WIS funerai, or
burial, rather, for funerals we never
have. The Towards here have done
molly. Col. Martin, one of their
mos. active officers, is warm friend
of mine, and am indebted 10 the
Association for much kindness and
aid. During my conyalescencn they
furnished me with chickens. eggs,
butter aud wood things tha. could
otherwise not be obtained for love or
money. Twice week what they
call the ''relie! train"-the only one
allowed to iun-comes from Marshall,
bringing such things, the gifts of the
country people along the way; and
the Association would distribute
among the sick. All our servants are
sick; but kind neighbor has hersel
cooked and sent me my food.
Things are getting better now. Yer,
nearly everybody has had the fever
still the gloom and deserted look 0
every place make it dreadful TO +,
here. This is the first letter Aav,
written: you have no idea how bar,
1t Is to concentrate thought and effor
enough to write even this ramblin,
| letter. G.. r.. ,.
Always avoid the company in which
you are willing to tell coarse lest
because for you i. il demcralizin,
company Grossness il never humor