The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1873-02-22
SMALLPOX EXCITEMENT IN ARCADIA

SMALLPOA EAClIEmENA IN aNC1A
An occasional contributor dropped
down on Arcadia few days ago, at
the very hight OF the small pox panic.
| He was variously interviewed, ut long
range, by the Mayor, the Doctor and
others, and, after passing satisfactory
| inspection, was permitted to stop IN
town. The remainder of his expert
ence, he relates as follows:
dismounted at once, and mingled
freely among them. BY little inquiry
I found out the cause Of alarm. 'They
had heard the country below was
|swarming with small pox, and some
tramps coming this way had brought
the faint with them-supposed to have
got it in louisville. At DR.. G. O.
Buffers house, two miles from town on
the Minden road, were seven cases, one
white man and six freedmen. Two
fair way Of recovery. A Mr.. Miller,
his wife and four children, three-quar-
tiers of q mile from DR.. Buffers, were
all taken with it and one death Oc-
cured. The rest are slowly recovering.
On Brushy Valley road were five cases
at the widow Buffers, two proving
| fatal. It is hoped the disease is on the
decline.
| Last Wednesday another excitement
was raised on the arrival Of the stage
from Monroe. The driver stated that a
wagon was on the way containing .
case of small pox, supposed to be AVN.
King from this place. Faces pa1ed,
stout forms trenbled and every one
generally looked wild. Something
must be done to stop THAI wagon.
/ NS1v rrt1H n tn "a
though we were to have II repetition of
Babel. Arms swung around their
owners heads like the fans of Il wind
mill. Heads shook sagaciously, re-
mindfng ono OF Il tea dealers Chinese
mandarin in a shoW-WindoW.
| "Ca1I Il meetin' Of the Police Jury!"
says Solomon No. 1.
"No! Git the Town Council togeth-
er!' exclaims No.
"Hold on, gentlemen, I runs this
town." says the big, burly "mare"
emerging from the crowd.
Some proposed forming a committee
to meet the small poX man and his
friends and s'currenteen" them. Others
to take them to DIR. Buffers house, as
| there were several cases there already.
! To this DIR. y. very properly objected,
unless the parish was willing to pay
! for his loss Of time, provisions, etc. But
| he must be taken somewhere. 1t
| wouldn't do to have him come to town
and spread it. The citizens gathered
themselves into little knots, and the
wcll-worn steps of the corner groceries
were again occupied. No two men
held the same opinion Of what was to
be done. Each one knew stjest what
was right, !" yet though they urged each
other to be placed ON the committee to
meet the young man, not one was will
ing. 1t was wonderful what Solomons
an occasion of this kind brings forth.
| The day was consumed in gas, and
"night drew on apace, cast her mantle
over the sky and pinned it with q
star" The wise men Withdrew to their
affrighted families, and though many
may have attempted to sleep, I'll ven
ture to say but little Of it was accom-
plished. In the mean time, the "sick
man" and his friends quietly entered
the "deserted village'' and retired to
| neighboring house. And where was
| the dark featured "mare'' all this time:
He had been one among the first to
| 'ssEedaddle for hum, boys,' and judg-
| ing from his troubled physique next
! morning must have had rival in his
| sleep in the shape of Il nightmare
| Bright and early next morning the
| cAclCcu groups tuAlOuSlS DcSleScu tIlc
doctors to know if it had ssbrol<e out"
Five pimplcs were discovered on the
| sick mans face and declared to be
/ small poX. "Take him aWay!'' eX-
claimed the excited multitude. "Burn
| him!' ssShoOt him!'' "Drown him!'
q didn't exactly hear them say so, but
| imagined something Of the sort from
| the incoherent mutterings Of the excit
| ed crowd.) "That's small poX, sartin."
| eyes, his eyes showed it," "Didn't
you motifs the crook of the left ear My
gram mothers ear wuz that FAR way
| when she he'd the chicken poX." can
| them pimples wuz adzactly like wot
| appeared on my uncle's fathers cousin
| wen he had the waryloid." And other
such remarks as the above could hear
| as passed from crowd to crowd.
| Quarantine was at once established.
| Farmers and others were prohibited
from coming into town, stores were
again closed, mechanics stopped work,
and the excitement ran high. The
general exclamation of every one was,
~ told you SOP "Why didn't they
stop 'em?" "Whar was your commit
ty"" "What oi. the Town Council