The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-08-08
Cleanliness Is the OaIy security for
Heal1li.i
Raltors Democratic state.m,n.

Editors Democratic Statesman:
Since your repeated appeals to the
citizens Of Austin in favor of their own
safety have, as A. johnson, of Tennes-
see, used to say, ''made Judgement"
IN the minds of the city authorities, it
may be important to state some facts,
the correctness of which Is too well
known to be disputed. Where did the
terrible scourge most swell in its work
OF death in 1872 All know that
Shreveport and Memphis were literally
declmated in that fatal year. All,
however, may not know that about one
month before the fever became epi-
demic in Shreveport steamer sank in
Red River with large lot of beef cat
tie that drowned, and. that the people,
IN total ignorance OF the laws of health,
dragged the cattle upon the banks,
skinned them and left their bodies to
rot within short distance of the city.
In Memphis the last three epidemics
followed the works of paving the
streets with wooden blocks, laying the
tracks for the street cars, and laying
the water pipes. 1t is fact known to
all Memphians that the fever prevailed
TO the greatest extent on lines of oper-
alton in these works, and in other To-
ealities notorious for filth, as places
known by such significant names as
"HelPs Half Acre, " ''Happy Hollow, "
etc. Another striking instance of
great mortality was settlement four
miles from Memphis, In which
the county PdUper burier located
his burylng ground. The locality was
proyerbial for the salubrity of the at
mosphere and general healthfulness,
but when citizen after citizen died in
rapid succession until forty or fifty of
the inhabitants in the immediate vIcin-
age had died, an inquiry was InstItu-
ted revealing the fact that the two or
three hundred bodies of paupers had
been placed but few inches beneath
the surface, when the county under
taker was lined one thousand dollars
and required to RENTER the bodies at a
cost of fifteen hundred dollars, after
which the inhabitants regalned their
Wonted health.
In the city Of Memphis there were
localities in which the people enioyed
almost entire immunity from the cpl
demic. A noted example was the
county Jail in which, though there
were between one and two hundred in
mates, not one of whom was sick of
the prevailing epidemic during the I'M
precedented scourge of 1873, though
the building is situated on
or near the bank of Wolf river and by
no means favorable 10 health. There
is one fact connected with the con-
structIon of the Shelby county Jail
that should be known of men. Through
the center of the building there is an
iron pipe, three feet in diameter, with
the inner surface glazed, and into this
pipe, which extends into Wolf river,
few hundred yards above its conflu-
ense with the Mississippi river, another
smaller pipe, six inches in diameter,
also glazed, is inserted fro m each cell.
80 that with proper use of water
passing through each sm,ll tube and |
into the main pipe, every particle of
excrementitious or other offensive sub |
stance is removed daily, while lime is
purchased by the fifty barrels for
wbitewashing and disinfecting purpo-
ses, the-wofk being done by the in
mates, and making the atmosphere as |
pure as in any private residence in |
memphis. Hence the singular exemp- |
ton from sickness.
Now, Mr.. Editor, the wrangling OF |
Nj. DIS and other. theorists, and the |
meetings and prayers of the d. DIS
who undertake to determine the causes
of such dire plaques, either by theories
vague and abstract, or by prayers to
the throne of grace for information
from above, when by the exercise of
common sense they may be traced with
unerring accuracy to the causes so
plain that the waYfaring man cannot
err, seem to your scribe the very quin-
tesceDce of nonsense, and totally I'M
worthy of the confidence of people
whose lives and property are in jeop-
srdy on the almost annual occurrences
Of yellow fever in our Southern cities.
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