The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-09-05
THE CITY ENGINEER TO THE
FRONT.

Thinking that the declaration of q
purpose to quarantine Austin would do
the place mischief, and that it would
prevent the seeking of homes in the
capital by many people from malarial
districts, the STATESMAN has persist
! eDtly pursued course calculated to
defeat any possible misconception of
facts affecting the hygienic condition
of this city. Probably the end aimed
ut has been accomplished. 1t is GER
tainly known, wherever the STATESMAN
lie circulated, that there is no sickness
OF any character prevalent in the city.
The sections office, through the sum-
mer, has been a continuous sinecure,
and except to the extent that Northern
newspapers harmed Austin by asserting
its unhealthfulness, as inferred from
the conduct of our municipal authori-
ties, no great detriment has been done,
and this, as stated, has been counter
acted and remedied. The justification,
If any existed, for the hot haste with
whichthe policy of non-intercourse with
distant infected districts was enforced,
consists in the fact that the disease is
more malignant than ever before. DR..
Kellar. of Louisville, formerly of Mem
phis, says that remedies employed in
former years have no more effect than
cold water" The suddenness and
violence of attacks and increased ratio
of the number of deaths to the number
of the sick are we'll calculated to JUS
tify, when !cure seems impossible, ex-
traordinary measures of prevention.
Our city fathers, ike those of New Or
leans, though the mayor had often
urged it, had been sadly remiss in
adopting sanitary measures. Often
sive sinks were constantly multiplied
and the city's condition steadily grew
worse and sources of horrible odors
were becoming countless. Each alder
mans nose, as he went prowling
about by day or night, demonstrated
the fact that he had been criminally
remiss in dlscharging his duty, and
when the death knell of cities was
sounded along the valley of the Mis-
sissippi, the knees of most of the good
city fathers smote one another, and
their consciences were pricked as never
before. There was no apology for past
folly but in stupendous quarantine.
Learned and sklllful doctors could see
no other recourse for the aldermen, and
Manor and Round Rock became scenes
of fumigatlon and acute olfactory ex-
ercises.
But the time draws nigh when colder
winds than those that blow to-day will
sweep across the capital and val
ley of the transparent Colorado.
Then we may provide against the
possibility of the incursion of disease.
seVhils New Orleans exists almost Oh
plane with the Cult, and 10 invested with
awamps, and while commerce is main
tanned with tropical countries, this
yellow plague, each summer, will
threaten Texas. The necessity for |
perfect security against the fever is
greater and more terrible than that
which impels US to build water works
and insure against fire. Life is more
valuable than property, and city gov
eFnments are life insurance corpora
tions. ''Curatiye" measures avail |
nothing when the disease Is most de-
structive, and sure preventives +"
against the dangers of the foul dis
order must be applied. One of the
three indispensable incidents of the
plaques presence is wholly within the
control of the city government, and
this being true, il ever a death from
the disease indigenous to this spot
ensue, the city's rulers become muir
derers. Each writer and observer of
the conduct of the pestilence asserts
that the elements indispensable to the
existence and potentially of the fever
are ''heat," moisture" and ''decom-
posing vegetable or animal matter"
In the absence of either of these
there can be no pestilence.
Nobody, we believe, denies the facts
stated, and 1t follows that at any cost,
before another yellow fever term is in.
Augurated with its black banners and
vail of woe along the Gulf coast, there
must be adopted thorough system of
expurgatisg the capital. Even now the
city engineer should perfect surveys
or the purpose and have plans defined
or Immediate execution when frost
zones and the shadow of death is
from the lowlands of the
A WORKING NAN of excellent, prac-
lfral s,of,3 samoa vras~axar,;nal g..