The New York herald., 1879-08-12

order of the Secretary of War amended in far as
to issue raons families who have had the yellow
fever and who very naturally desire to stay their
humble homes. We have a corps of physicians here
in Memphis who must be able. provided every
body does his duty faithfully. to administer
to the sick. Issue rations to the starving.
matter if they refuse to go into camp. Send all
single men without employ to the camp; but a
father of family let him take of his own flock
at home. If you issue rations to them they viii be
satisfied.
calamity charitable donations from our brethren
and sisters in the East West and North. have OBJ
stricken peoI without that ready aid which could be
extended TO them. They are ianguishng il their
city authorities and Howard Association. The How
ards have four physicians and four visitors
pEoyed They furnish nurses .a and medicines
The city authorities. however. do nothing
except attempt to drive the poor to Camp Marks.
Let them starve il they do go is the cruel reply.
know ladies OF refinement and education. who are
located about nine miles from the city, Nonco-
nan M ereek: they applied through Colonel Meade to
ceived was the same. They must 80 to camp other
wise mo rations."
poor people AUGUSTUS H. Is. KUEHNE, NJ. ID.
''FossILIzED PROPERTY OWNERS AND MEcHAN-
IcAL DOCTORS THE CURSE OF MEMPHIS.
CIscINNATI. August 6. 1879
To THE EDITOR OF HERALD:-
In your issue OF the 5th inst. "P. H. S." clearly
and forcibly sets forth the apparent Of the
existence of yellow fever in Memphis. While there
is any portion Of the country subject to attacks from
this dreaded disease there city in the United
States which does not stand in reasonable danger
from its visits. Almost every city in Europe has
been scourged by epidemics. few years back
pernicous fever broke out in the West of England,
creating great CONSERVATION among the people of
town andc orpfry Mi Pnartr mi opA
apparent could be assigned for the disease.
The government designated q board of scientific
physicians to look into the matter thoroughly. AZ
ter careful Investigation the board came to the
conclusion that drainage was the remedy needed to
prevent its recurrence. Acting the advice of the
Board Of Physicians the government instituted
suitable system of drainage for miles around. and
the health of the neighborhood since then is equal
to that Of the rest of England.
The bayou spoken of SO frequently as one Of the
Of yellow fever in Memphis is not in itself
injurious, but during heavy rains it overfows its
banks, and necessarily deposits portion Of the filth
that should be swept into the river. The SOIL being
SOFT retains this matter and in the heat of summer
gives it back to the atmosphere. Drainage Tor
sewage) being the great want. the question arises.
why is it not done? 1t is difficult for non-resdents
to understand the why. Perhaps thre, -fourths of
Memphis in money value is owned by twenty per-
sons. As a rule they exact rent from their tenants
during the prevalence of epidemics. They have been
accustomed to spend the summers with their fami-
lies in the North at the Springs in Virginia and
elsewhere, in reality these men lost nothing
directly by visit from yellow fever. The merchant
paid allhe paid his rent and his taxes, and should
he refuse, summary measures would be taken
to compel him. The large real estate owners, the
other hand resort to everyksubterfuge that the laws
delay may suggest to prevent the tax gatherer from
reaching into their purses. Rents have declined in
some cases to quarter what they two years
ago. but the rents for eligible business houses
the main streets up to what they before the
houses are principally owned by the few persons
previously referred to, and in their blindness they
have calculated that the merchants will still
tinue to invest their capital in Memphis and pay
large rents and the lions share of the taxes. IT,
houses move to other cities, those fossilizcd
property owners will find that their stores
they will discover. when too latc that they
have killed the goose which laid the golden egg.
These men know that property which would readily
sell for 500 and $500 per front foot three years ago
would not to-day bring one-third of that amount.
yet they short sighted that they believe the
merchants will still pay them the rents of those
times. Ii a New York business man were to figure
on a question OF this kind he would reason some
what in this manner:-'I own property which cost
$4,000. There is q chance OF its becoming Yaue-
less II certain improvements are not made. With
these improvements the property would be worth
sary improvements I am willing to give u
able part OF the property's vaue-ten. fifteen
u
part than lose the whole" Yes, that would be the
conclusion of reasonable men everywhere, but it
does not prevail with the property owner Of Men,
phis. This bat-like individual is forever growing
about taxes, when in truth the business the
ones who carry the burden and yet he is purs ung
course that will inevitably end in forcing the mer-
chants with their capital to climes where men who
own property are willing to make it habtable The
few leading merchants who still intend to
other opportunity to the men who Memphis,
will take their departure ii on the advent OF tho
cold weather proper spirit is not manifested to vt
once go to work and do that thing thoroughly
which should have been done ten years ago.
The medical men of Memphis are never united.
Many of them insisted, as late July a. that there
was no yellow fever there. To carry their theory
cording to the theory, and proved the theory wrong
by dying Two instances OF this kind came directly
under the observation OF the writer. Had these
medical men united last winter adopted some plan
appeal to the people told them what might be
pected unless the measures recommended
carried out there might be different story to tell
to-day. But it really seems that the profession
in Memphis is dead weight the
munity There was u wide field and leisure
to ferret out the immediate cause of the out
break; but have not heard Of anything being
in that direction 1t Is recorded that the fever
broke out almost simultaneously in three separate
parts OF the city. The environments of each
different be imagined yet the learned doctors
shake their heads assume nm appearance OF wisdom,
confess they know nothing about 1t, and to work
the next patient with a new experiment. Between
the fossiiized property owners and the mechanical
doctors the people of Memphis have suffered severely,
rest Of mankind, IL the HERALD will ventilate the
facts. BLUFF CITY.
FEVER STATISTICS IN HAVANA.