Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-09-04
The Blightod City.
DISTRESSING AspRor OF THINGS IN MEMPHIS
A GLOOMY OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE.


Life in Memphis is described Us being only
hags are displayed ut every turn and crossing
The hospital sign was counted in eight places
along one short square q few days ago, and
since then two moro havo been added. Tho
our[cw bell l'now tolls ut 0 o'clock and after
that hour the streets are deserted. In tho
last epidemic q crowd Of whiskey drinking
nurses and setzor water doctors kept tho
town alive. In this epidemic tho only sign of
life is tho onoampment of colorod troops on
tho bluff. Tho roveillo and the s O'Clock
matinee, whom tho band plays, are, US q
correspondent snys 'lho cheerful characte-
ristics of tho present oampaign. Fire alarms
last week rolioved tho monotonY. .but since
tho watchfnlness Of tho authorities has
been redoubcd even tho torch doesn't
1icker." *T2r
1t has been cry Of tho Memphis papers
for tho lust three weeks that Memphis is not
doomcd-that tho place will not drop from its
position MS q thriving mart to n river vilago
on bluff. Seeing that no such croaking
prophecy has como from Tho outside it is only
natural to conclude that tho Memphis papers
themselves, fearing such n fate. arc talking
to quiet their own nerves. Tho trade Of
Memphis is by far heaviest in tho fall. Last
autumn 10000 bales Of cotton belonging to
Mcmphis were diverted to st. Louis; aud
thcro will be n repetition of tho calamity this
season. The Appeai now admits that 'thc
appearance Of n single case Of yellow fever in
our midst can cripple our commerce and de-
preciatc nll values to nm extent that ten years
Of uninterrupted health and prosperity cannot
repair" 1t is likely that desperate measures
will be resortcd to during winter to avert u
third attack-tho property holders surrender
ing ono.fifth or one third Of their property
to tho rcmodoliug and thorough cleansing Of
the city.
There is wide difference in tho attention
pnid by tho public to the yellow fever plague
Of this year and tho intensely sympathetic
interest given from all sections during tho
lato summer and early autumn scourgo ol
1878. Then every town had its relief COM
mittcc, and daily contributions to tho fever
fund were matter Of course. At this tmo
tho bulletins from Memphis are read and
thrown aside as Of small Importance. But
Bronzc John has lost mono of his interest in
Memphis--ho holds to that wrctched place
with tho most distressing tenacity. Bad us
was the condition of tho city year ago, it is
infinitely worse now. Tho mortality, in
proportion to tho ,natoriai left for thVJscase
to work on, is just as great. The actual
suffering surpasses that of last year. The
dread of riotous outbreaks hangs like tho
sword over tho heads Of faithful combatants of
tho greater enemy. The fear of starvation is
added to tho weight of woes. 1t is fact
that tho Towards arc out Of money, and
moreover there is no doubt that they aro
troubled by tho scarcity Of nurses. They
havo iruin day 10 day postponed the issue of
nm appeal, but with 1000 whites who have
not had tho fever aTd l2,Gn0 blacks yet on
their hands the call cannot much longer bc
delayed. Some insist that tho negroes have
forfeited their claim to aid because Of their
refusal to leave when asked to do So but
such an excuse on THO part Of contributors
would be All unworthy and foolish one.
The latest general conclusion concerning tho
epidemic therefore is that tho North, South
and West shortly will DO asked fol contribu.
tons.