The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-08-07
THE TROWDRLD0E TRAGEDY.

THE TROWDRLD0E TRAGEDY.
The city papers have had their say a.
bout the Trowbridge double suicide at
Chicago. The facts are familiar. Three
sisters, living together, cut off to great
extent from other society, nail up the
doors and windows of their house and
all attempt suicide. Two succeed and
one fingers in critical condition.
The evil in this case was insulation
from society especially of the other SEX
II these girls had been regularly admit
ted to the society Of gentlemen even at
an ordinary boarding house, we have
no doubt they would have kept up their
Interest in life and avoided the morbid
condition which drove them to suicide.
Isolation of either sex from the other
Is the very DEVILS opportunity for breed
ing and stimulating morbid states of
mind. We verify believe that boarding
schools where young ladies are kept
from all male society, and academies,
on the other hand, where young men
are similarly isolated, are regular hot
bels,of morbid conditions and conse-
q,ent vice.
Some Of the newspapers say this wo, IL
probably not have occurred if these sis
ters had been married and kept busily
. occupied with active duties. There is
much truth III this, and yet we believe
that, leaving out the class called ''fall-
. en- women,'' the proportion of suicides
among married womea is larger than
1t is among the unmarried.
And still we believe that the ''Society
for the Promotion Of Marriages. which
= originated in Cincinnati and has now
y some forty branches is one Of the most
important movements which has been
: set on foot III this age Of new move
ments. When it becomes tile flash
io,I'' to organize these societies, and
for the unmarried to avail themselves
"of the aid, thus furnished, there will be
~ marked decrease, not only in suicide,
but in the general vice and misery
which exist especially in the larger cit
les.
A YELLOW FEVER OPINION.
DR.. Willett, Of Memphis, was inter.
viewed by st: Louis reporter, and said
of the Yellow Fever in his city:
The present terrible visitation has up
set all previously established theories
as to the disease. 1t was heretofore
conceded that frost destroyed the germ,
80 called, of the fever, and this idea is
exploded by the facts that during the
past winter temperature of degrees
above zero was reached sufficient to kill
the germ il the theory was correct, and
here the fever returned with the warm
weather, and in a most vlrulent form.
The, situation is such that scientists
must study the disease through new
channels, for all preCOnceived opinions
are In error. do not attribute the fe.
yer in Memphis to the presence of the
bayou so much rs do to the system of
the privy vaults and the lack of sewage.
Vaults are used until filed, dirt is then
thrown over the surface and another
vault dug in the same vicinity. The
earth ~ Of 4 peculiar, spongy nature,
ard the seeping from these nuisances
faint the entire soil of the city and fill
the air with poison. In my opinion
Memphis can lie rendered free of the
fever by scientific engineering applied
to the city. a thororgh sewage, and the
substitution Of water closets connected
with the sewers for the primitive vaults
The topography Of Memphis is such that
the most complete system of sewerage
eiln he secured ut q nominal cost. These
needed improvements, il made, will bt
At the expense of the individuals direct
ly interested. There is Il liberal public
sentiment IN Memphis. and next fal
will see improvements under way thai
will make the Bluff City as healthy il,
tho future as st. Louis is ut the pres
ent.
The Doctor also thinks that in thei
edyersjty they will acquire wisdom
We certainly hope 80. If they do not
we say; rs we said In a recent issue 0
tho ADVANCE and az we said last year
that the government should In som
way take hold Of the cases Of Memphi
and New Orleans and put them in sue
a state Of cleanliness that they will no
Ike liot'bets Of pestilence to harrass tn
whole country. At this rate, they Wi
acquire the reputation Of being plagl,
spotss =.
What the Doctor says about prope
sewage and privy vaults applies to n
towns, large and small. Not only doe
the terrible yellow fever find the ell
ments to thrive on in cities and tow,
conducted on the Memphian plan, bu
numerous other fevers hold their rev
NJ ,leatl, in such places.
Even little .Worthington will in du
, time reap her harvest Of death from ba
sewage, full privy vaults and gener'