Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-08
MEMPHIS.

The Terrible Condition of that City-No
Sewers, No Water. No CITY Gouernntent-
Reported Cases of Ferer and General
Desire to Get A,Oay.
Correspondence Louisville Evening Post.]
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Feb. 27.-The yellow
fever, or some other pestllence or plague,
will as surely visit this city during the COM
ing summer as the lapse of time brings the
season and temperature suitable for the de-
velopment of the germs of fatal sickness.
Memphis is unquestionably the nastiest,
dirtiest, and flthiest city in the United
States, if not in the world; it ought to be in
pure water for drinking or culinary pur-
poses to be had within the limits of the cor
poration! There are some wells and pumps
in the suburbs, but they are generally SO
poorly constructed that the water from bay-
GUS and cess-pools run into them and poison
every drop they contain. Wolf river, from
whence the city water works draw
their supply, is, in the estimation
of many, simply a large sewer
for the surrounding country, and is Just
reeking with seep poison and filth. In the
central part of the city there are great
many cisterns, the covers of which are gen
orally in dilapidated condition, and the in
side work is almost invariably broken and
cracked, and the seep poison filters into
them. When the people returned to this
city last year, after the board of health had
issued their proclamation of safety, they
commenced to use the water from these els
terms without having them cleaned out or in
quiring what had been emptied or thrown
into them during the prevalence of the fever.
The result of all this carelessness and stu
pidity has been season of unparalleled
sickness, the end of which is not vet. The
green and putrefying bodies of hundreds of
last years yellow fever victims have been ex-
humed, removed, and Reinforced at other
places. If there existed no other cause for
the temperance of yellow fever this wear,
this digging up of the bodies in the trenches,
Potter's field, and other places would be
amply sufficient.
There are no sewers in Memphis worthy
of the name, and the nauseating fluid from
animals and vaults just remains where it
falls, or seeps through the ground to els
ters, cellars, wells and the river.
The streets, alleys and back yards of the
city are in most deplorable state of nasti-
ness; no arrangement or contract for re-
moving garbage appears to have been in ex-
istence here for more than year, and the
consequence is that at the doors and in the
rear of many dwelling and business houses
there are heaps of ashes piles of manure and
other filth and offal. How any community
can be at ease under such frightful state of
affairs is, to the writer, a most inexplicable
mystery.
The inevitable advent of another terrible
affection upon the people of Memphis this
year is foreseen by many citizens here,
large number of whom have already remov-
ed their families to places of safety. Work
ingmen are struggling and denying them
selves and families many comforts and lux
uries in order to accumulate a few dollars to
enable them to remove to healthier place.
One or two very large business houses have
closed their business here forever, and open
ed out in st. Louis and other cities others
have determined to close at an early day,
and are now selling out at prices far below
actual cost, in order to enable them to meet
obligations to get away. There are not a
dozen retail merchants in the city in any
branch of trade that are not conducting
their business with strict reference
to an early suspension of business,
and it is safe to say that there is not
business firm in any line here who
has now or intends to be caught with
heavy stock of goods on hand when Mem
phis has another attack. Yellow fever has
not entirely subsidized here since last sum
mer. There are people here now sick in bed
with an infirmity showing all of the promi-
nent symptoms of yellow fever, and physi-
clans say that if it was the proper season
they would unhesitatingly pronounce it such.
The last authenticated case on record here,
which terminated fatally, was that of Mrs
Patterson, a widow, who lived on Union
street, near De Soto. She was attended by
DR.. Pournell. The patient died about Dec.
4. 1t was well marked case of genuine
yellow fever, and no physician in the city, so
far as l have heard, either denies or doubts
its character or identity with the dreaded
scourge of last year.
Your correspondent was conversine with
a young lady last Sunday afternoon and as
there is no meeting of friends in this CITY
unless yellow fever is the topics to be dis
cussed, Of course we had it for while un-
der consideration. The young lady told me
OF friend of hers now in bed with "winter
CASE of yellow fever. She said her friend
was now convalescing, but had been only
few days before in a hopeless condition.
asked my young friend if she and her mother
had not better be making some arrangement
to leave the city in case the fever should
break out here again. Her reply was: eve
have already anticipated such an emergency,
and now have our entire household goods in
such condition that we can. in two hours.
get everything we have on the cars and be
enroute for Chicago This family have an
excellent business here, but are anxious to
sell out and leave the city for all time to
come.
There are more groceries, stores and vari-
GUS other kinds of business firms here
anxious to sell out than are to be found in
any other place in the country. Even Bar
naby, the dealer in gentlemen's furnishing
goods, under the Peabody hotel, has given
up his stand, the best in the city for his line
of trade, and will remove to Minnesota in a
few days. In fine, every man, woman and
child in Memphis, white or black, who are
financially able to leave this place this sum-
mer. have already fully determined to do 80.
and are now shaping all their efforts in that
direction.
The French Indemnity to Germany AU
Gone.
Washington Chronicle
What is true of individuals is often also
true in regard to nations. Money badly
gotten goes badly, and this seems to be a
rule no less common among nations than
individuals. The immense indemnity de-
rived by Germany from France is all ex-
pended, and there is, besides, a deficit in
last years budget of II 100000 marks. The
government being the principal proprietor