Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-01-17
Yellow Fever-1sse-D. G. Purse
ae Kxsm Nae 80 n,,sx,


EDITOR Morning Neacs: Permit me space to
set at rest one Of the many charges laid to
my account by the misinformed. From
1866 without variation, alternate years, Mr..
D. K. Thomas and myself as copartners, in
the interest Of and from the very necessities
of and particular character of our business,
have spent each year from three to four
months in active travelling in the State. In
1876 it was my turn to do the interior travel
ing, Mr.. Thomas that year visiting cur
Northern correspondents.
At the outbreak OF the fever Mr.. Thomas
was still North. To the first summons of
the Benevolent Association (Of which / was
a membeI) fer workers, responded by CIV
ing my reason for not being able to enter
upon any extended labors, as I would be
compelled to start on my trip as soon as Mr..
Thomas arrived home from the North. The
meeting was held In the Mayors office about
the Goth of August. Before | had entered
the meeting had been appointed Chairman
of committee Of eight to make
a thorough canvass of that portion of the
city lying west of Bull street, extending
from the river to Anderson street, and Mr..
J. NJ. Solomons had been appointed Chair
man of a similar committee to cover the
portion of the city east of Bull street. The
object OF the appointment Of the commit
tees was to have thorough canvass of the
city, and thus gain the most reliable
information of the amount of sickness pre-
vailing by going from house to house and also
as near as practicable to ascertain the char
acter of each case OF sickness. ! plead my
situation, and the duty l owed to my CO.
partnership, but no excuse awaited, and l
entered upon the duty. How thoroughly
the committee worked, and how satlsfac-
torily they discharged their duty, Colonies
R. d. Walker and Clifford w. Anderson,
and Others who served with me, can an
swer.
The work Of the two committees com
pleted and consolidated, the next question
to arise was, should the Joint report be pub
lished? This was referred to q committee
with the result as follows:
SAVANNAH, Ga, August Both, 1876.
The undersigned committee. after care
full consideration of the duty assigned
them, to write report upon the sanitary
condition of the city for publication under
the auspices Of the Benevolent Association,
beg to report that they are unanimous in
the opinion any such report should come
from the Health Officer, and as the facts
upon which any report of this committee or
the Health Officer would be based must
necessarily come from the medical frater.
nifty, it is better that their views should be
consolidated by the Health officer and pub
lished over his signature, If it be deemed
necessary that any such report should be
published;
[Signedl D. G. PURSE.
j. II. JOHNSTON.
j. NJ. SoLoMoNs.
TO the BesaeUolest Association, Savannah, a.
Mr.. Thomas had now returned, and nv
duty was plain. After giving him the OBJ
ton OF resumiDg his travels, doing the out
side work, and leaving me to conduct the
Office laboTs, upon receiving his decliuation
of this proposition, left the CITY In the dis
charge of higher and more sacred duty
than any that could be suggested to stay
me under the circumstances.
Later on when the fever had developed
It's violence, l again gave Mr.. Thomas the
option of leaving the city and permitting
me to come In, exchanging places and
character of labor. A second declination
followed and Mr.. Thomas stood nobly to
his post during the entire prevalence of the
scourge. After my return home, feeling
should give place on the limited rolls of the
association to those who. without it's mem
bership, had battled with it during the
pestilence, submitted my resignation, and
the following is a copy:
SAVANNAH, GA, February u, 1877.
To the Officers and Members Of Savannah
BsneUOlent association:
GENTLEMEN-1 beg to tender you this my
resignation OF membership In your honora-
BILE body.
have ever esteemed my connection with
your body one of the proudest and most
cherished associations of my life, and
sever 1t with the profoundest feeling of re-
gret; but feel it due to you and myself
that | should take the step, because, though
my earnest desire, it was not my privilege
to battle side by side with you in the late
fearful scourge of fever by reason of cir
cumstances beyond my control.
The arrangements of the business of the
firm with which l am associated devolved
upon either my partner or myself the dis
charge OF the duty that carried and kept me
away from the city. My arrangements to
this end had been contaminated a month
before the first appearance of a thought of
tever, In accordance with a business usage
of the firm of Purse & Thomas, in force
since 1866, that deyelved upon me last fall
of looking after our credit scattered over
the State, and because of the fever, from
which we would have suffered pecuniary
loss, unless closely looked after. Before
entering upon this work and after, when
the fever had developed its violence, de-
sired my partner to exchange places with
me.
neld myself ready to return at any and
every moment when relieved by my part
ner or called by his sickness.
With sentiments of highest esteem for
each Of you, | am, very truly yours,
Signedl D. G. PURSE.
The resignation was not accepted, for rea-
sons sufficient to the association, and for
possibly this reason among them that It did
not lay in the lips Of any of them to say l
had, under the circumstances, violated any
trust or obligation; but only that without
fear OF frown or favor, l had pursued the
plain and unmistakable line Of duty blazed
out before me ten years before.
DoavonAk,Il,. n n