Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-11

now, he could scarcely realize It. he naQ
inquired Of q medical friend who had prac-
ticed In the locality II the restoration OF this
land had had any appreciable effect on the
health OF the surrounding people, and the
doctor responded that whilst he had a few
cases occasionally in the neighborhood the
condition OF the people previous 70 the
work could not be compared to their pres
ent condition.
The speaker inquired If any similar result
could not be accomplished on yonder island,
and II the same intelligent and sktllful sys-
TEN adopted there would not result adVan--
tagecuslYg He referred to the recent sad
death OF charming young lady from Sc
we're mslarial fever, the numerous cases in
the CITY, the fact that strangers fastened
their departure from the city because they
thought it sickly. Aud when the belief
was forced on us that the poison from yon-
der marsh was the cause of this. did 1t be-
hoove us to remain silent? Common
regard for our future demands we should
act. 1t was vain to tell him that this island
is not source Of disease. With the ther-
mometer frequently at 80 deg, could 1t be
asserted that the exhalations from that
island were not productive OF disease, con-
sidering the proximity to the city? SAM
tarfans have declared that diseases generate
from some Of these swamps at tempera-
ture OF 6S deg. This should be RENE
died at any consideration, when the GER
tainty OF life, health and material
prosperity are concerned. He said ma
terial prosperity, because SdflG mems
IN Sa'ld corpOre-a sound mind and sound
body are essential to the material prosperity
OF a people. 1t requires health to make
strong people. They must not be oppressed
by that insidious disease which we see not,
but which poisons the air we breathe. We
have 1t In our power to check this, and we
owe it to ourselves to adopt the means and
hot orBg1I he NIT
OF that eloquent old man years ago-that
this climate shall be changed and 1t must
be changed. Loud and continued ap-
plsuse
General Henry r. Jackson, who was in the
parquette, here arose, and was greeted with
applause. In response to a request of the
President he assembled the stage, and turn
ing to the Chair said that he had accepted
bis invitation to address this meeting be-
cause he felt it bis duty. He appeared now
simply because he did not wish him to
think he had forgotten his promise,
but he found himself painfully at a
loss what 10 say. For forty years
and more, he had been citizen Of this COM
munitY, and yet he must confess that he
could not draw upon bis learning or expe-
rience for anything to say hist he consid-
cred pertinent. h had never had chill
or fever. and when the citizens Of Savannah
were noblY fighting Yellow Jack he was
''over the mountains and far away" Laugh
ter and applause. He felt under the cir
cumstances that he could but humbly sit and
list@n gracefully, but If permitted to leave
the rostrum and mount the witness stand
he might say something.
When a young professional man, just
starting upon his career, and clients were
scarce, there came one who had secured
portion OF the land on this island under the
dry culture contract, and the speaker we'll
remembered the glowing accounts he gave
| Of his growing crops, which might well
cause Domino Samson to throw up his hands
and eXclaim, "prodgious ~ This friend
one day swoke, not like Byron to find him
self famous, but Infamous. Across yonder
a patch of rice had been discovered, and
you can bet there was life in the old town
then. She swore big oath and called on
the city authorities to wake up, and never
before had there been such an excitement
among the Solons in the Exchange. Sum
moDses were issued, aud there was general
stirring up as the importance of the matter
thrust itself upon the city authorities. His
client, Mr.. Gwin, and himself were sum-
moned to appear before thu august tribunal
and show cause why they had the temerity
TO plant rice.
The speaker here gave an exceedingly
pleasant and numerous account of the posi-
ton he assumed in defending these vested
rights; but his vested rights, his abstract
and concrete law were swept away like cat
tails iD a whirlwind, and leaving this tri-
bunal, they went out and took a drink. He
then suggested to 0win to take out a
supercedeas Gwin paid him a fee, and said
supercede Bat the abaters said SIS you
have seeded the soil with rice, we will
supercede YOU and your rice. He then
said to GWin that argument was
exhausted, aud advised him to take
his shotgun, load It to the muzzle,
aud Whan the abaters appeared to fire upon
them. GWin didn't pay for this advice,
and, to make long story short, didn't act
upon it, and the abaterS proceeded TO the
rice field where they discovered that If the
rice was q nuisance to health 1t was also a
nuisance to the absters. and was possessed |
of wonderful vitality l. was plowed down,
but Immediately sprang back uninjured,
fire was then thought Of ard abandoned
and the reapers went forth, but so stubborn
was the rice and so vigorous its growth that
when the respers returned for their scvthes
where they had laid them at the close of the |
work, they were unable to find them or
discover where the work of the Yesterday
ended and the work of the day should be- |
gin. So startled was he by this inform alton
that he sent a messenger over there with q
tape and line who returned with the re-
port that the rice grew an inch and half in an
hour. Shortly after this the speaker was In
Atlanta, and dropping In at Bucky 1homp-
sons hotel, he met several parties and gave
them a sketch Of this rice story The 81 |
lence which followed the relation induced |
him to retreat to the street, whittier he was
followed by one of the parties, a casual |
friend, who, stopping him, suggested his |
interest In him and advised him never to tell |
that rice story again, especially in Atlanta. |
That since then he had often been touched |
with the recollection of Atlantas great re- |
gard for veracity which characteriZes her,
and which he presumed would continue to
the end of time.
The speakers description of the final
judicial proceedings in this rice case were
very amusing and heartily enjoyed, but |
synopsis of It would fail to give proper
idea of it, and the press upon our columns
compels US to omit full account.
The speaker closed his very interesting |
and entertaining address with an eloquent |
contrast of the benefits OF health and !
wealth, and encouraged the Association to |
keep on in the good work which they had |
inaugurated. He was heartily spplauded |
throughout his remarks.
DR.. L. A. Falligant followed in some |
remarks upon the report as read, and the |
remarks OF Colonel Screven, and con-
tended That the drainage system |
should be extended to the eastern |
belt of the city, where much of the danger |
from malaria existed; that not all the evil |
was with Hutchinson's Island, and that he |
was not willing to admit that the death of |
the young lady mentioned was due to that |
cause. He spoke of the jealous efforts |
made by the Sanitary Board, and |
the frequent reports of the |
Health Officer on the condition Of Hutcbin- |
sons Island. He commended that the diff
Guilty in carrying outiour plans of sanitation |
was the result of the financial inability of |
the city, but If the citizens would 90 up to |
the Treasurer's Office and return their in |
comes and pay their taxes into the treasury |
there would be money enough for i'm
provements.
DR.. j. ]. Warning next addressed the meet |
ing, giving detailed account of his work |
on Hutchinson's Island, the expense to
which the lessees had been put and the i'm
mense damage which had been done the |
island by the storm, an extraordinary
and unexpected occurrence, which could
not be provided against and which
was not anticipated. He stated that the
breaks on the island were nearly all repaired
and that the water had been drained off;
that he had now a force at work strengthen
ing the embankments, and what was neces-
sarg for the future security OF the island |
was a system of sectional embaDkments.
He stated that eighteen miles of bitches
had been dug on the island, |
and that all that was possible |
was done. A reference to the books
of the lessee would show that he had ex-
pended on the island $4,000. he would |
here state that last September the lessee
asked the city to take back the property,