The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-02-23
A PROTEST.
The Residents of Gable High
" Indignant.
Malice and Misrepresentation
the Cause.

The residents of the neighbering village
of Gable are somewhat exasperated over
!. several malicious letters that have appeared
in local weekly paper, concerning the
health authorities of that place, and their
treatment of the smallpox patients and
those exposed to the contagious disease
In view of the facts, one. of the denizens
of that township has written thefollowing
letter which contains an exposition of the
facts in the case, as well as history Of the
several cases of smallpox that have ap.
peared in Gable during the present season:
CABLE, Ill.,, Feb. 90, 1882
/ EDITOR ARGUS, Dear sir:-In looking
over copy of the Rock Islander not long
since we noticed a communication from
Gable. in which the writer made many err
roneous statements. But being inclined to
be charitable we let it pass, believing it to
be the result of ignorance and youth
rather than righteousness. But as our
youthful correspondent still continues his
'unwarranted attacks, and knowing that
under certain circumstances the produe-
| tions Of even the most unwise or illiterate
/ dIG AIdDtC lO 0O udIAl1, AAebSAluSa eS tACy
may reach those unacquainted with the
writer, and having no knowledge of the
| true facts in the case, are of course easily
mislead, a statement of the actual facts is
hereby submitted: Now in Justice to the
citizens of our town, let me here say, as far as
they are concerned it is not necessary that
these statements should be refuted, for the
simple fact that the great majority of
them know from whence they came.
| We are also well aware that any measures
that have been taken by our Town Board
in regard to quarantining or in any way
preventing the spread of smallpox since
its introduction among us has been done
JUDIeIoUsLY,
| and with view to the best interests Of our
town-by men being chosen by the peo-
| pie and elected by an overwhelming major
| ity. .
| 1t is certainly beneath the dignity of one
calling himself man to malign his neigh
Dor because he is called to act in the ca
pacity of village trustee or health officer,
even though the accusor may pine for the
honor himself.
The fact that parties have been quaran-
tined who were not actually suffering from
smallpox, seems to greatly harass the
youthful writer If he would spend more
tllAAC sCCnlIIS huO"lCdRC duu ICss NoIH15
attempting to dissimulate it, he would
probably be better able to understand such
matters: He would expect Town Board
to be wise, indeed, to know which one of
the exposed parties had contracted the dis |
ease, admitting as he does that one of the
one hundred and one whom he asserts
were quarantined has taken the disease. |
Again, he grossly misrepresents when he |
says all had complied with the law by be-
ing vaccinated. To our certain knowledge |
more than one half the number he says
were quarantined had not been vaccinated
for years. and many of them not at all |
He says he went
TO ALEDo
to see if he couldn't find remedy for this
outrage, and 1.-THE would-be Board of |
Health telegraphed for him to be stopped. !"
(using his own language He says the
Alcdo authorities saw the ignorance Of the
Gable Board manifest il this telegram, and
paid no attention to it. The truth is the
telegram never reached Aledo. Neverthe-
less the authorities there expressed them
selves as being very thankful to our OFF,
GERS for their attempt to warn them, and
their readiness to pay any expenses in case
it was thought Unnecessary to again commu-
nicate with them.
He mentions Mr. Ellis trip to Rock Is
land but fails to GO into details with his
usual sang fr0sd. We have neither time
nor inclination to do so. Suffice it to say
that more attention was shown him than
to any visitor from any town for years.
In his last he mentions the pest house
and says as our board can't get it filed
with sick are trying to fill it with well
people. As to this, it is only few days
since the house was completed. At the
time of anrnnIafin1 Of Mr. |
Haddick, having been sick few DAYS
with small pox and the parents not being
satisfied to take him in his condition to the
pest house, Mrs. Haddick was advised to
move there with the balance of the family
who, up to that time, had been kept aloof
from the sick boy, and so If possible save
them from contracting the disease. They
were all vaccinated without delay (who
had not been recently and we are pleased
to learn that it is likely to be successful.
MIR. Haddick is taking care of his sick
boy, who is doing IS well as could be ex-
pected. Mrs. Augur, the lady mentioned
rs having an accustomed fit +" is suffering
from an attack of paralysis; her SON Henry
beng down with the smallpox. Both are
at the house of Mrs. Gordon, one and q
half miles southwest of Cable.
We will give you
CORRECT sTATEasEAT 4
IF the number of cases in our town OF
Mr.. Hudson's family, five Were taken sick :
hree of whom died. the baby, little girl ..
aged five years and one thirteen, the last F.
being sick only three or four days. Mr.. .
Jno. Miller was the next victim, he being !.
the father of large family, the same be- !,
ng the case where SO many were exposed
md not as our friend stated by the doctors
assurance that it was simply q case of
ever. We are informed by good author
ty that no such assurance was ever given
The physician was first called on Friday,
and OF Saturday was informed by Mrs.
Miller that the patient was so much better @
hat she thought he would not need any
hing more in the way OF medicine He q
vas called IN on Tuesday aud pronounced
t smallpox. Learning that the eruptiens
manifested themselves on Sunday,
md that different parties had been q
n to see Mr.. Miller it was thought wise
" the board to quarantine such parties as 8
veil as their families. It really seems q
TRANCE to us that any one SO wonderfully