The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-05-11
SOMEWHAT OF A SCARE.
A smsII-Pox Patient Arrives on the
East-Round Train Last Night and
Is Taken to Horton station

Last Thursday night Mr. J. :
Watson, member Of the board of health,
was waited upon at his residence by
man named Jones, who showed a tele
gram just received by train dispatcher
Nichols, stating that his (JonesD son was
aboard the incoming train from the
west, and was afflicted with smallpox.
Acting upon this Information, Mr. Wat.
son jumped on his horse and made haste
To inform Mayor Eastman and the other
members of the board of health of the
situation, and they at once proceeded tn
the round house, as it was then nearly
time for the train To arrive.
On the arrival of the train it was
found that there was aboard a stone ma
son by the name of Tom Jones. who was
broken out with smallpox. Jones had
been in the employ of the Santa Fe
company at Ration, New Mexico, aud
being taken sick. fastened back 20 Kan
sas, his father being a stone mason
working in this city. When the train
reached Newton Mr.. Jones was exam
ined by the physicians OF that city. who
pronounced his disease TO be smallpox,
and his father was so advised, as above
stated.
There being no pest house in this city,
Mayor Eastman advised the conductor
to take the patient on to Topeka, where
he could be properly cared for, but the
conductor had received positive instruc-
iions Ia take the coach no further than
! Horton Station, and to leave il
here if possible. The mayor
at once gave the marshal in
| structions to see that the
coach was not detached here
therefore il was concluded to take il
to Horton. Wishing to make the pat
| lent as comfortable AS possible, MIR
Eastman secured a nurse in the person
| of Frank Burnham, who has been driv
| ing the Fifth avenue bus. and has had
| smallpox, 10 go with Jones to Horton
and nurse him, Mr.. Jones' father also
going. Medical attendance was promised
him to-day, and every attention looking
to his comfort and recovery will be pro
vided by the city authorities.
The patient came from Ration
and all day the coach in which he was
sitting was crowded with people, and
when the train reached the round house
the coach was full of passengers
several of whom got off here and dis.
persed to different parts of the city, tho
majority doubtless only lying ovel
here between trains. Owing. to The
very short notice given Mayor Eastman
of the coming of Mr.. Jones he was un
able to quarantine the train and proven
exposed passengers from stopping here
| as under more favorable circumstance!
he certainly would have done.
Friday morning DR.. McCandliss. who
has had considerable experience in thu
treatment of smallpox. was commits
stoned by the mayor and board of healtl
TO visit Jones-and returned about noon
stating that he had smallpox in {
mild form, and that pustuies were be
ginning to make their appearance upoI
his face. The car containing the patien
was side-tracked at Horton station anC
the sick man will not be taken from
it until other suitable accommoda
tions can be provided. 1t i
possible that the car may bG
hitched on to freight train tO-nigh
and taken to Topeka, where there is {
pest-house, and il that plan is not prac
ticable the city will erect a temporary
hospital for Jones' accommodation, and
for others who may contract the disease
Burnham, the man who was employed
to nurse Jones, and who remained will
him over night, committed the serious
indiscretion of coming to town Friday
being under the impression, as ht
stated, that Jones was not
victim of smallpox, and as he wa
around on the street most of the morn
ing, it is impossible to forecast the re
suit of his heedlessness. The patien
has only been sick since Monday, and a
the disease is not regarded by medica
men as being nearly so contagious il
its early as in its later stages, there is 1
bare possibility that Emporia may es.
cape the cOntagion, but the situation il
such as to indicate the necessity of en-
ploying every possible prccaution Il
prevent spread of this dreaded malady