Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-30
JACKSONVILLE APPALLED,
A SMALLPOX SPECTRE OVER
TOWERING THE CITY.

D
this city as during the past week owe
smallpox. The first Yankee gunboa
| that came up the st. Johns river durin
the war could not have produced NOR
| uneasiness or greater scare than tn
wild rumOrs of the scOurge have her
within six days. Two weeks ago al
were confident that the worst wa
over and the filthy disease ha,
about ended its course in thi
city. In fact it was little heard of any
Where except among negroes in the eX
IRENE suburbs of the city, and with feel
ing OF security from a further spread tn,
disease was but little feared, and all wa
apparently quiet until the cool morning,
OF last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thurs
day, when, to the surprise of every one
the two White ladies { Miss Lima Risho,
ana Mrs. simmons }, who had been pros
trated for week or so, were reported
worse and soon afterwards died. The for
mer being a sister-in-law of the Cit,
Health Othcer, and residing at his house
naturally gave rise to alleged careless
less on the part of the authori
ties, and the whole affair wa.
iireely discussed. on Tuesday morn
ing little negro bOotblack, named Hav
ward, appeared on the streets with til,
disease tully developed on his person, an(
from this hour and case rumOrs were a.
thick as hail. Everybody began to talk anC
censure, lnsinuate and abuse the authOri
ties, and add to the scare in one .wav anC
another, until all was excitement. O.
course this was all soon known abroad
and if there is one place that has moi
quarantined against Jacksonville YOU
MIR. Editor, will afford much relief by let
ing the public here know where it is. The
log camps have even taken fright and shut
us out; the force OF railroad laborers a
lew miles from the city threaten to draw
the line between this city and their
healthy place of rendezvous.
This excited state of the community has
caused a daily assembling of the Board OF
Health and City Council and on Thursday
a meeting of the citizens for the purpose
OF allaylng the uneasy feeling of the
people, and to show to the public at large
that there is no necessity for such great
alarm, and next to rid the city of the pes
thence. The outlook at present is that
these objects Will be accomplished The
readers of the News may wonder why
this course has not been pursued before,
but when they understand that for the
want OF 1unds by defective law the
Board of Health were crippled; that the
negroes opposed vaccination and going to
the pest house, actually threatening Yio-
lence to every official who visited O. inter
rogated them as to the disease, and with a
determination to secrete all cases, it will
at once be perceived with what difficult
ties the authorities had to contend: and il
was found impossible to ever eXterminate
the disease without some united action,
hence the public meeting Thursday. Here
white and cOlOred men came together,
pledglng cooperation in the speedy work
OF determination and strict observance
OF sanitary laws, especially vaccination
and isolation Of infected premises.
AT meeting Saturday a committee of
SIX gentlemen were appointed to draw up
a memorial, giving the facts of the balefuI
scOurge, and to forward same to the vari-
Gus towns, with a view to having the
quarantine against this city raised. About
$l,3O0 were collected among the citizens
Friday, to be used i'll the work of eXtermi-
nation,
The latest from the Health Officer is as
follows; Number of cases (not in pest
house, i'll city and county under treat
ment, Il; of these three are in LaViIla-
one white and two colOred four in the
clty-0ne white and three cOlOred: five in
the county, near pest house, all colOred
Ihere are also six cases in the country
all except two of which are cOnvaIescent.
At the pest house there are about twen-
ty-three cases under charge of DR.. Bab-
cock, six of Whom will be discharged this
week.
The last case in the city is that Of a
seven-year-Old daughter of D, c, Dawkins,
Esq. Himself, three children aud a lady
physician are confined to the house where
the sick child is. About two weeks since
Judge Dawkins' wife died, after a long ill
ness, and now his family visited with this
lOathsOme scOurge, and cut off from all
society OF friends or relatives, is truly
sad condition for one of his years and cir
cumstances TO be placed in, He has the
heartfelt sympathy Of all, but more es-
peclally the Masonic order. of which he is
a distinguished and hOnOred member.
The disease and quarantine together
have proved rather hurtfuI to every class
of business. in this city, The dullness was
never exceeded before by any scare.
Trade is at a low ehh, and many feel blue
and respondent, seeing, as they do. a
duller summer than was Anticipated lW
any one. 1t is always long and inactive
season here from July to October, but this
year it commenced with May, and heaven
only knows the end.
Excited people up the st. Johns river
refused to receive the mails the past week,
and consequently they have had nothing
bad we have the smallpox, and it is not
half so bad as they imagine
A passenger, coming from Pensacola to
this city the past week, was informed at
Lake City that 70 cases of smallpox made
their appearance here in three days. And
thus it is all around, 3 cases grow into 75
in travelling go miles.
Hundreds of negroes have LETT the CITY.
some through fright and others to work on
etc.
From gentlemen coming TO the city
from South Florida, your CORES
pOndent learns that there is much disan-
polntment in that section at the suspen-
sion of the usual summer cattle trade.
The cause is said to be the high price at
which cattle are held, and the heavy
charges for Transporting them to Havana.
Last summer S12 would buy the best. now
they are held at from $15 to $1S per head.
The steamers engaged in this business
have been withdrawn from the route. and
are seeking employment elsewhere. Some
charge that all the shipping cattle have
fallen into the hands of spec
llatOrs, who demand more than
VIII be paid for such stock.
lnqulrlng # this. did not keep away all the
money ana people, we were replied to in
The negative, and the matter thus
explained: "South Florida never did
have such boom in land be-
fore, and thousands of dollars are
paid out there weekly for land, and as for
people, the woods are full Of them. i'm
search OF land to buy BY these sales;
said the gentleman, "the people will man
age to get through all right.1
POLK county has done a handsome real
estate business during the past few
months, and large bodies of the mission
purchase nave changG6 hands. Live real
ssti. sstate agents and a railroad will give any
Dos t9r hoa, Jew days the new railroad talk
a'aat a@e teeu quiet. but ''allee samee' does the
T'"''I ION OF the Jacksonville, Tampa
ana Key west and International Rail-
roads go ahead, The weather being fa-
vorable and W0rkmen healthy. the work
Of both roads is being pushed to its ut
most.
Regular trains arrive and depart on the
new st. Augustine Railroad. though little
business is being done by it vet. but next
winter 1t expects a peri ect bonanza. and
snOuld III pan out we'll a suspension
bridge may span the mighty st. Johns.
Inc railroad from Jacksonville to ST
Johns bar has not been commenced vet
but about all the capital stock has been
taken. When finished, a seaside town
VIII spring up at its eastern terminus. 1t
Is highly important that not only Jackson
vile, but the inhabitants of all the river
towns should have place of rost in sum
ner on our coast, where they can recu-
perate and enjoy the refreshing and in
sea breeze. Every family, even
Win limited means, can purchase a lot
anu erect temporary building for sum-
her use tnere, and business men can
spend the night there and the day in the
;ity,
Day after day the steamers on the St.
lohn's river depart with heavy cargoes of