The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-04-19
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. April ID.

WASHINGTON, April Ii.
To the Editor of The Statesman:
The early appearance of yellow
fever in Havana, and at other seaports
in the West Indies, has caused the
national board of health to begin
preparations for the
COMING SICKLY SEASON
earlier than usual this year. Quaran-
tine stations will be Immediately eS-
tablished in those American ports
which are adjacent to the West In
dies, and at which vessels with the
dreaded malady may any day appear.
The yellow fever mas started much
earlier than in former years, and the
long time between now and frost
causes the officials of the health de-
partment to fear that certain localities
will bel dreadfully afflicted with the
disease during the summer. The
health department is in receipt of
numerous letters from the different
state boards of health, asking for in
formation and intimating that unless
prompt measures are taken the
ScOurge may be introduced and be-
come epidemic. The first quarantine
station will be established at New
Orleans, and afterwards at the other
ports where the fever is liable to be
introduced.
1t would be well for the state
board of Texas to take immediate ac-
ton in the matter. Last summer the
fever had a stronger hold at
one of her seaports than ever
before in the history of the state, and
even at Brownsville it would not
have existed to such an extent if it
had not been thought in Washington
that there was little danger of the
disease becoming epidemic. For this
reason the proper precautions were
not taken at first. and the fever had
ample opportunity to spread. This
should not be allowed this year. Gal
weston, Brownsville and Corpus
Christi should be quarantined at the
earliest possible moment. In CONVEX
sation with an eminent physician
of this city the representative of the
STATESMAN asked if the yellow fever
was strictly a hot climate disease
and not liable to injure any of the
northern cities. Not at all, he said;
if the fever once gets hold in Bos-
ton or New York or any of the cities
to the moth of us you will find that
its ravages would be as bad as in
New Orleans. Yellow fever can
stand considerable cool weather. Do
you not recollect when the fever was
so bad in the Mississippi valley the
entire medical profession of the coun-
try was under the impression that the
approach of fall would check it, and
instead of this being the case, it actu-
ally fiourished better during the
fall and did considerable harm
after frost. The safety of our north
ern cities consists in being far from
Cuba, where the disease is bred. not
so much in climatic advantages.
JUDGE GRESHAM,
the new postmaster general, was
Sworn into Office by James Lawrence,
one ofthe Oldest clerks of the depart
ment. who has sworn in all of the
postmasterS since Cave Johnson. The
judge Immediately set to work sign
ing commissions for postmasters in
the different states, several of which
were Tor Texas, and have been pub
lished in the STATESMAN. He ap-
pears to be a business man and
easily catches on to the intricacieS of
his vast department, He shows his
good sense by being averse to all
demonstrations, not even caring for
the reception rendered him by the
delegation Of his own state. The
judgeis of quiet, decisive nature.
having little to say and caring little
for the opinions of others, when he
makes decision of public import
ance. 1t is reported that he intended
to resign his judgeship in Indiana to
enter law firm at the head of which
is ex-senator Mcdonald. The ap-
pointment to the cabinet was uneX-
pected to HIM.
,@saAV edn eSdaV afternnOn -sss.aa.