Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-12-04
Plague sInitten.

The Lo uisville Courier. Journal sent staff
correspondent up TO invt stigate the reported
ravagss OF the dread disease In Eastern Ken
lucky and West Virginia, and the correspond
ent sends the following from Williamsburg,
KY:
w. Z. Lester prominent attorney CT this
place, has just arrived from Mount Pleasant,
county seat Of Harlan County, where he has
been for two weeks past at curt as acting
prosecuting attorney. Mr.. Lester has imfor
nation OF the prevailing plague, principally
from Harlan, Letcher, Perry, Leslie ana Bel.
equities, and Gays that III Harlan IL appeared
TO be the worst. IL is most fatal and prevails
10 the greatest extent up about the headwaters
of Poor Fork and Clover. Creek, In the
mountains, distance OF about twenty
i've miles from MOunt Peasant. A
large territory is being terribly afflicted
and people are dying very rapidly.
In one neighb rhood twelve persons dieu Ia
single day The latter part OF last week, ana
there were scarcely well persons enough 10
make them fiius Of rudely hcwn boards aDo
bury them. On Browns Creek, which rises 1,
Harlan and empties into the Cumberland X Yer
In Bell county, the disease Is raging with
frightful rapidiSy, aud there Is no way to keep
the record OF the dead. All along the banks
OF the streams people are sick aud physicians
and medicines, outside OF her BIS aud roots, with
whose curatives properties the natives are &C.
Quainted, are unknown and uuobtainable. The
epidemic is rapidly spreading In Harlan county,
and SO far there seems 10 nave been nothing
discovered TO check or cure, those tfillcteC
either dying in short time, or nature saving
lheIn from 'ath only 10 leave Them such
ply sical W.T., cks that they are helpless infants
for weeks. Ia the district covering the south
ern portion of Letcher aud Perry c0uutits thr
whole OF Leslie and the northern portion of
Bill counties the plague has obtained foot
hold, but reports as To It's violence are very
conflicting. Mr.. Lester thinks, from what he
was able TO CLEAN at Mt. Pleasant, that deaths
run up into hundreds, while the number OF
those attacked cannot be estimate d. The dis
ease does not prevail at Mount Pleasant, bul
the session OF the circuit court, so far as thu
trial OF commonwealth cases are concerntd d,
was complete failure, scarcely case being
called but 1t bad TO be continued because OF
the illness or death Of the defendant or some
witness.
Mr.. Lester further said that no one seemed
TO know The exact nature of the pestilence
Most pope call 1t 'Aux," and IL is probably
very aggravated form of that disease. 1t be
gins with gripping pains IN the stom.cn, followed
by d. b, iating dlarrhea and swelling of the
throat, and II not fatal In three or four days
the patient, rs rule, RECEIVERS. All reports
agree as To the cause OF the epidemic, IL being
attributed TO the use OF impure water by the
natives. The season has been unusually dry,
the streams as a rule consisting only of narrow
threads Of murky, foul smelling anu foul tast-
lug water, Win an occ islonal pool of some
poisonous stuff The corn crop In all the coun
ties above is good, and starvation and want
only exist because the people Can spare no time
from the sick TO gather 1t. No mills are run
ming on the smaller streams. In no portion OF
the territory meEtiJned Is either the corn OF
hay crop smaller than usual. The situation
seems appalling, and no relief is at hand.
My information had no news excep. In a gen.
eral way Of the prevalence Of the plague IN
Virginia or West Virginia. In letter only
few localities IN the extrt me southwestern part
OF the state are afflicted, but in the former
Buchanan, Wise, Lee, Russell and Scott coup-
ties are reported in truly appalling condition.