Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-10-23
MONTREAL'S SCOURGE.
An Inspection of the Plague stricken
Canadian City.
New York Herald, Oct. 1s.l


The Hcruld correspondent at Montreal,
walked through the worst portion of the
infected district to-day, but there WAS no
sign of the promised energy of the Health
department placarding houses for purpose
of isolation. In Wolf and Montcalm
streets only twelve placards and seven
others nearly torn off were to be seen.
Children played about in troops, many of
them bearing marks of recent smallpox.
Not far from No 331 Wolf street two
men were driving away from door III an
ordinary wagon. little collin was on
the back seat and several women stood at
the door of the house. One of them helu
! in her arms Il child evidently three years
old, wrapped in blanket and apparently
suffering from smallpox. No placard
was on the house. A few doors further
down a child sat at the door VINO had
traces of the convaleScent stage upon
him. There was oplacard on that house
either Little knots of women gossiped
about the doors as though nothing I'M
usual was taking place about them.
If IA stranger could reach Montreal in
the evening and sleep without dreaming
of the articles upon small poX III the news
papers he might walk down to the bust
ness streets of Montreal without knowing
that there is an epidemic here; unless,
indeed the smell of dIsntectants in some
stores should arouse suspicion. The car
bolic acid and lime are experienced near
w everywhere. But no traveller can en-
ter the city without knowledge me
newSbpy on the train will tell him all
about it. He will descant on the danger
and 90 into details. He has pocket dlsln-
fectants for sale and he makes the travel
Ter believe no fellow should DE without
one-only fifteen cents-and he pokes UNI
! 4 Ia. an N.4ln
inch and half square, which smells OF Il
drug factory.
do you sell many"
ooh, yes there is quite demand for
them. People who travel are generally
more scared than the city folks" This
. end to be the fact the more see Of the
2 "people don't drive much" said my
; cab driver. They are afraid OF us-all
l along of thin durty Frinch." TINS was
/ Windsor. On telling him they were rate
y rs proverbially clean, he calculated,
y "Clane, is it ? Divil clane one yen lind
h to dhrive ye ~
S But | found my prejudiced friend was
r wrong. Passing from street to street II
II the French quarter, found no support Il
d the filth charge against the French Cana
II dams. The "pock-pitted" faces, though
y were very common. Among the stree
e scenes encountered to-day was II groul
IS around map bulletin of Il local neWspit
Is per The map seemed "pock pltted VIII
IS black blotches which indicated small poA
d everywhere, and was enough TO make ont
n shudder. On reading over the eXplana
ar tions, however, it was shown that I'M
h disease was confined to space arouh'
er which was drawn a thin black line. III
rs effort of the writer appeared 10 snow ln'.
III the disease was confined to really sinal
rs space Subsequent interviews had VIII
~ the health officers showed that the infect
IN ed district covered three times the spac
rs indicated.
of Many citizens on these holidays have re
IN manned absent from Montreal. some nay
40 tried to escape the contagiOn by leaVlh
p town \ pOStOtlice carrier VINO hau
Id child in his house sent the second emu
to to friends in the country. She sKlppe
he about and enjoyed herself for Week
Ill Then she developed the symptoms ana ma
IL to he isolated and uursed through sha
EN- poX. Escape is not easy where there Is :
IN, much of the disease. During the coulS
no of Il trial by jury, a juror had TO De I'll
to missed and Il new jury sworn because
is became known that that particular Jurt
nj had small poX in his house. In anOth'
to case postponement of the case for nftee
mp days was the result of witness haNll
an small poX in his house. In still an0th'
MT case a Judge called for constable ana M
of Il witness shown down stairs out or u
ST. court house. At Laprairie, last Sunda
yer people who had small poX in their nous
of were shown out of church. 1t Is ever
&C where almost, and requires the vlglant
nut of hotel and railway men to keep IL frol
ike spreading more than it has
all The Roman Catholic clergy and Slste
tho are working now with much energy. H'
of they commenced sooner much more go'
an would have been done. Their task IS Il
me fcult. The French Canadian people
fell many instances do not look upon the d
cal ease as small pox, but think it a plag
vas of some other kind. A French Canadii
TO on being asked why he did not get vaccl
rs ; eted before he went TO do chores IN Eli
rye lish houses, retorted, "There is no use
| vaccinating 1t will not save me fro
OK, poison" Trade suffers, of course. Is