The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-10-06
sAgTrARY LAWS DErtEn,

This s the SITUATION at present. Laws
and sanitary regulations are not only dis
obeyed, but openly dehed. Nine-tenths
Of the people look to relief through prayer
rather than their own exertions, and ac-
cept the coming OF smallpox as an inevita-
ble visitation from God. They take no
pains to avoid it. No one knows how
many have succumbed to the dread dis
ease, for the Board OF Health keeps no re-
cord OF deaths, and the people here would
think NO more OF reporting the presencs
OF c. Q OF contagious disease to the Board
OF Health than an American would Of a
case OF mumps. The correspondent visit
ed q number Of houses in which the dis
ease existed in order to witness the state
Of affairs. The frat was cottage on Panel
street, outside OF which crowd OF boys
were hooting at notice OF smallpox Just
posted on the door. There was only one
case OF the disss Ca girl of 10, who was
taken four days previous. The mother
was strenuous in her denunciation OF the
Board Of Health and the city authorities.
She did not believe in vaccination. Her
child would probably recover through her
prayers and the French doctor in attend
ance, aud she would get up from the dis
ease purified" and in better health than
ever before. Ifit was the will OF LIE Bon
Dieu that she died her soul would be safe.
A younger child was playing about the
adjoining room, the connecting door being
wide open. The window in the sick room
was shut and the air was close and fetid.
As regards the placard the woman was
indignant. Would she not be compelled
to v ash it of? Would the Board OF Health
take It down, Oh, mol She would have
to do it unless the garcons outside saved
her the trouble. At this point OF the con-
versation little boy found his way into
the room from neighbor's. No attempt
was made to drive him out, and when the
writer took his departure the urchin was
standing in the door Of the sick room
looking at his delirious little acquaintance
on the bed.
SCENES OF HORROR.
A darker side OF the picture is afforded
by a visit tot the dwelling of a poor laun-
dress in the neighborhood OF Champaign
street. The tenement consisted OF three
rooms-one a common living room and a
bedroom opening out of it. The odor OF
the place is perfectly nauseating. The
moment the writer reached the door Of
the house, after having passed through .
group Of children in the front area, there
bec1me spparent peculiar, sickish, sweet
smell which rauseates an unfamiliar
stomach, and which is 10 characteristic IN
its nature IS to be unmistakable. In the
small bedroom opening from the
tiiyiug.room there weTe three
beds packed closely together. One
OF the beds was double one and the
other two were children's s'sls. On the
large bed was little sufferer in the lp4t
stages OF the dises e. The entire face was
q solid mass Of pustulation and the eyes
were closed. Tae secondary fever wai at
It's height and the wretChed object breath
ed short IN 60 ping efforts In lis profound
delirium. The child had but few hours
70 live. On one Of the small beds wal
another child, convalescent, but very
weak from severe attack. A child Of I,
the sister OF the Two sick children, wa1
playing about the door OF the living room.
Her face W.T. free from the signs Of dis
ea 70, and an examination revealed the
kdIb tA4Nk bOlA uGA aiLl1 WG4G AGG A4SG4
the marks Of vaccination.
"Why don't you have that child vaoci.
nated?' exclaimed the reporter. "Ahi
non, nouVf said the mother, and she
matched up the little one in an involun.
t1ry tear that the Objectionable virus
might be sureptitiously introduced be-
nj ..th the cuticIe of her offspring. "Hape
the Board Of Health bEea aTound?'
"Y, :, Lome one came and put up no,
tice." "Who pulled II DOWN. "Ah, je
ne aais p, y" replied the laundre's. "Do
, you know the child is dyipgT "Ah, yes
but have todo the washington Madame'l
lodgelS." "You don't mean to say that
you are washiTg the clothes Of an outIide
lamiiy 7" "0ui, oui, cer'a'nepent,"
Il i any wonder, asks the correspond
ent, that the epidemic Is rapidly inCref5
ing in Montreal, when such ignorance
prevaiLs2 The system Of iuuigstlon 10 q
: mere sham and amountJ to nothing, anC
unle:s some iurtheF precautions are taken
come OF the American towns lying in tht
path Of the migratory French Canadian
} will be visited with the seourge,