The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-05
A SHUT.IN COUNTY.
The Way Camden County Protects
Itself from Infection.

| Itself from Infection.
ST. MARY's, CAMDEN COUNTY, Sept. 30
Editor Morning ke,Us: As communica-
ton seems to be suspended indefinitely be-
tween the outside would and ourselves, we
wish our friends informed Of our situation
and that we still exist in safety. Our mail
facilities have failed US, and We have not
seen the welcome face of the MORNING
| NEWS for more than week. We can oc-
casionally get a letter out in an uncertain,
| roundabout way, but we can receive
none through the regular channels.
Our town authorities commenced
enforcing quarantine early in
August against Jacksonville and against
all baggage from any point in Florida.
Our town has been guarded night and day
by our citizens of all classes voluntarily,
our colored people doing their duty faith
fully and well. Preachers, white and col
ored, have done guard duty with town and
county officials and citizens. irrespective of
age or condition. AS danger became more
imminent on account Of our suspicion of the
prevalence OF the pestilenee in our sister
city OF Fernandina, our guard lines re-
quired strengthening and extending entirely
around our water approaches, front and
back. The county authorities were APP
pealed TO by the city for assistance.
A meeting was called OF citizens
generally. County commissioners. ordinary,
mayor and aldermen of psf. Mary's. Reso-
buttons were adopted authorizing and re-
quiring the ordinary to establish a board
of health, appoint health officers in the sew
eral districts of the county, and to secure
the safety of the city and county so far as
the power of the county and vigilance could
accomplish it. Within three hours after
these resolutions were adopted, guards and
guard-boats were at their posts, blockading
the st. Mary's. Cumberland and Bell rivers,
Kings bay and Crooked river at every ex-
posed point within nine miles OF the city,
along water line Of fifteen or eighteen
miles. Within two days the county was
flooded with printed circulars from the or
dinary's office calling uponEall citizens to
unite in the effort 10 protect the people of
the county from the danger of Infection
from refugees and tramps. We cannot too
highly praise and commend the prompt and
energetic assistance rendered by john A.
Foster, of the firm of Hilton g. Foster mill
men, and William r. Bunkley, Of our board
of county commissioners and other county
officers, working for the peoples safety.
Such men are in their right places. and
should be kept there. OF course, being
entirely cut off from the outside world,
our store rations are getting exhausted, that
is butter. lard, cheese, hams, bacon, sugar,
coffee, ETC.. except the stock of one foreign
grocer. who has held his goods back until
now, and who will accommodate GUS
toner with lard at 20 cents per pound, and
other things in proportion. We will not
go hungry with plenty of fine beef, -four,
potatoes, grits, chickens, eggs, milk, coun-
try butter mullet, red bass, speckled trout,
CLANS and oysters, and Monday we can add
game, partridges, wild turkeys and venison.
Our people are entirely free from sick
ness. We earnestly sympathize with our
neighbors in Fernandina, and heretofore
felt confident tfat, with such thorough
drenching Of their city with disinfeetants,
they surely would be exempt from the fever.
We know of nothing that is occurring over
there, although the town is In plain sight,
about nine miles across the sound We
would like to get some papers and letters, If
our mail route could be changed via Folke-
ston and Owens Ferry, We have never
refused the mail via Fernandina, and are
not afraid OF it, and would gladly receive it
if there was any one to bring it. There
have been number of attempts by refu-
gees in boats to run our blockade, showing
that the guards were not placed a moment
too soon. One large boat, said to belong to
a Fernandina barkeeper, foreigner,
was Checked" by guard boat and sen
back, but threatened to return with force
to pass. As our guard was chosen with
special purpose in view, if he attempts
again to pass, he will probably pass in his
checks" II is surmised that he wishes to
transfer his business to the vicinity of Camp
Perry, and if one might judge by the tone
of certain health officer of Florida from
the deck of a quarantine steamboat, toe
barkeeper has been up that way before.