Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-09-06
A NOVEL SUGGESTION.

A Florida Banker. Discussing the Yellow
Fever Epidemic. Suggests that Fire II
the Only Sure Death to the Fever Germs
Tho Question of Destroying Private
Property Without Remuneration.
NEW YORK. Aug. SD. G. Amber,
president of the National State Bank Of
Florida and the head Of the most promi-
nent banking house in Jacksonville, is at
the Grand Hotel. His theory Of origin OF
yellow fever epidemic and how it might
have been prevented, OF more than Or
binary interest
''There have been some exaggerated
stories sent from Florida concerning the
fever" said Mr. Amber Sunday night
''and the statement that negroes in
organized bands are breaking into stores
and dwellings is without foundation in
fact The white people would not tolerate
such state of affairs FOR twenty -four
hours. Business is. Of course, affected,
and people have been leaving the town by
have not been affected to any
alarming extent. The fever this
year l think directly traceable to
the failure to destroy all infected
clothes and infected buildings that spread
the disease in 1897. Experience has
shown that fumigation is valueless. The
germs of the disease can not be destroyed
must be burned thus completely de-
stroyed, and the people living in that dis
trict understood this very thoroughly.
But just here is where the trouble comes
in. You can not destroy property, espe-
cially the property o. a poor man, unless
| you compensate him for his loss, and
whSn you do not compensate him you Of
fer him an incentive for concealment
Beds and bedding, even after being used
| In NC fan II rirry To-
represent certain value, and if his fam
| lily has recovered, ne sees no reason why
| this pro perty should be destroyed. Tbs
| appropriations made thus far by Con-
| gress do not contemplate such payment.
| The money is used for the maintenance
| of quarantine camps and kindred pur-
| poses. 1t is to he dep5pred that in the dis
cussion of the important matter parts an
| feeling should have been exhibited. Sen =
atorS Call and Paseoe, when the appro-
| priatiOn of 5000, 900 came up for consider
| alton the other day, were anxious to have
! an amendments made to the bill prOvid-
| ing for the setting aside of a specific por-
ton of this amount for the payment of
damage arising from the destruction of
| property under the direction of the
| health authorities. Surgeon General
| Hamilton of the Marine corps took the
sasne view. and was anXiasus to see the
amendment pass, G6uS it was defeated.
Although it is claimed that part OF the
money will be used for this purpose, the
| bill goes to the Secretary of the Treasury
| with the record of the aye and no vote at
tached to it.
| ''The fever this year originated in a
I small hamlet-Manatee. There are prob
| ably fifteen houses in it. Twenty thou
I sand, or perhaps ten thousand dollars
would have bought all of them and all
| they contained Had they been swept out
| of existence the fever would not have
spread over an area of fifty miles as il
did. Placing Gordon about q towr
! amounts to nothing. 1t would take al
| army to keep people isola ted. They viii
! not stand it, and if you undertake tC
forcibly destroy their property and no
| pay them damages, serious trouble is
bound to occur.
I ''As to the virulence of the disease il
! and about Jacksonville, +" continued Mr.
Amber, 81 want to say one thing. Peo'
pie who live fairly temperate lives do no
stand In any great danger. Out of eighty
those eight four were person:
who were addicted to the excess
sive use of alcoholic liquor and who eS-
posed themselves injudiciously. We viii
have it all stamped out before October,
think, and if the plan OF destroying the
germs by fire can be carried out vigor'
| ously [ think we can prevent recurrence
of the disease. This payment for dam.
ages can not be done by the State nor by
the county. 9 1t must be done by the Fed
eral Government. It is to be greatly re
GREETED that politics should in any wa5
have a connection that affects the health
and consequent prosperity OF commun'
ity." q