St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-08-17
FIGHTING THE FEVER.
How q Florida Family Escaped the
Dread Yellow Jack.

Up the St. Johns river | met Q
Northern man who had a cottage and
an orange grove there. As a usual
thing he stayed in Florida only in win
ter. but last summer he stayed there
all through the epidemic, and he told
Inc how. by means of rigid quaran-
tine. he escaped the dreadful scourge oi
yellow fever.
I'VE intended TO go North,' he said.
''but we pat il off too late. My wife
was more afraid of the yellow fever
than any thing else on earth, and so
was /, for that matter. You see. we
have a large family. and we didn't
want to take any chances. We have
seven boys and girls, and when it
comes to moving back again to Illinois.
it is quite big job, and that was what
delayed us until it was too late for us
TO move. In fact we didn't really be-
lieve that yellow fever was coming last
summer, until it was right here. You
see we didn't get all the Florida re-
ports you fellows did in the North. and
] think that anyhow the papers made
the epidemic a good deal worse than
IL really was. However. having stayed
here all last summer. may say that
now / am not afraid CT any epidemic
that could come to Florida
.Woll. as was saying, the first thing
We knew Jacksonville was closed UP,
and rs the only way we could get to
the North then was through jackson
vile. we were, in a measure, in a trap.
Along the st. Johns river it is pretty
healthy i'm the winter time, although it
is said it IS rather malarious in sum-
mer. OF that, of course, we didn't
know any thing because we had never
stayed here for summer. But as
soon as l found that Jacksonville was
closed up. made up my mind that We
would quarantine our place and we
wonld keep out the yellow fever if ii
took the last cent we had. l have four
boys and three girls, and we held
consultation over the matter, and we
agreed that by taking turns we could
keep up a complete quarantine around
the place. aud not let any infected per-
son. or any person at all, for that mat
ter within mile Of the house. My
wife was so frightened when she really
came to understand that Jacksonville
was closed upwith yellow fever. that /
was afraid she would become sick from
the very terror OF it. My boys are all
strong, strapping young fellows.
although, You see, l am not
very strong myself. In fact,
If l had not lived my winters
down in Florida should not be alive
to-day. The winters OF Illinois would
have killed me long before this. SO
we laid our plans and arranged it so
that one of the boys and myself kept
quarantine during the day. and the
other boys took turns at it through
the night We thought that i'm this
way we would make the thing positive
ly certain. aud run no risk from the
epidemic.
And were your plans successful"
l asked him.
Perfectly" he answered. 1--WE
never allowed a person 10 set foot on
our grounds during all the summer ex-
cept once, and that once We had sent
for the man who came. l suppose it
was being out in the hot sun so much,
for the heat was very damp and sultry
and oppressive that summer. You See
VIC had a good deal OF rain and hot.
muggy weather. And any how per-
SON who stayed in Florida in summer,
especially a Northern man, should
keep out of the sun during the middle
OF the day. Well, as 1 was saying,
after two or three weeks of quarantine
got sick with low malarial fever
You see it is n kind of malari-
Gus anyhow in summer, especial |
ly for Northern people who |
are not acclima,ed. Even the natives
here do not work or are not out in the |
sun In the middle of the day. and as l |
stayed out keeping up quarantine right |
through the heat of the day. it is not |
surprising that was taken sick. |
keeping quarantine is not like keep |
ing any thing else, except it be a |
tavern. You have to keep it all the |
time or it is no good. AT any other |
work you may drop Off an hour and a
half at noon. and quit at six o'clock.
but not with keeping quarantine.
You may keep it for months. and then
teinS of for ten minutes let in the
very person whom you have been try
ing all the time to keep out. Although
] felt bad for quite a number of oays
did not give up, until was hardly
able to stand. Then / had siege of
it. My wife and eldest daughter
nursed me and brought Inc through
all right. but the strain was too much
for my wife. who is not strong. a,
] said before. And just as was get
tin: well. although too weak TO be up.
my wife succumbed to the malarial
sttack Ny bein. in the house made