The Delta independent., 1889-07-16
A RIoID QUARANTINE.
How a Florida Man Kept out
tho YAlioW Eayar.

| A RIGID QUARANTINE.
How a Florida Man Kept out
the Yellow Fever.
Up tho St Johns River, I met a
northern man who had a cottage and
In orange grove there. As usual
thing, he stayed in Florida only in
winter, but last summer he staid there
Ill through the epidemic, and he told
me how, by means of rigid quarantine,
ne escaped the dreadful scourge of
yellow fever.
1--WE intended to go north" he said,
"but we put it off too late. My wife
vas more afraid OF the yellow fever
than anything else on earth, and SO
was for that matter. You see we
have 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
1t is quite big job, and that was
what delayed us until 1t was too late
for us to move. In fact we didn't
really believe that yellow fever was
coming last summer until it was right
here. You see we didn't get all the
Florida reports you fellows did in the
aorth, and think that anyhow the
papers made the epidemic agood deal
worse than it really was. However,
having stayed here all last summer, /
may say that now l. am not afraid Of
any epidemic that could come to Flor
ida.
''Well, as I was saying, the first
thing we knew Jacksonville was closed
up. and as the only way we could get
TO the north then was through jack
sonville, We were, in q measure, in O
trap. Along the ST. Johns River it is
pretty healthy in the winter time, al.
though it is said it is rather malarious
In summer. OF that, OF course, we
1idn't know anything because we had
never stayed here for summer. But
As soon as l found that Jacksonville
was closed up, 1 made up my mind
that we would quarantine our place
and We would keep out the yellow
lever II it took the last cent we had.
have four boys and three girls, and we
held a consultation over the matter.
and we agreed that by taking turns
we could keep up complete quaran-
tine around the place, and not lot any
infected person, or any person at all.
for that matter, within a mile OF the
house. My wife was SO frightened
when she really came to understand
that Jacksonville was closed up with
yellow fever, that I was afraid she
would become sick from the very
terror Of it. My boys are all strong,
strapping young fellows. although,
you see, am not very strong myself.
In fact, II had not lived my winters
down in Florida I 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 in this
way we would make the thing posi-
lively certain, aud run no risk from
the epidemic"
"And were your plans successfulP"
I asked him.
Perfectly" he answered. 1--WE
mover allowed a person to set foot on
our grounds during all the summer ex-
cept once, and that once we had sent
for the man who came. 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
we had good deal of rain and hot,
'muggy weather. And anyhow a per-
son who stayed in Florida in summer,
especially q northern man, should keep
out OF the sun during the middle Of the
day. Well, as was saying. after two
or three weeks of quarantine i got sick
with a low malarial fever. You see,
it is kind of malarious anyhow in sum-
mer, especially for northern people
who are not acclimated. Even the ma
tives here do not work or are not out
in the sun in the middle of the day,
and as stayed out keeping up quaran-
tine right through the heat OF the day,
1t is not surprising that I was taken
sick. Keeping quarantine is not
like keeping anything else. except it
be a tavern. You have to keep it all
the time or it is no good. At any 9th
er work you may drop of an hour and
Q half at noon, and quit at
o'clock, but not with keeping
quarantine. You may keep it for
months, and then being OF for ton
minutes let in the very person whom
you have been trying all the time to
keep out Although felt bad for quite
a number Of days did not give up, un-
til was hardly able to stand. Then
had seige OF 1t. My wife and eldest
daughter nursed me and brought me
through all right. but the strain was
too much for my wife, who is not
strong. as said before. And just as
was getting well. although too weak to
be. up. my wife succumbed to the malari-
al attack. My being in the house made
1t all the harder for the boys, who
were taking turns In the quarantine,
and before my wife was better, tho eld-
est bov pOt aicL Ho did mt hava oo