The morning call., 1892-12-30
IT'S FATAL TAINT.
Smallpox Makes a Mob
Very Mild.
THE SICK CAPTAIN IS SAFE.
Nobody Could Be Found to Call on
the Turk-Street Patient and
Take Him Away.

The situation in the smallpox district on
Turk street, near Hyde. is getting serious
The shop-keepers are up in arms and de-
clare they will resort to vigorous measures
II the city authorities do not come to their
relief.
Another delegation Of residents from the
infected neighborhood paid visit TO the
new City Hall yesterday afternoon and de-
manded of DIR. Keeney that he. as Health
Officer. order that the sick captain in 305
Turk street be removed Immediately from
his present quarters to safer locality.
But can't do it," replied Dr. Keeney.
The Pesthouse is not suitable place for
any one and would not order sick man
to be taken there. as that would be equity
alent to passing death sentence on him."
Never mind the Pesthouse," suggested
w. II. Mccain. one of the most prominent
members of the delegation. "You get the
man out of the place and we will furnish
yOu with suitable lodgings for him in the
outskirts of the city,"
DIR. keeney declared himself powerless 10
act In the matter without special instruc-
tons from the Health Committee of the
Board of Supervisors. This committee will
not meet again unless called in special
meeting by the Mayor who, by the way, is
Ill At home and probably will not again be
seen at his Office
The whole matter has sifted itself down
TO the fact thatthe delegation will be obliged
10 wait for the incoming Board of Supervi-
s0rs to lake action. By that time the dis
ease Will have removed the patient or else
all danger will have passed away.
but, stated one Of the agrieved store
Keepers. that won't do at all Our buS!-
ness has dropped away to nothing; the
neighborhood is getting depopulated, and
we expect that new cases Of smallpox will
break out any moment
AS the rlled st0rekeeper was talking 10
the reporter he glanced over the way and
caught sight Of a middle aged lady, bundled
IN a white worsted shawl.
Look at that now" he said, pointing at
her as she was leaning over the front fence
OF 331 Turk street, where Mr.. Merrill, one
OF the smallpox patients, is stop
ping. Isn't that an outrage? That's
Mrs. Parry, the landlady of the house. She
remains in the house with the sick man
nearly all the time. and when she wants an
airing she comes out that way. leans on the
fence and let's the wind blow on her.
Now. we're all married in this neighb0r-
hood and we've got children. They or our
selves are liable at any moment to get sick
from just that sort of careessness."
While Mrs. Parry, the landlady, was air
ing herself, the policeman stationed in the
neighborhOod to quarantine the house was
over AT the corner grocery-store using the
telephone"
n Shtppcl OuHS uuQc, Will Il SNcol
Ing young lady by his side, saunteTed down
Turk street about this time. They glanced
carelessly at Mrs. Parry and incidentally
when on the sidewalk opposite 331 Turk
street, looked up at the house. Both caught
sight of the big yellow placard tackled TO
the door reading, in big black letters, the
legend, Smallpox"
OF one accord the two frightened ones
took TO their heels. while they held their
breaths for fear of inhaling infectious at
m0spheTe.
Mrs. Parry burst out laughing and
watched the couple in their flight. 1t was
evident she was used 10 similar sights and
anticipated the signal.
just about the time the young couple
were entirely out of sight and were ready
to breathe once more they, were opposite
The door OF 3O5. the other infected house.
Had they been shot at they could hardly
have moved along at a faster gait, looking
right and left as they progressed to see If
there were any more signs on the houses.
The desperation to which the people of
the neghborhood are driven by the refusal
of the Health Officer to remove the last
case OF smallpox may be understood when,
at their meeting yesterday, one of the
angered men suggested that committee
secure house on the outskirts of the
town, while another committee get an am
bulance- wagon and forcIbly put the sick
man IN II and drive him TO his new home
Ihe proposition was voted down, but not
before 1t created pleasant diversion when
II was found that not single member
present would accept a position on the
latter committee. while all of them were
willing enough TO 90 out and secure the
house in the outskirts.
One member acknowledged frankly that
he could not take chances. He had never
had the smallpox and he had large family
TO look after. He refused to go on the
committee to fOrcibly oust the patient.
others present believed that +. Frances
chinl. the yegetaDleman, should send one of
his clerks TO do the job because said clerk
had had smallpox and he could not catch it
again. The clerks face certainly looked as
though the young man had been inflicted
with the dread malady at some time in his
existence, but he declared that the sears
that maTred his visage were caused by
severe burn when he was child. He re-
fused to help the Others out.
The proposition was finally abandoned,
and the sick captain Will be allowed 10
hDger on unmolested.