The morning call., 1893-04-17
THE PESTHOUSE
Not Wanted on the County
Hospital Lot.
ENERGETIC REMONSTRANCE.
Mannerbund Hall Crowded With Pro-
testants = A Supervisor Says
to Use Dynamite.

There was no uncertain sound about the
speech of 200 or more residents in the vi
cinitg Of the City and County Hospital
when they assembled in Mannerbund Hail.
Twenty-f0urth street and Potrero avenue,
yesterday to protest against the erection of
pesthouse on the county hospital lot
j. ID. Horan presided.
Secretary Dwyer opened the proceedings
by stating that at the last regular meeting
the Board OF Supervisors had determined
to make the City and County Hospital a
place Tor the reception of lepers. He sug-
gested that this meeting at once engage a
tirst-class attorney and proceed 70 enjoin
the Supervisors.
Mr.. Mcnamara said there was "a nigger
in the woodpile," that was evident. The gen.
tlemen OF the Board OF Health who had
talked about the City and County Hospital
being proper place for the reception Of
contagious diseases did not seem to think
that local residents had any rights what
ever. lie advised that strong petition be
got up and strong delegation wait on
the Health and Police Committee to show
how dlsastrously prOperty-Owners in the
vicinity Will be affected by smallpox pa
tlents being placed in the city hospital
grounds. He understood that an excellent
site could be obtained on the Partridge
Tract for $500 and surely the city and
county could raise as much more to put
suitable building on it.
supervisor James, who had plainly come
to set himself right with his constituents,
stated at once that he was going to light this
proposition of using the City and County
Hospital grounds 10 the utmost, when 1t
should come up at the meeting of the Super
visOrs to-day.
Why" said ne, sin the first place l am
IN favor OF taking even the City and County
Hospital away from where it is. 1t stands
on park that should be improved for the
people of this neighborhood. 1t was put up
there only temporarily, and should not be
allowed to stand there. We have sixty acres
of land at the House of Correction that
ought to be used, and if it is in my power
the pesthouse shall not be put on the
County Hospital lot, you may depend upon
it.
81 mean to say" continued Mr.. James, in
very emphatic way, that l told the Su-
pervisors when they cancussed over the
matter last Monday that it was impossible
toI them TO put the pesthouse there; that it
would be blown up with dynamite. | say
blow it ND with dynamite, if it don't hurt
anyone else"
The speaker was loudly chepred as he
proceeded: II represent this board. and |
say tnat peSthOuse shall not go there. They
have SAID it would represent q saving of
5000 per month by doing away with the
doctor, cook, etc; but who will suffer? 1t
will be TO the detriment of numbers of re-
spectacle citizens who have bought land
and made homes in the netghborhood. To-
morrow night We'll have n seance at the
Board OF Supervisors l shall be there.
Next Friday night want you To go and
convince the Health and Police Committee
that you have rights which you are going
to maintain. What did Mr.. Sutrn do when
his interests were threatened? Didn't he
20 and offer to pay $500 a month Tor two
months to keep the pesthOuse where 1t was
and show them Shag Rock?
There are three Supervisors you can de-
pend on as your friends In this case besides
myself"
A voice. "How's the Mayor?" met with
prompt response. "Ellerrs all right. He
wants II on the AlmshOuse tract"
Dr. Clinton followed in the same strain
as Mr.. James, and denounced the idea of
putting the lepers into the City and County
Hospital as full of peril Owing to the
presence of so large a Mongolian element in
the city, the possibility OF rapid aud terri
Bile spread OF this foul and contagious dis
ease is always possible. He nstanced the
case of the Hawaiian Islands, in which, be-
fore 1860, there were not a dozen cases,
while now there are hundreds.
James Slayin then introduced set of
resolutions denouncing the Democratic men,
bers OF the Board of Supervisors for viola
tiOn of election pledges and protesting in
dignantly against the Pesthouse being
located in the grounds of the City and
County Hospital.
Votes Of thanks were accorded to Super
visor James and DR.. Clinton for their sup
port Of the cause.
On the proposition to employ an attorney
opinions differed. and motion to that effect
was voted down. but over 100 members put
down their names as members of a Derma-
nent organization, to be known as the
Potrero-avenue Improvement Club, and
planked down 81 apiece as "a starter.
A committee was then appointed to wait
on the Health and Police Committee of the
Board Of Supervisors next Friday with a
suitable petition and a delegation Of chosen
speakers. The proceedings then term minated.
I'll the Supervisors GO back on the pledges
they made US about this very matter Just
before the election" said one of the speak
ers after the people had left the hall. 81
wouldn't give snap of the finger for their
chances a wear and q hnlf frnm nnwy