The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1893-12-29
AT THE STATE CAPITAL
QUARANTINE on THE RIO GRANDE
BORDER.
Every Precaution Taken to Prevent the
Introduction OF Smallpox from Mex
ico-suit TO Forfeit the Ksty's
Charter IN Texas KIrmess.

Houston Post Bureau, Driskni Hotel.
Austin. Texas, December 2S.-The public
ara but poorly informed OF the situation
in MaNieo and near the Texas border with
reference to smallpox To guard against
the Introduction OF all epidemic diseases
into this State from the Republic OF Mex
leo health officers and inspectors are sta
toned at several points along the border
at FL Paso. Eagle Pass, Laredo and
Brownsville. These are all physicians
ana Keep DR.. X. n. Swearingen, state
health officer, informed all the while on
The dangers from malignant diseases. A
| sentinel Is on duty while we sleep or enjoy
the Christmas holidays Ia blssful gno-
I rance OF danger. The annual feast Of the
4 Mexican peasantry Is now In progress on
the Rio Grande border Of Mexico ana
| smallpox Is. raging among the inhabitants
! of several Mexican towns, there being re-
] ported over one hundred cases at Torreon
alone ana many cases IN Durango and
| Lerdo.
state Health ofheer swearingen went
/ over there last week and Instituted such
| measures as VIII under the efficient eN-
! ecution OF his assistant, DR.. NJ. X. Lott,
! at Eagle Pass, insure the safety OF Texas
! from Invasion, y report from Inspector
! Lott received by the State health Off
( Ger today says that The management OF
( to the Importance. not only OF the greatest
I care and the most thorough sanitation.
but Of the cooperation OF Mexico with
( Texas TO eradicate the disease. 1t is epi-
I demic in portion Of Mexico, and the
/ poorer people are violently opposed TO
and superintendent Dickey have called
upon the governors Of two Mexican States
and the Federal government of Mexico to
institute compulsory vaccination u com
pulsion be necessary OF all Alexicaus who
have not had the disease or been recently
successfully vRccinated. The Internation-
al Railroad company has instituted COM
pulsory vaccination with all employees.
In addition the railroad companies have
instituted a general cleaning up Of cars.
depots and depot grounds and have sta
toned guards around nil depots and Of
fees to prevent the ingress or egress of
the loaflng red-blRnketed population who
usually swarm around there upon the
arrival of all trains, and all communca-
ton with the towns Is prohibited. Pull
man sleepers are now stopped on the
Mexican side and after each trip are
cleansed and disnfected. and while travel
Is but little interfered with, the travelling
public may rest assured that everything
in the way OF preventive measures that
IL possible Is being done for their shfety !
and protection. After leaving Eagle Pass |
no way passengers are picked up by the |
sleepers. The Mexican government is !
being aroused 70 a realization OF the fact |
that only by thorough system of vac |
clnation and revaccination, backed by I
thorough sanitation, can smallpox ever
be completely eradicated, and so long as /
IL is allowed TO spread in Mexico II Is a i
standing menace to Texas and necessitates
a permanent quarantine and inspection.
SUIT FOR FORFEITURE.
]. w. Parker Esq, of Taylor md Geo. /
Pendexter. Esq, of Austin have for some I
time been preparing quo warranto proceed I
against the Bastrop and Taylor /
branch Of the Missouri Kansas and 'feHas /
railroad for the purpose of testing the |.
legality of the charter OF the entire Mis- 1
souri,. Kansas and Texas of Texas Dis /
trict Attorney Albert Burlcaon Of the /
Travis and Williamson county judicial I
district has been enlisted to bring the 4
suit in the name Of the State.
There has been effort to keep tile
matter quiet, but as such matters Will /
generally find an outlet to the public ear, I
this has been dlyulged by some bnrru-
dent conspirntor. The papers are about
ready and viii be fled next Tuesday in
Georgetown and the case viii be tried
before Judge Frank Norris,
AS will be remembered similar proceed
ings were instituted against The Mis-
souri,. Kansas and Texas in Wood county
by District Attorney Russell This talk
OF an attempt to forfeit the charter Of the
MISSOURI, Kansas and Texas was rife
all during the trial of the great injunc
tIon suit at Galveston In November ana
such proceedings win hardly be any SIR
prise 70 the Missouri, Kansas and Texas
officials.
The Bastrop and Taylor Railway COM
pany was chartered IN 1886 Ivy men from
Bastrop and Travis counties. General
walker and Captain -IcLaurin, state
capital commissioners, were prominently
connected with the initial stets in the
Of this road. In about six
months after the road was begun H. NJ.
1oxie OF st. Louis, James A. Baker OF
Houston and Joe Herrin, general manager
for the Missouri Pacific OF Texas and
others filed an amended charter, which
the rond to build 10 Boggy
Tank After the Missouri, Kansas and
Texas had gone into the hands of a re-
ceIyer by some sort OF deal It got hold
Of the Bastrop and Taylor road and has
made it part of its great system In
Texas. Ii
THE RARNEs COUNTY CONTEST.
In the Karnes county seat dispute the
attorney general has decided that the
office OF q county Judge In such matters
is simply ministerial and after reviewing
the case and making quotations from
various authorities uses the following !
language:
.'You are, therefore. advised that it is
your duty, as county Judge, u satisfied that
the AtAHlnA were Etnhilitt W COUNT OF
add up the returns Of the election as made
10 you By The proper election officers IN !
accordance with law. And you should not
open the ballot box 10 count the votes
nor hear evidence OF It's contents ana
declare the result rs shown by tho re- ,
turns made In accordance with law. AS
said by Justice Gaines in Ewing vs. Dun ]
can, S2 Texas, go which involved the
location OF county sent; The cartih-
cate Of an officer whose duty i Il % etn-
yass the vote and declare the result is I
prima facia evidence Of tho correctness
OF the result 30 declared. But when the (
election Is drawn IN question ~ q Judicial
Inquiry the legal votes actually cast win
determine the result
AtUsEMENTs.
The successful production OF the Klr-
mess last night al the opera house TO a
large audience authorizes some further
mention OF dances and some further per-
sonni mention OF superior merit