Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1894-11-15

70 overii1yving with coal and iron,
looks down upon it with its many
fouudries ami factories
Twenty-Five miles east 81 Decatur is
he mountain - Monte >ano. on the
ssnmit Of which j. the Hotel Moute
>ano. one OF the most delightful sum
mer resorts Of the south. You can sit
on the hotel plaza and look down i
distance ~ three miles on the citv Of
Huntsville. NJ distance beyond
Huntsville can again be seen the Ten
uessee river ~ istiug itself around and
around like silver snake
Ia fs>5 the natural advantages Of
this section % the state became known
to some northern capitalists and in
three years the sleepy little village Of
Decatur. with its six hundred inhab-
itant>. had grown 70 he a city - ten
thousand
In the month % Iulv. ISIS ! was
called 10 Decatur on business. and ~
P,-ctin< 10 remain some time took
nv wife with me The weather being
exceptionally warm sent her - the
hotel az Monte >ano. Toward the end
Of September the gay crowd began
saying -uod-by and leaving for their
homes My wife. with a party 81
friends. decided Ia spend th. winter in
New York I. not being able 70 20
with them at the time. promised IL
Join them later en- the twelfth 80
September saw them board the train
At huntsville. aud returned the next
morning to Decatur. the doomed city
Jpon my arrival at the depot handed
my satehei 10 Andy. nv eoioref driver.
and told him to drive me To my Office
His reply TO my greeting showed me
that some thing was dreadfuIIy wrong.
for he said. Bless yor life. faint gud
mornin'. boss. dis ! dee wus mornin'
dis yer town cher did see Der i Vel
low JacS we're. De man dat brought
it from Florida died las night. and lie
news Is spreadiu' like viii ire.
II did not take me a moment to See
that he was correct. FOR looSing about
saw fear and panic depicted upon
every face. Families were packing
what things they could carry and bur
rying to every train. In many homes
the haif-eooked breakfast was left on
the stove. Their only thought aud
desire was 10 get away a; once. BY
ten O'CLOCK long lines OF wagons. ear
riages aud improvised conveyauces OF
all sorts passed up and down the street.
loaded with families and household
goods, driving they knew not where.
/ with fear and horror stamped upon
every faev. and even death upon some.
At the end II few days. ont Of the
population Of ten Thousand less than a
thousand remained. and nearly half
Of these were down with the dreadful
disease.
The news sprea - the surrounding
towns an the outside world. Thos.
81 ~ who remained knew 1t would
only be a natter 81 few hours when
the city would be quarantined. cur
predictions came sooner than was ex-
pect-i- Orders were ~ent from head.
quarters that all trains should pass
through Decatur a. not less than thir.
y miles a. hour The surrounding
country established a shotgun quar-,
antIne. zach man volunteered q
help form eor'iau around the city
and an cath wa- taken. that arv man.
woman or child attempting 70 eross q
given line must be shot
vas the on.y person in the city " be
hal passed through an epidemieof vel
low fever. - hal ne fear Of L. The
one doctor 81 no remained for a. vet ns
help had arrived from the outsid,
world Nss taken with the fever while
talking To me
course. closed and deserted The ma
bags we've thrown each aay from tn,
train taken - the pust ofice. yvher,
the few remaining people helBet
themselves % their mail The bank,
were closed. Their. was not a PENN
y currency in the town except tha
held by individuals
Through the thouzhtfulneSs o
friends in New Nor;z. VINO kept the pa
per- from ny wife. she vas in igno
rance Of the condition Of Affairs
hoped each day would open up som,
avenue Of escape for me.
~ last a small party of Us deter
mineI u try % get 70 the next railroas
station Al midnight we went to
livery sable and helped ourselves 4
the best team of four horses and
Ugh, cart the owner having ssdl an,
drove for the woods We hal no
driven more than ten miles. and ,v-r
inning u feet that there was som
chance Of escape when we were con
tronted with a desperate set Of men
who commanded as 10 return or TAX
the consequences. Money or persua
sion would lot ~ them let u
through the line, % there was uothini
left but TO turn the horses heads
The next morning We held a u.eer
lrg ard determined 70 make one las
@itort TO get away so = Telegram VIZ
sent 70 the superintend Of the /
& y railroad al Louisville. demznain
train TO take Us ont Of the fever di,
triet Oar ultimafun was that unle
It was sent withoat delay. we woal
open the arawhridge that spans Ia
Tennessee river A. Dec1tar aas TO
80 ;hr0ugA trains. The Fsply esas