The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-11-08

distance the big black mountain. full
to overfowing with coal and iron.
looks down upon it with its many
foundries and factories
TWENTY-FIVE miles east OF Decatur is
summit Of which is the Hotel Monte
Sano, one of the most delightful sum
mer resorts of the south. You can sit
on the hotel piazza and look down q
distance of three miles on the city OF
Huntsville. At q distance beyond
Huntsville can again be seen the Ten
nessee river twisting itself around and
! around like a silver snake.
In 1888 the natural advantages OF
this section OF the state became known
TO some northern capitalists and in
three years the sleepy little village OF
Decatur, with its six hundred inhab-
itants, had grown to be city of ten
thousand.
In the month Of July. 1855. WAS
called to Decatur on business. and ex-
pecting to remain some time I took
nv wife with me. The weather being
exceptionally warm, i sent her TO the
hotel at Monte Sano. Toward the end
of September. the gay crowd began
saying good-by and leaving for their
homes. Ny wife, with a party of
friends, decided to spend the winter in
New York. l, not being able to go
with them at the time, promised to
join them later. On the twelfth OF
September l saw them board the train
at Huntsville, and returned the next
morning to Decatur. the doomed city.
Upon my arrival at the depot 1 handed
my satchel to Andy. my colorcd driver,
and told him to drive me TO my office.
His reply to my greeting showed me
that something was drcadfully wrong,
for he said: BLESS yor life. 'tain't gud
mornin', boss, dis is dee wus mornin'
dis yer town eber did see. Der is Yel-
low Jack yere. De man dat brought
it from Florida died las night, and de
news is a sprcadin' like will fire"
1t did not take me a moment TO see
that he was correct, for looking about
] saw fear and panic depicted upon
every face. Families were packing
what things they could carry and hur-
rying to every train In many homes
the half-cooked breakfast was left on
the stove. Their only thought and
desire was to get away at once. BY
ten O'CLOCK long lines of wagons. car
riages and improvised conveyances 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
g., =
AT the end of a few days, out of tho I
population Of ten thousand less than a
thousand remained, and nearly half
of these were down with the dreadful
disease.
The news spread 10 the surrounding
towns and the outside world. Those
of US who remained knew it would
only be a matter of few hours when
the city would be quarantined. Our
predictions came sooner than was ex-
pected. Orders were sent from head
quarters that all trains should pass
through Decatur at not less than thir-
" miles an hour" The surrounding !
country established a shotgun quar- /
antine. Each man volunteered TO I
help form a Gordon around the city. I
and an oath was taken, that any man.
woman or child attempting TO cross n
given line must be shot
! was the only person IN the city who 4
had passed through an epidemic of yell /
low fever, SO had no fear Of IT, The 4
one doctor who remained for as yet no I
help had arrived from the outside 4
world) was taken with the fever while
talking 20 me.
All places OF business were, Of
course. closed and deserted The ma! 1
bags were thrown each day from tn.
train, taken 10 the post Office, where
the few remaining people helped
themselves TO their mail The banks
were closed. There was not a penny
of carrency in the town except that
held by iRdiv.Gusls
Through the thougntrnIness OF
friends in New York, who kept the pa
pers from my wife. She was in igno-
rance of the condition of affairs
hoped each day would open up some
avenue Of escape for me.
A. last small party of as deter
mined TO try 70 get 20 the next railroad
station At midnight we went 20 a
livery stable aud helped ourselvss %
the best team OF four horscs and
light cart (the owner having fed and
drove for the woods We had not
driven more than ten miles. and were
beginning 70 feel that there vas some
chance Of escape. when we were con-
frontet with a desperate set of men,
= no commanded rs 20 return or take
the consequences Money or persus-
SION would not make them let ~
through the lire, 40 there ~.s nothing
eft bat 70 turn The horseS heads
The neIt morning we held = meet
Ing and determined 20 make one laHt
.fort 70 get away; 80 = telegram wLS
sent - the superintendent Of th- L.
& y. railrosc a. Louisville. demanding /
! train 20 take O. out of "a. fever lis
-rict- Our ultjmstun vas that unless
!; vas sent without della. We would
1pen Il. drswbri6ge tat spans the
Iennesse. river a. Decatur AID tip
III throuyh trans The reply cs1s
aging that BE would sene t-niu a.
~ o'clock that evening. " iIEnedi-
.;ely postsd bulletin a the tJ~n
hal stating that anyone wIsaiag ~
cave Decatur. irrespective o.. eolDr -
1nance. could % 40 a. sI o'clock
Loag before the ststed bou- % depSr-
.ure. -. few survivors we're pAciry
he platform 81 tie depot s1Is0ssly 9
waiting the prozLsed train That
.AT uv wife had discovered the rordl- J
.ion q .Hal-. =. n><@ta-- al zti-. G