Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-08-15
The Health of Mineral Point.

mueh property destroyed, every ap-
preaching storm, which in other
communities is viewed with uncon-
eern, is watched by the Mineral Point
people with apprehension. People
here repair to cellars whenever a
breeze blows that would be welcomed
by the sailor of the smallest boat on
the lakes at Madison. So, this COM
munity having once experienced a
seige of diphtheria, the appearance
of Il case of that disease here eXcites
general alarm, while in other cities
it may be known to prevail and IS re-
garded as but an incident common to
community life. 1t is fact, which
all who have occasion to visit cities
of this size and larger will corrobo-
rate, that one can rarely go through
residence portions of GAINESVILLE,
Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago or
other cities, large or small, without
seeing signs of "diphtheria," scarlet
fever" small pox," etc. ornamenting
some of the houses. Yet people un-
hesitatingly go to those cities, and
pay such little heed to those signs
that they are rarely mentioned. Pc
culiar, isn't it? But it is only a case
of "scalded children dreading the
fire.
A week ago last Saturday child
of S. Il. Mills, 2l2 years old, died in
this city of diphtheria, and two other
small children in different families
were reported to be afflicted with the
same disease. Immediately there
was excitement among the people,
and by Sunday ridiculous eNaggera-
tions were afoat. Differences Of
opinion among physicians tended to
aggrayate the rumors. With a view to
settling the matter, DIR. Sutherland, a
member of the state board of health,
was called from GAINESVILLE, for confer
ence with the local health officer and
physicians. He came, but only to
find that all the cases then known
We're convalescent, and there was
none for his examination. He came
on the l2:l5 train, learned the facts
as above and left on the Up. IN. train
the same day. From this grew re-
port in the GAINESVILLE and Madison
papers of a devasting scourge of
diphtheria in Mineral Point, and
that the state board of health had
been called upon for assistance to
suppress 1t.
One of the children first reported
sick, an infant, died, it is supposed
with Group complications. There
were no other cases in the city of
serious character, and have been
none since, although the doctors re-
port having found ten or twelve
patients with throat affections to be
treated as diphtheria, and the ordin-
airy precautions taken Herewith.
Most of these patients are at this
writing reported recovered, and none
in danger.
Great stimulous to the scare was
given by the sudden death of Miss
Lizzie Esche last Friday. She had
been out of the city for some time, at
the farm home of Mrs. John Roger,
miles west. There she was taken
sick, and continued to grow worse
for a W eek, no physician being called.
THURSDAY last she was brought to
this city, and two physicians sum
moned. They both pronounced it a
case Of diphtheria too long neglected
for hope of successful treatment.
The young lady went to the country
III perfect health, before any diph-
liberia appeared in this city. 1t is
said that a member Of the Roger
family was suffering from the disease
when she went there, and from that
grew the sad result. This case, which
clearly did not originate in this city,
has done much to keep alive the
hurtful scare. When last weeks
TRIBUNE was issued the foolish alarm
seemed to lie subsiding, and it was
not considered of Importance enough
to be written up. But such reports as
those since circulated through the
Janesville and Madison papers, and
accounts Of the wild runors floating
about the country, seem to require
the foregoing plain, full statement Of
all we know or can learn about diph-
iberia in Mineral Point.
THE Chicago Apparel Gazette, a
prominent trade journal, thus notices
one Of our veteran merchants:
The Hon. John Gray, of Gundry
q tray, Mineral Point Wis, who
was mel recently at Keith Bros. q
Co, while OF one of his rare visits TO
Chicago, il one of the earliest mer-
chants in Wisconsin. He has been
buying goods on this market for
forty years, but Of late has not often
been seen here in person. His remi-
niscences are interesting; his expe
rience dates back to the early days
of lead mining, when he brought his