The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-07-20
A CAUSTIC REJOINDEIs.
Chairman Taber Further Exposes
the Situation at Clemson College.

Chairman Taber Further Exposes
the Situation at Clemson College.
To the Editor of The State:
In the latter part of June, the com
mittee of the State board Of health
were instructed to investigate the
cause and type of fever at Clemson,
and to report the results to the COVER
nor. This was done and the report of
the committee wBs pu "lished through
out the State. The Register OF the
10th OF July contains q statement by
the trustees OF Clemson, in which they
criticise the report OF the committee,
and while denying certain statements
made by them, they affirm additionally
that the examination OF Clemson b
the committee had been very cursory
and imperfect Against professional
gentlemen, sent upon an important
mission by the highest authority of the
State, these charges are grave, and
cannot pass unchallcnged The COM
mittee were content to determine the
type of the fever, and, by request, to
make whatever suggestions they
thought best. They blamed no one,
even by insinuation, and were very
glad to be the means, if possible, of re-
lieving the officials of Clemson of un-
| pleasant mbarrassment. 1T is to be
| greatly regretted therefore, that the
trustees failed to appreciate the deli
cate position Of the committee, and
have forced them into print in self
| defence. The trustees claim that the
curs0ry and imperfect examination
made by the State board Of health is
shown by the fact that two palpable
errors are made in their report. The
dairy which they place under the ban,
as a probable cause Of disease, was not
built in pond which had been filled
| in."
In reply we beg to state, upon au.
| thority, that the present site OF the
dairy had been bathing pond made
by the Calhouns and had been filled in
! with earth and then underdrained
Our informant even pointed out
where the dam stood. There could
have been no motive for ono deeply
! interested In the welfare of Clemson
/ to have invented this statement, the
truth OF which we had neither inclina
tion, nor the right to question. Ir
fact the statement is apparently con.
| tirmed by the character Of the soil and
it's surroundings.
The trustees in further denial Of our
| report, assert, that there sis not 6
single privy on the surrounding hill:
above the dairy" We were informed
that the hills were often used for un
sanitary purposes in place OF the water
closets. This we found to be true.
On the hill above, and to the NORTH
OF the dairy, and at the foot of the hill
within three or four feet of the spring
we found abundant excrementitiou
matter.
This condition OF things was reall,
worse than privy on the hilltop. OF
the opposite hill, at the hotel, ther,
were two privies-one at the stable
which was visited by myself and DR.
Reese, and the other at the hotel
examined by DR.. Evans. Somewha
southeasterly from the dairy Is
dwelling, where we were informed
there was an additional privy.
But more than all these, and how
ever Incredible, we found sprin.
(provy p located within the dairy. /
or II feet from the milk and butter
and the room in which the privy wa
placed was filed with offensive gases
J Furthermore, from the ground with
out the building noxious gases wer,
escaping, either from the pipe of tin
J privy or FROM the sewer, which
strange to say, runs within two or thre
feet OF the dairy.
: We quote again from the, trustees
who claim that "the stateTlGnt js mad
: three separate times that the wate
! closets should be outside, bf the ba,