The leader., 1897-09-22
LETTER FROM THE CAPITAL.
Things That Were Done, Seen
and Heard Last Week.

Things That Were Done, Seen
and Heard Last Week.
Special Correspondence OF The Leader.l
JACKSON, MISS, Sept. 2O.--A week
ago the politicians had things their
own way, but today the doctors hold
full sway, and own not only the towns
but the State and border lines as we'll.
They have full control of the railroads
leading to and from jackson, and of
every other town SO far as have been
able to learn. The State Board of
Health has great powers, more than
every other body, perhaps, and that is
we'll in times like these. But for the
doctors it is probable that yellow fever
would even now be raging in every
town in the State. 1t took prompt
and desperate remedies to keep it out
of Jackson-our people we're scattered
all over the country; some of them at
Ocean Springs, others at Edwards,
when the alarm was sounded, and they
wanted to get home, of course; but
they could not-the doctors said nay,
and out they staid. They got to the
edge of town and there they are yet in
quarantine. 1t may be th at there was
no danger, but Jackson took no risks
of any kind, hence we have no fever
yet. No train is permitted to stop in
ha 70 1s,,aifc mill fhat- l,a
till the scare is over. Every dirt road
leading to and from the city is guard
ed night and day, even the country
people roundabout are excluded.
Those on the outside cannot get in and
those on the inside cannot get out. l
am one of the outs and do not begrudge
the ins their Office. The yellow fever
germ that finds me will be one of the
kind the doctors call sporadic-none
of those at New Orleans, Edwards and
other places are smart enough to dis
cover my hiding place, which is about
12 miles north of Jackson and in the
edge of Pearl River swamp. 1t is one
mile from public road and so COM
pletely hidden by woods that l can
hardly find my way to the neighbor-
hood store and postoffice myself,
though it is only IL miles away. l
managed to drive over to Lucknow on
Friday and got a bundle of papers, the
first had seen in nearly a week, and
the consequence was l sat up far into
the night reading, advertisements and
all proving most interesting matter.
Though not a laughing matter, it
was most amusing thing to see the
people getting out of Jackson on last
Wednesday. About noon the news
came over the wire that the expert
physicians, Guiteras and Purnell, had
declared that seven of the cases of fe-
yer at Edwards we're yellow, and that
seven of the others were under the
strongest kind of suspicion. Then the
stampede began in real earnest. For
a week the people had been getting
out of town in quiet, orderly sort of
Wdyy SO Do W 10 Oh Oho onAO oldC, ouO
when it was definitely settled that the
dengue was in truth the dreaded yell
low jack, order was thrown to the wind
and the average Jacksonite entered up
on wild scramble for the trains or
the country. Wagons and drays were
in great demand and any sort Of price
was paid. Kid-gloved clerks Topped
themselves down in the seat beside a
big buck of a negro and drove to their
homes as if they were proud of their
company, and the way they slung bed
ding, trunks, sides of meat and half
barrels of -four around was caution,
and sight we'll worth seeing. Women
and children were crying and ringing
their hands as they assisted at the
packing of their household goods, and
mounting their wagons they drove out
of the city at a furious gait, not know
ing or caring where they went, just so
they got out of the city. Coming to a
vacant cabin, cotton house, church or
school house, into it they went and
took possession without the formality
of "by your leave" to the owner, and
there they are yet and liable to be un-
til frost has blackened the sweet pota-
to vines and ripened the simmons.
Just how some of them are going to
live would be hard to tell-they have
little or no money, and no credit at the
country store; their fingers are tender
and they could not make their salt at
cotton picking, and that is about all
there is to do on the average Rankin
county farm just now. Nine years ago
the people of Jackson had to flee from
the yellow fever, and the more thought
full of them have since then provided
themselves with country home so
that should occasion ever again arise
they would have a place to take their
families. Providence has never en-
dowed me with very many OF this
worlds goods, but he gave me an abun-
dance of good old horse sense, and do
not get caught twice on the same game.
Since the exodus of 8 years ago have
built very comfortable 4-room house
with a 1O-foot hall and long gallery,
Tutt's Pills