The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1897-10-02
THE CONFERENCE
Did Not Take Place The Train
Stopped at Rayne
BY Armed Men-Other Towns
Wired the Train Gould Not
Pass.

farther said the people of Rayne
20 the doctors of medicine, pune
tuating their stern command with q
threat to shoot and kill.
The train carrying the delegates
from the various towns along the
Southern Pacific road passed
through Lafayette Wednesday on
its way to Lake Charles.
Aboard this train were: DR.. S.
r. Olliphant, president of the
State Board of Health; DR.. Carter,
of the United States Marine; DR..
Guteras, the celebrated yellow
fever expert; DR.. Alfred Duperier,
of New Iberia; Drs. Smith, Tarlton
and Frere, of Franklin; Mayor
Liable, of St. Martinville; Mr..
Weeks of the Iberian; Ex-Sheriff
Frere, of St. Mary; Beverly Miles,
Of New Iberia; Superintendent:
Owens, of Algiers, and others
whose names The Gazette does not
know. 1t was purposed to run the
train as far west as Lake Charles,
take in delegates along that route,
returning to Lafayette the same
evening. At this point delegates
from this town and parish were to
join the party, after which the
train would have coptinued to
Alexandria, thence to Shreveport
where it was intended to hold
conference with a view of proposing
or devising a uniform plan of quar-
antine. Preparations had been
made by the promoters of the
movement and by the Southern
Pacific Company to carry out the
project, but the best laid plans of
the wisest men are liable to be
brought to an ABRUPT termination
by the edicts of King Quarantine.
When the train reached the cor
Porate limits of the unpretentious
village of Rayne a body of deter
mined-looking men armed with
shotguns and rifles, signaled the en-
gineer to stop. Then the men de-
elared that the City Council of
Rayne had decreed that no train
should be allowed to pass through
the town. It was proposed to go
through at any rate of speed, but
the men said no and threatened to
tear the track if the train moved
Rayneward- Finding that there
was no use to persist, the medical
men as we'll as the crew decided to
return whence they had come. Be-
fore leaving an unsophisticated fell
low, who failed to properly under
stand the temper of the people,
boarded the train to deliver a tele-
gram to one of the physicians. He
was informed that he was wanted in
Rayne no more and would have to
90 elsewhere. The only thing the
foolhardy messenger could do was
to remain on the train and enjoy
the hospitality of the gentlemen
inside the Pullman.
The train returned to Lafayette
at 6 o'clock in the evening, stop
ping here long enough to take coal
and water for the engine. The
party did not go any farther but
concluded to go back home as
telegram from Opelousas stated
positively that no train would be
permitted to pass through the town.
Similar messages had been received
from Crowley and Lake Charles.
Under the circumstances it was
decided that il would be pure
folly to attempt to continue the
trip. DR.. Duperier stated to a
citizen of this town that they had
been very much disappointed, but
they would again try to carry out
their project.
- On board the train was the we'll
Known yellow fever specialist, DR..
Guiteras who was trying to make
his way to Texas where his services
are in demand.
The train was in charge of Con-
ductor Lusted and Engineer Greg
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