The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-10-08
LETTER FROM EAGLES NEST

Editor Democrat-Star.
Mans inhumanity to man, makes
countless thousands mourn" Ihis
truism was never more triumphantiy
verified than In the sickness, death
and burial Of Willie Mansield's little
daughter, Ida May, az this place last
Monday. The poor little girl had lain
eight days and nights, dying OF Fever,
and Notwithstanding the fact that
four physicians had diagnosed her sick
ness, and each one had declared that
the disease was not infectious, not a
| single mar or woman OF this COM
munity would 60 nea the house and
offer their services to assist the grief
stricken father and mother in TINS
dire extremity. ! said no Que. Yes
there was onc-a man, and "a stranger,
MI. Harry Thompson, of Bayou Chicot.
He was with them from hrst to last,
and performed his duty to his fellow
man as all brave and h~ig-lIearted poo
ple should. She was dead when they
sent for me to assist Mr.. Thompson ~
preparing the body OF the young girl
for burial. Now, Mr.. Editor, the frost
Vt half a century has bleached my
hair, and l have seen plenty OF dead
men and women, too. but l never, IN
all my experience, saw anything To
compare with the misery and dcstltu'
ton that was exhibited in that cham
Der of death. There, upon the bed on
which she died twenty hours previi'
Gus, lay the corpse, her eyes half closed,
her hair a mass Of tangles, rObed In
the scantiest of apparel. and sur
rounded on all sides by dirt and con.
fusion. Mr.. Thompson and l dressed
her as best we could and laid her IN
her coffin. The question naturally
arises, why is this 50? The solution
is plain. Her own blood relations
land there were some very near to her)
when asked why did you not help thu
unfortunate girl? would reply: well
YOU know we was 'skeered,' and then
YOU know, II we had gone in there, w
, would all have been ~'canteened' ant
sent to the 'horse-pistol' at Fontalne
, bleau.' Oh, yes! people with0u
hearts and your own blood, too. Blu
the "mills OF the gods grind slowly an,
/, they grind exceedingly fine grist." !
is a long time yet till frost, an
, though we all may monkey with tn
Lax-collector, but when the grca
reaper comes, we, too, shall have t
!, follow in the footsteps OF this poe
little sufferer that has preceded Us
j., We buried this child, and there wei
: : very few who went to see the last sa
: rites performed. There was n WI
= man, however, brave enough to go t
= the grave, and she was no relation
a Mrs. w. j. Parker (and may hcave
y bless her). She, too, mingled ht
voice with that of the little group {
), mourners and we united with M
% W. L. Strock in reciting the Dec;
logue, asking the Father to "f0rgi>
us our trespassers, as we forgive thos
I who trespass against u.s." The
were none to 70 and assist IN
l. fearful, wild-eyed mother, but Jul
wait now until this fever abatcs al
cold weather comes, then you'll 81
:, the smoke. Wait until some OF
u draws a horses tail across a cats DO,
els to the tune Of the 'unfortuna
dog and you'll see them flock to
is like crows to a cOrn-ield. II l d
but have the pen of a Pope, l won
d wither you people with satire;
is short, I'd strip you up the back" +
the heartleSS manner in which "
n treated one of YOUR own blood. 81
,e had a doctor, hut for the sake OF 600
ness, what avails that? The doct
n. had no medicine. and it was impoSs
Is BILE to get it, and | Opine that the pl
,e scriptiOn Of old EsculapIus would la
been powcrless unless he had, or con
is get medicine. Here is the truth-tl
A. child died from neglect all aroun
is and that's the end of 1t. Whose fau
a it IS the guilty ones know well cnoug
ps One word more, now, Col. Maye1
~ and | am done. There are lots
Or people whose CoRNs will be hurt Ov
this letter. They will say, 'Oh! we
n that is Eagles Nest, he's drunk
Ne But, my friends, / fool you this tim
re Some of you have got the sheep SIX
H. on your backs, but | can see 70
claws. How many times have | sc
nv you ''pull down your vest and wipe
o. your clins" when the ''yaller mar
e. and | passed you? and yet, Mr.. Edit
IS these same people who rub Il fl
a. stomach and thank God they are abo
my kind, would not know the Gre
alphabet from a Sioux Indian sQuav
y. love letter. Yum, yum!
,d EAGLES NEST,
T. Ootohnr 4. 1897