Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-01-28

came to the Rifle Range with the first
detachment of Cavalry last summer
and remained for few weeks, report
ed to the War Department that the
locality was unhealthy, marshy, and
not a fit place to be occupied by the
army. We have not seen a copy of
this report, but we mean to obtain it,
if it requires a special resolution in
Congress to secure 1t.
On the report reaching Washington,
it at once put stop to the steps then
in progress to complete the purchase
of the Range, for which Congress had
made an appropriation a year ago.
. We believe the Doctors report was
also against the healthfulness of JEFF
ferson Barracks. Congressman Cobb
protested against the truth of this re-
| port, and General Miles appointed a
| Commissioner to investigate and re-
| port again. On this commission were
| two army Doctors, one from Chicago
and one from Jefferson Barracks,
neither of whom had ever been in Ar
cadia Valley before. They came,
spent an hour on the grounds, and
about four hours altogether in the
| Valley, then returned. This short
stay of few hours on an unpleasant
winter day did not enable them to join
any personal knowledge of the health
| fulness or unhealthfulness OF the local
ity, beyond what their general opinion
| might be of high mountainous region
with bright and rapid running brooks,
and springs of pure water. We are
not advised that these doctors made
any unfavorable report on the health
fulness of the Rifle Range; if they did,
it was necessarily made without per-
sonal knowledge. But they evidently
did not disturb the false impression
made by DIR. Ewing's report, and that
seems to stand as the .'Rec0rd" in the
War Department.
To demonstrate to the War Lords in
Washington how utterly unfounded
and slanderous DIR. Ewing's report
was, several of the leading citizens of
Arcadia Valley, and number of its
friends in ST. Louis, obtained the
sworn statements of large number OF
the most reliable men in the State, and
of all the Doctors here and several in
st. Louis-Doctors who have practlced
medicine here more than forty years
all proving beyond question that Ar
cadia Valley is as healthy locality
as any in the United States. All this
was filed in the War Department, and
members of Congress who personally
knew how unfounded DIR. Ewing's re-
port was, called and gave their per-
sonal assurances as to the remarkable
heathfulness of Arcadia Valley. Push
ing their inquiries into the Surgeon
Generals Office, they were met with
the answer that the courtesy which the
service required between officers, pre-
scented him from going behind the re-
port of his subordinate officer, and
therefore the slanderous and utterly
unfounded report of DR.. Ewing.
branding Arcadia Valley as too I'M
healthy locality to be occupied by
United States troops, is to stand as the
Record!
1t matters not that all parts of the
Rifle Range that are not too high and
mountainous to be cultivated, have
been settled and occupied for fifty and
seventy-five years by well-tO-do farm
ers who have reared large families of
healthy children and never heard of
malaria; it matters not that the whole |
region has always been known to be a
health resort since white men first saw
it; it boots nothing that every man,
woman and child, including men of the
highest medical attachments in Ameri-
ca, it matters not, we say, that all join
in declaring the locality to be one of
the healthie st in America; neverthe-
less, this false and baseless report is
made to stand as the ''official record"
against Arcadia Valley. 1t ties the
hands of the government and prevents
its acquisition of what every man of
sense knows, and what Gen. Merritt |
pronounced to be one of the most de-
sirable ranges in the United States!
If the SANDER were not such an out
rageous wrong on this entire part of
the State, it would be too farcical for
serious treatment.
1t brings back to our memory the
nursery song that has for generations
been the amusement of very small peo-
pie:
''The lion and the unicorn, fighting for the
crown;
Up jumped the little dog, and knocked them
all down!'
Seriously, we can only say at pres
ent that our people will not allow mat
tiers to rest thus. They will keep up
the war until this unholy libel on our
Valley is effaced from the records of
the War Department-no matter whose
head may fall in the basket in its I'M
doing.
The army officers have it in their
power to do the reputation of the Ar
cadia Valley justice; to remove and
obliterate this SANDER, and if it be not
done, so much the worse for those who
fail in their duty. They will learn to
their sorrow that the friends of Area
dia Valley will be able to exercise a
force that will set the mills of the Gods
in motion, grind they never so slow
ly.n
If DR.. Ewing allows any report of
his to stand uncontradicted to the eff
feet that Arcadia Valley is malarious
and unhealthy, he is simply making a
record that discredits himself, and ru-
| ms his own reputation for honor and
| intelligence; because all the world be-
sides himself knOICS that there is 40
foundation in truth for such a report.
We shall have much to say on this
| subject later on.
HuItum In ParVo.
The fatigue incident to travel on
4