Evening star., 1898-10-18
MISSISSIPPI QUARANTIN E
self-1mposed Barriers to Keep Out the Vel
low Fever.
Precautions to Prevent n Pestiience-
Effects on the Towns Thus Iso-
lGtcd-In the Country.

A Mississippi editor who has made
study of the quarantine question and Is
familiar with all the local conditions in
that part of the south. writes to The Star
an explanation of the yellow fever condi-
tions in Mississippi He says that the con-
ditions there render the strict quarantine
regulations necessary, and that they are
not the result of superstition and barbar-
ism
The true conditions" he says, ARE as
follows: Prior to 1878 local quarantines
were rare in Mississippi. In that year tws
of her fairest and most prosperous towns,
Wlere never case of yellow fever had
been seen by citizen or phystcian-Ho1ly
Springs and Grenada-threw wide open their
doors 10 refugees from Memphis and New
orleans, where the pest was raging, and
the result was the slaughter of the flower
OF their population, though to their credit
De IL ever spoken, not man who had Op
posed the erecting the barriers OF quaran-
une He'd from those cities, but remained to
nurse the victims of their temerity and
Gled at their posts, including Col. KinIoch
Fa4coner, secretary of state; DIR. Compton,
superintendent of the Iunatic asylum: Judge
water, the leading member of the bar and
many other notables
Since then Mississippians have been eau
tious' ana though the plague has several
unes appeared its mortality, as in this
season, mas been light, owing to the au-
tEorlties in every town looking out for the
saiely OF Their own people and barring the
gates by quarantine enforced by extra
foiice and trusty guards at every avenue
or approach. At the present time the hab-
ltat OF the distemper is chiefly unimportant
villages. some of them heretofore unknown
by nSme to most weil-infOrmed citizens
while the towns that control fully % per
cent of the states trade and exports of
cotton, lumber and other products. have,
thanks to strict local quarantine been en-
n iIal
peace, quiet and health
tnder ordinary circumstances there
would have been little or no fever in the
state this year but the unusual amount of
travel incident TO tine war had a tendency
TO make the people more careless than they
would otherwise have been, and the state
mas been thronged by journeying soldiers,
west lndlan refugees, immigrants. etc.
Effect of Quarantine
Under the aegis of local quarantine in
Mississippi a condition of order prevails
almost unparalleled elsewhere. Crime al
most ceases to exist, drunkenness is sternly
repressed, vagrancy is put under a positive
ban, stores are closed at an early ho1r.
assemblies of all kinds are prohibited ner-
sons are forbidden to be on the streets af-
Ter y pm. guards are stationed at all roads
entering the town, special officers are mt
on on every traln to examine the health GER
thcates OF all persons proposing to stop at
the town tEeV represent. and all is order
system and conducive of the public safety
and weIfnre
This costs money lots of il for every
man employed is paid. and well paid. but
the towns cheerfuIly ray the cost of i'm
munity- The local quarantines in Mfssis-
slppl VIII cost the taxpayers of the towns
IN the aggreSat" hundreds of thousands of
dollars: but it is locally disbursed and To-
caiiy expended. and no one grumbIes In
addition to this the stf te board has at its
disposal an appropriation Of $50 900 which
10 for
Inspection.
Now. word with regard to the value
OF these cuarantines from mercenary
point of view. To the towns of Mississin-
pi. generally, interstate commerce amounts
TO nothing. while their wagon trade. in
vOfving the handling of a million and a
Quarter OF bales of cotton and enormous
Quantities of other products. and the load
ing of the wagons for return to the farms
with merchandise. is everything.
The town neoDle may have little dread
Of yellow fever. smallpox or other plaques,
but with til" farmers it is different: they
have plenty of food of home production and
Will fOrego the want # coffee tea and dry
goods rather than risk contagion or in
fectiOn.
If 4 weIl-authenticated report gets out
that a single case of yellow fever has ap-
pearAd in town its stIeet& and approach
es are deserted. Not a farm wagon not
even farmer on horseback will be seen
within its limits, and its fall trade which
represents the harvest, is absolutely lost
Tor the season: hence, at the first alarm.
and for the sake Of trade, for the preser-
walton Of the local waEor-haul commerce,
that means everything to them, the mar-
chants are the most iuStStent upon the es-
tablishment of strict quarantine and, in
fact, the farmers are shy of any unquaran-
tined town if the yellow fever is reported
in the state.
As to money our hanks were never let
ter supplied: as to goods. the shelves and
y SrehOuSeS of our merchants were never
better stocked: to provisions nineteen
out of twenty of our farmers could subS;St
well at home without ever visiting a mar
ket.
In Harmony with National Quaran-
tine.
LAS TO the state and national authorities
they are working in perfect harmony. and
if national quarantine prevailed It would
not have the effect to disturb a single local
carrier in the state, for so long as the in
stinct of preservation exists our peo-
pie will fence contagion out, even If it
amounts to fencing themselves in and no
juries can be obtained in either state or