The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27
VENGEANCE OF IRON
AN EPISODE OF a reform WAVE
IN THE GoGEBIO REGION.


IN. Epidemio or TSpheid Fever That swept
the Tovu asd the Laat Trip over the Rivor
or the superintenden or the water works,
who was Held Responsible for the Outbreak.
In tho spring OF 1898 a wave Of reform swept
over the town OF Ironwood. 1t was timo. Filled
mn with the mining population which had col
lected and coagulated there ever since the first
prospector In the Gogebic country gazed at the
sparkling black lump of mineral he had picked
up. and with the prophetic eye OF science dis
covered the millions of dollars undor his feet,
the town had grown darker OF reputation as 1t
had grown larger. But at q certain point In its
growth the social and religious Instinct began
70 be felt. That was the beginning Of tho end
of lawlessnoss, the last outbreak of which 10 the
subject OF this bit Of incidental history.
Ironwood, In Its regenerated character. had Its
antithesis in Hurley, just across the Montreal
River, which at that point Is on the boundary
line between Michigan and Wisconsin. Hurley
was, during the eighties. the toughest town in
the United States. Its dance halls were tho
vilest, its gambling dens the crookedest, its
traffic OF vice tho most glazing. and its bad
characters tho most dangerous in the West.
Il was Hurley that fostered the stockades,
whore kidnapped women were fenced within q
largo Enclosure and guarded with rifles and
bloodhounds against chance OF escape by the
masters who made an Infamous living from
their slavery. A crusade started in Chicago
tore down the stockados. liberated the women,
and forever put an end to the foulest blot on
the history OF the developing Northwest, per-
haps the foulest In all American history. 1t
was not done without bloodshed. The mon who
conducted that unholy business. desperate char
actors all, wero not driven from the country.
They became the divekeepers and blacklogs of
Hurley and Ironwood.
As the two towns grew the baser element
collected more and more In Hurley. Even there
It was held in subsection. Men were not shot in
the streets, nor was open crime countenanced;
but vice In its various forms flourished unre-
stricted. Painted women piled their calling in
the variety halls, and there was not a square
gambling place running. Partly because Of its
better character. partly because there were big
ger mining interests on its side OF the river,
Ironwood outstripped its neighbor, and when in
the spring of 1898 it elected the Captain of the
Norrie Mine Mayor 1t was the bigger place by
several thousands, and the better place by a still
larger majority. its citizens boosted. In fact,
e over the river was an expression Of none too
fair repute in Ironwood.
W. 3. Winthrop had achieved the unenviable
reputation OF spending too much of his time
over the river. In the case OF another man,
greater offence might have been less remarked.
But Winthrop was, in a sense. a public charac-
ter. a superintendent Of the company which
furnished Ironwood with water from its reser-
voir, n short distance up the river, on the Hurley
side. 1t was whispered that his designations
were interfering with his attention to business.
On such II point lronwoud. in its new conscious
netg Of virtue, was touchy. Winthrop was
criticised; but he had many friends who stood
up stoutly for him. He was a big. bluff. hearty.
9 asy.going sort Of man; the kind that makes
friends easily. Moreover. there was no specific
n1lavafinn against hiR nrnfp9SipnAl CunnplfN
Toe water works company OF which he was
superintendent was a private corporation, but
civic pride. Hurley had no water works worthy
OF the name. By the contract with the city the
point opposite the mine locations. as the settle.
ments around the locations drained their sew
age in open cutters into the river, Winthrop
voir and the intake. He declared that when
spring came Ironwood should have as good
late that year. When the breakup came. in the
last OF March. Ironwood, built on II marsh. was
t One huge WSs SWAMP " amp, S MI1h IT the @s Goming sn Of 5 april
cases Of typhoid. The doctors said 1t was due to
the swampy nature Of the ground. The people
If the doctors were sure.
One man. a hardware merchant named Prem
by small reptiles of uncouth design.
and characterized by a faint but undesirable
. o BROAD. " Some es SAID had that ats e wes Worth %t n eonsidera.
ton. Others said that the doctors knew what
thoy were talking about. Merchant Prentice
as a kicker" and said no more, but his house.
hold from that time drank no water that was
stated here that all the Prentice family were
alive at last accounts. Other persons be;
gan 70 talk about the appearance and bad
way a little and admitted that the water might
not be quite up to standard, but after the snow
no more sickness than there had been
every year. On tho whole. however. IL would
present. That advice received such atten:
ton ns all halT-hearted counsel receives; that
Is. none at all worth mentioning:
supply clerk for tho Aurora mine. was in his
office when he saw eight sturdy Swedish miners
come up from under ground. where they should
have been working.
Whats the matter with you. men y he
going over to them.
LAY tank | not work to-day said a big fell
low; 81 tank 1 got pretty bad back
All the others complained OF pains in the back
eyes bright. Baker learned that they had been
town and had drunk the water there three
had been from the pure springs in the mine. BY
night all eight were in the company hospital.
r fore 2 s. morning ming. they were we're raging in deliriIM.
lowed them in the next week. Meantime the
other hospitals were filling up. Men we're
places of business, and were helpless in the
lpace OF a few hours. BY the middle of April
1ronwood was in the throes of a true epidemic
OF typhoid OF the most malignant type. Ii struck
almost as swiftly AS cholera. Its victims sue
cunlbed, in cases. within five or six days, while
those who overcame tho poison lay abed for
weeks and arose with shattered constitutions.
Ill enough could lronwOOd face such "A vista
ton. Its hospitals were crude; its doctors few.
There were no nurses, and in typhoid tho nurse
Is more than the doctor. What physicians there
were were worn out with the constant and in
creasing demands upon them. The big barracks
OF company hospitals soon filled up. The town
authorities threw the armory open. Three days
gufhced to crowd 1t. Two vacant buildings were
hastily fitted up, In four days the doctors In
charge we're forced to deny applications for adj
mittance. There was n lack of cots and bed.
clothing. Men sent their own mattresses and
bedclothes to the hospital, and slept in chairs
or on the floor. Women volunteered as nurses.
Aid was sent from neighborlng places, but the
plague grew and spread. At last Iron wood rec
ognized the fact that it's powers were too weak.
The Mayor telegraphed to Chicago for assist
ance, and In reply there came. as swift as steam
could bring them, twelve young doctors from
the hospitals and twenty five trained nurses TO
the aid OF the stricken city.
For those doctors and nurses it was the ex-
OF Il lifeClne. or the population which
was outside tho hospital they found half stern
ly, bravely. but almost hopelessly fighting the
epidemic, and the other half terrorized. brutal.
ICED. drowning their fears in drink and de-
bauchery. Women ran In the streets shrieking
and wailing for their dead. Men wallowed in
the cutters or ragged through the town in the de-
lirium of drunkpnness- When tvn neraona mat