The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-12-29
AS TO THE SMALLPOX
No New Gases Have Developed,
All Kinds Of Exaggerated
Stories Afloat
A CASE AT COLUMBUS
The Man Was Quarantined at Ben
nett's-Dr. Townsend Must
Remain at the Camp. I'd.

All kinds of exaggerated reports are
in circulation about the smallpox in
Billings and you can hear Of new cases
by the score if you listen to the street
rumors. but the situation remains prac-
tical!y the same as reported in The Ga.
zerte last Tuesday. No new cases have
appeared and the disease is confined to
three men taken from Benefits place,
all of whom have varioloid They are
in tents down by the railroad bridge
and DR.. Townsend, together with the
man who first took the disease about
three weeks ago, and his nurse, is in
charge of thom .'..
DR.. Townsend has a tent in the vicin-
ity and, by direction of the council, il
supposed to keep out of town except
when it is necessary for him to visit to
the exposed people at Benefits, where
rigid quarantine il maintained.
DR.. Townsend was not located in his
new quarters until Wednesday after.
noon and was up town last evening, in
consequence of which much indignation
is expressed by the people. They insist
that the doctor should remain with the
patients and not come in contact with
people III the city and this morning,
Chairman Linton of the board Of county
commissioners, advised by DR.. Rinehart,
physician to the county board Of health,
gave Chief Of Police Bond orders to ar
rest DR.. Townsend il he again appeared
on the streets, put him il Benefits
place and keep him there. The chief
| mill fLo nd n0c 1sc
notified the hackmen that if any of them
bring DR.. Townsend up town, they will
also be arrested and quarantined at
Benefits. Mr.. Linton says he took
this precaution in response to de-
mand from the people and to protect
the public health. Scores of citizens,
he says, have complained to him about
DR.. Townsend being allowed to come
up town and he thinks it is necessary
to adopt stringent measures. Mr. Lin
ton and the board of commissioners
will be sustained by the people in any
thing they do to prevent the spread Of
the disease The people are worked up
about it and will not stand any foolish
ness. There is no cause for alarm,
however, but everybody should get vac.
oinated. The pest house is being built
and will be completed tomorrow. when
the patients now afflicted will be re-
moved there.
County Commissioner J. B. Amin
came down from Columbus this morn
ing with news that case of varioloid
had appeared there. in the Northern
Pacific section house. The patient is a
section hand who was quarantined here
for six days at Benefits. and If the
quarantine had been kept Oh for TWEEN.
ty.one days, as it should have been,
Columbus people would not have been
exposed to the disease. All the people
in the section house have been quaran-
tined, a guard is kept on duty night
and day and every preoaution will he
taken to keep tho disease from spread
ing at Columbus. The patient was
hrought to Billings this afternoon Oh a
freight train in special box car, fur.
nished by Superintendent Horn, which
was run through the qity and the sick
man landed at the smallpox camp down
by the railroad bridge.
Outside Of Billings. the most exag-
gerated reports arc in circulation about
the number Of cases here, as a sample
of which an item is quoted below from
last Wednesdays Yellowstone journal.
The only truth in it is about the three
cases of varioloid. Az for the man
found lying on the straet broken out
with smallpox, and the five new cases,
both stories are pure fiction. The Miles
City paper says:
Passengers who came in from Bill
ings today report that eight new cases
of smallpox have developed within the
last few days. all Of which originated
from contact with the first case devel-
oped at Benefits saloon. On Monday
three cases we're discovered and these
were removed to tents near the railroad
bridge. The others developed yester.
day and we're also removed. The city
council held a hurried session and or
dered every preoaution taken. Several
persons suspected Of contact were or
dered quarantined at Benefits place
aud among these is a woman. The
council ordered pest house erected
near the old penitentiary site and work
on it will begin az soon as the weather
permits. The original smallpox patient
has recovered One Of the latest cases
reported Ia that Of man who has been
knocking about the town In an intoxi.
Gated condition for weeks past. When
found he was lying out exposed to the
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