Evening journal., 1899-08-23
A FAKE EXPOSED.

ROYAL OAK is THE HEALTH
CENTRE OF THE UNITED
STATES.
Easton, Nd. Aug. 22.--From Bal
timore newspaper: THE village Of
Royal Oak. as the centre Of a circle
with a six-mile radius. is the
health centre OF the United States,
as tabulated in the 1890 census re-
ports"
Prom a description OF Talbot county
in a Philadelphia newspaper: The
United States Bureau OF Vital Statis-
tics, in a recent report. makes known
the fact that the health centre OF the
United States is a circle six miles in
|circumArence around the ancient viii
lage Of Royal Oak"
From a story about the Eastern
Shore in a Washington newspaper:
From a recent report of the National
Health Bureau it is learned that the
health centre Of the United States is
in Talbot county, one Of the principal
Eastern Shore counties. The fortunate
spot is embraced in a circle whose
diameter is six miles and whose centre
is the town OF Royal Oak"
From a book recently published
called THE Land Of Legendary Lore;
Some years ago the United States
Government sent out officers for sta
tistics OF healthfulness Of the entire
country, and with Royal Oak, four
miles from Oxford, as the centre, and
ten miles around as the circle, statis-
ties showed that this part of Talbot
county held the palm"
For twenty-five years this story has
been repeated in one form or another,
in newspaper editorials. as well as de-
seripNve articles, in magazines, in
books, in real estate catalogues. in ad-
vertisements, etc. The writer has read
lit in Chicago. San Francisco and Los
Angeles newspapers, and he is credit
ably informed that it recently appear
ed in a paper published at Manila,
philippines, written by a correspond
ient who got the story from a UnNed
States naval officer.
And there is not word OF truth in
it, and never was. The story is a Ia
lble a pure invention. No such state
ment was ever made in census re
port, or by the United States BHrsaJ
OF Vital Statistics" or by the INA
tional Health Bureau" or by "saficeri
sent out for statistics Of healthful
ness"
The story originated in this way
In 1874, Rev. William McKendree Poi
sal was one OF the EDITORS Of the St
lMichaels Comet, and, like the late
Deacon Richard Smith, OF the Cincin
! matt Gazette, had a wicked partner
who once had to prepare an advertise
ment for the sale OF an estate nea
Royal Oak from very meager mater
r ials. The wicked partner put in tn
advertisement this statement; "Ac
:. cording to unpublished statistics tn
, health centre OF the United States IS
b circle with Royal Oak as the centr
/ and radius Of four miles" and it wa
so published in the Comet, which wa
8 the first publication OF a facetiou
8 statement whose author never sup
posed it would have any further cir
d culatlon. The four-mile radius wa
{ adopted to take in ST. Michaels an
exclude Easton in subsequent publ
{ cations the radius of the circle ha
. been extended TO ten miles. whic
would take in half of Talbot county
b and adjacent waters. and the circl
has been contracted to a diameter @
e four miles and once TO a circumfel
IS ance Of four miles. There is extant
collection Of a hundred printed repet
IS tions Of this fabrication during tn
IT twenty-five years which have elapse
since its manufacture. Mr.. Poisal
/ wicEed partner which was, havin
long since repented Of his sins, thinl
the fable should be exploded.
It is a healthy cSuntry, and if eve
an official health centre is establishe
v likely enough it viii fall there. Il
- more probable, however, it will strii
Heron island. in Niles river, an al
er panase Of Queen Anne's county, whel
II there have been but two deaths in III
years. and these were persons shil
at wrecked and drowned on the shores