The Topeka state journal., 1899-10-10
BULLFIGHT QUARANTINED.

On my way to Mexico I had the |
pleasure of meeting a. Ell Paso, Texas. !
DR.. Alexander, a veteran member OF
the United States marine service, VINO |
had spent many years guarding our !
portals against the great Mexican pes
thence.
DR.. Alexander is by nativity a Swiss,
but his devotion to his adopted land is |
none the less ardent on that account.
He is what is generally known as "a
character'-rOugh, hale and hearty,
with a striking resemblance to our pic
tured images of Kris Kringle, especial |
ly as regards his twinkling eye and 5el- |
ly like abdomen. He is a man worth
going miles to meet, for the funny tales
he tells of his experiences in the SER
vice of public health keep you laughing
for days.
It seems that about three month ago
smallpox was very prevalent just
across the Rio Grande from Ell Paso.
and it looked IS if the epidemic would
surely cross the river. But DR.. Alex
ander instituted a rigorous quarantine
and managed to keep off all commune
cation with the infected region until a
Mexican bull fight arrived on the other
side. But on every Sunday celebration
of that enticing Spanish entertainment
a large contingent of the sporting eIe-
ment of the Texas town crossed the
river to view the fight. Not only did the
citizens of Ell Paso attend, but tourists
would stop over, and on their return ex-
pose the land of Stars and Stripes to
the risk of an epidemic.
Having no power to prevent their go
ing over and not wishing to be hard
his fellow citizens, the vigilant
health officer pleaded with them, del1V-
ering a small moral lecture on the
wrong they were doing, but all in vain.
He then wrote a more caustic article
in which he politely told them that
there would be trouble if the Sunday
emigration into the infected province
continued. But they needed not his
words of warning.
Now, the doctor is joviaI man and
1,1 I1 Ian h1If a
business when he says so, and he could
not view with content the Slur which
had been cast on the great department.
of public health or sit quietly by and
see his Omnipotent authority bedrag-
gIed in the mud. He decided to teach
them a lasting lesson, and so he did.
Sunday came, a beautiful spring day.
and the bull fight came off, and the
citizens and tourists emigrated as of
yore, chuckling to themselves as to how
| the old doctor was at home pulling his
| hair, for on their way over they saw
| him not
The fight was a good one, the bulls
We're vicious, the banderillos active, the
| picadOrS skilful, and the enjoyment OF
the Americans was great. But after
the carnal sport was over, after the
! matador had withdrawn his bloody
| sword from the quiVering body OF the
| last bull, amid the tumUltuous chorus
| of "bravOs'' from the heartless audi
| ence, our fellow citizens started again
| for Dixie land but they met a sudden
and unexpected check in the persons
| of a large number of river guards
under the command of the old doctor,
| who proceeded to corral the whole out
| fit"
Excitement ran high for while. and
| some of the most pugnacious were vio-
| lent and used bad words, and in re-
| spOnse to angry questioning as to what
he meant to do the doctor blandly re
| piled: L am going to sterilize you"
Not being cOnverSant with the germ
1 theory or with modern aSeDtic surgical
( 4oobrfO11n RanfiUPS much
| plussed, but their suspense was soon
! relieved. After they had been placed
/ in line some of the guards disappeared,
! but soon returned bearing curious
! looking apparatus, which seemed to be
! a. cross between a force pump and
J giant atOmizer, and placed the machine
! in front of the line.
The doctor took hold of a, tube, the
| assistants began to pump labOriOusly,
| and while the captive miscreants were
! wondering what was going to happen
| their line was suddenly struck by
| vapOrous blast that almost took them
| off their feet. To their eXclamatiOnS
| of anger the doctor replied that he was
/ simply killing the germs with good
I strong solution of bichlOride of mer-
| curry, explaining that the apparatus was
| an invention of his own, OF which he
/ was very proud; that the mechanism
| was simplicity itself, and that he was
| thinking strongly of getting out pat
( ent on it. In the mean time, he relent-
! leSSly Sprinkled their best Sunday suits
! sparing not an occasional plug hat or a
! gaudy tie, and serving alike the la
borer's jeans and the dudes Prince Al
| bert"
When their anterior surfaces seemed
| sufficiently saturated the sturdy health
officer calmly told them to turn their
/ backs and proceeded to finish the duck
ing Ito the queens taste,'' relentleSsly
| working his medicated sprinkler until
the last offender was soaked.
A street car load of sports" was
/ held up and similarly served. Most of
! them offered to get out, but the doctor
( explained that that was unnecessary,
as his antiseptic spray would work well
! through the windows.
! Several young galIants had brought
their fancees in buggies, but their
feminine smiles had little effect on the
/ stony hearted medical man. and after
| the usual dOuching the doctor says he
| emptied a few pints of fluid on the
| cushions Just to make an extra i'm
| preston on the occupants
A sorry looking crew it was that
| crossed back over the Rio Grande that
| beautiful Sunday afternoon, leaving a
/ bichlOride trail upon the sidewalks and
| heaping antiseptic curses upon the head
| of the man that invented the germ
| theory
The quarantine officer little dreamed
: of the far reaching effects his opera
tions would have, for they not only put
a sudden stop to the American attend
| ance to the bullfghts, but forced the
! fight to close down. For without
| American cash there was little profit
in it, and the old doctor is very happy
I in having put an end tow hat he con-
| sidered q detestable sport.
| But, on the other hand, he acquired
| the free and unlimited wrath of the
populace of the Mexican town to such
! extent that they assembled on the
south bank of the Rio Grande and burn
ed the worthy doctor in efTigy after be
speaking everlasting punishment for
his soul in the lower regions.
HIS JAWS PRED OPEN.