The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-22
ALL CERTIFICATES NOT GOOD.
INSPECTORS USING DISCRETION IN
ACCEPTING CREDENTIALS.


Handing Out Certificates to Any
body who Has the Price-Thc
Quarantine system Wen Systema-
tized and Being Operated without
Inconvenience to the Railroads,
which Are Lending Their Coop
erntiOn.
There was little of special interest in the
quarantine situation yesterday. Several
negroes whose health certificates were un-
satisfactory. We're put off the trains
Health officer Drummer is inclined to re-
gard the certificates presented by many of
The incoming passengers with suspicion.
He has good reason to believe that GER
tihcates are being issued by Unauthorized
persons or by persons VINO have no parti,-
ular scruples as to the statements certified
10 by them in the certificate provided the
desired fees are forthcoming.
THE inspectors have been instructed TO
exercise discretion in accepting certifi-
Gates" said DR.. Drummer. "A certificate
from Dr. John Jones of Jonesvile may be
all right but l have no means of knowing
who Dr. Jones is. When the inspectors
have reason to doubt the character of the
certificates they have instructions to re-
quire other evidences OF identification"
DIR. Drummer now has his quarantine
system thoroughly systematized There are
twelve inspectors and they cover all the
lines coming into Savannah. one inspector
boarding every train approaching the city,
while il is still miles away and seeing to It
that every passenger demonstrates mis-
right 10 enter the city. The beauty of the
present system is that trains are inspected
without delay and Inconvenience 10 the
railroads. BY having a sufficient number
of inspectors and having them board the
trains az a distance from the city the work
of inspection is performed without the ne
cessty of stopping the train, and thus IN
terfering with the schedule and perhaps
breaking connections. The railroad people
have shown their appreciation Of this
method of conducting the work by render
ing valuable cooperation and have proven
of great assistance TO the inspectors in
their work
MANY of the railroad employees" sail
Dr. Drummer, reside in Savannah and
have their families here and they are as
much interested as any one else in seeing
TO ii that no persons from infected dis
trcts come into the city"
Inspector O'Connor stationed on the run
from Savannah TO Everett, has unearthed
peculiar condition Of affairs which exists
in relation to the manner Of issuing
certificates at Duncan, Liberty county. He
has secured evidence that he is satisfied
will show that the postmaster at Duncan
is issuing health certificates for twenty
five cents piece, apparently 10 any and
ali Corners using the official seal of his
Office. Wednesday morning about II
O'Clock two negroes. Robert Young and
Fred Sanders, got on the Florida Central
and Peninsular train at Yulee. They did
not have certificates, and Inspector OCon-
nor put them off the train. AT 9:35 O'Clock
that night they got on train No. IS ON the
Florida, Central and Peninsular. This
time they each presented a certificate
which read:
This is 10 certify that Robert Young
the bearer of Ibis certificate is personally
known to me and that l certify that he
has not been in any section infected with
contagious disease for the past ten days
Signed J. a. Richardson, Postmaster,
Duncan, Liberty county Georgia
Inspector O'Connor realized Immediately
that the certificates, the one for Sanders
being Identical with the above EXCEPT for
change in name, could not be straight
as he had a few hours before heard
different story from the men, so he put
them off and retained the postmaster's
documents. But this was not the last of
it. Yesterday, before the inspector could
report on tne case the two negroes hoard
ed the train again. This time they had
straight certificates of ideutidca ton
which came by wire from the agent al
Yusee, and which Inspector O'Conuor hon
ored
To a Morning News representative. who
was on board the train, the negroes told
story of their experience in getting The
certificates at Duncan, and it was 10 the
effect chat on being put off the train by
Inspector OConnor they were notified by
friends that the postmaster could gel
them through al right. They applied to
MIN, and he said that he could give them
clean bill of health, but il would cost
them % cents apiece. They paid il and
got the certificates.
On arriving in Savannah Inspector
O'Conner reported the case to Dr. Brun-
ner. To the Morning News representa-
tive Inspector OConnor said he win here
after refuse TO recognize any certificates
signed by the postmaster al Duncan.
While there is more fever at Key West
than at any other point DR.. Drummer has
given special attention 10 the situation at
New Orleans. There have been PECULIAR
ties in the New Orleans situation from the
trst which have been somewhat puz-
z.ing to the yellow fever experts. The
small number of cases and the slow prog
ress Of the disease has been the subject
of some comment.
81 have now succeeded in locating the
fever cases in New Orleans to my salts
faction for the first time" said DR. Brun-
ner yesterday. The cases reported are
al in the best residence section Of New
Orleans"
Dr.. Drummer does not regard this as a
favorable symptom. That cases should be
found in the best residence section. and
the one which is presumably in the best
sanitary condition, while none are report
ed from the poorer quarters, is peculiar
10 say the least. Ii is possible that there
are no cases in the tenement districts. but
the suspicion is unavoidable that with in
lection existing IN the best residence sec
ton, the poorer quarters can hardly have
escaped. Naturally, il is more difficult to
locate the cases among the poorer classes