El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-25
.QUARANTINED
A BULL-FIGHT
A Correspondent of an East
ern Paper Graphically
Describes
DOCTOR ALEXANDER
And His Use of the Grant AtOmiZer
Literally Spraying d Crowd of
Texans.

Texans.
Correspondence of the Baltimore Sun.
| CHIHUAHUA Aug. 29.-Since sma
pox has been present in such close pr @
xlmity to Baltimore, the following az
count of the means that were ono
adopted by very vigiiant health Of
ficer on the Texas frontier, may be o
interest to the readers of the paper.
On my way to Mexico l had III,
pleasure Of meeting at Ell Paso, Texas
DR.. Alexander, veteran member O
the United STAGES Marine Service, wht
had spent many years guarding GU
portals against the great Mexican pes
thence.
! DR.. Alexander ia by nativity Swiss
but his devotion to his adopted land i
none the less ardent on that account
| He Is what is generally known ss s.,
character"-rough, hale and hearty
with q striking reese % blance to our pic
| tured images of Kris Krinkle, especial
ly as regards bis twinkling eye and jel
| ly-like abdomen. He is a man worth
going miles to meet, for the funny
| tales he tells of his experiences in the
service of public health keep you
laughing for days.
Il seems that about three months age
smallpox was very prevalent just across
the Rio Grande from Ell Paso, and ii
looked as if the epidemic would surely
cross the river. But DR.. Alexander
instituted rigorous quarantine and
managed to keep off all communication
with the infected region until q Mex
lean bull fight arrived on the other
side. But on every Sunday celebration
of that enticinR Spanish entertainment
large contingent of the sporting ele-
ments of the Texas town crossed the
river to view the fight. Not only did
the citizens of Ell Paso attend, but tour
lists would step over, and on their re-
turn expose the land of the Stars and
Stripes to the risk of an epidemic.
Having no power To prevent their
going over and not wishing to be hard
on his fellow citizens, the vigilant
health officer pleaded with them, de
wrong they we're doing. but all in vain
He then wrote more caustic article,
in which he politely told them that
there would be trouble If the Sunday
emf alton in to the Infected province
But they needed not his
words or warning.
Now, the doctor is jovial man and
he has merry laugh, cut he means
business when. he says so, aud he could
no. view with content the slur which
had been cast on the great department
of Public Health, or sit quietly by and
see his OmnipOtent autp GRITTY bedraR-
gled in the mud. He decided to teach
them q lasting lesson, and so he did.
Sunday came, a beautiful spring day,
and the bull fight came off, and the
citizens and tourist 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 obt onO6 npa the hI,11a
we're vicious, the bsnderilleros active,
The picadores skillful and the enjoy
nent of the Anne -icans was great. But
after the carnal sport was over, after
;he mstador had Withdrawn his bloody
sword from the quivering body Of the
asst bull amid the tumultuous oh Orus of
'bravOS" from the heartless audience,
our fellow-cltizens started again for
Dixie land. but they met sudden and |
check in the persons of a |
srge mum Der of "river guards" under |
he command of the old doctor, who |
to corral" the whole outfit. |
Excitement ran high for a while and |
ome of the most pugu acious were vio-
emit and used bad WORDS, and in res
,Onse to angry questionings as to what
le meant to do, the doctor blandly re-
,lied: Il am going to sterilize you"
Not being cOnversant with the germ
heory or with modern aseptic surgical
echnique, the captives were much
DON relieved. After they have been
placed in line some of the guards dis
appeared, but soon returned bearing
curious looking apparatus which
eemed to cross between force pump
md a giant atomizer, and place the
machine in front of the line.
The doctor took hold of q tube, the
assistant began to pump laboriou-ly,
nd while the captive miscreants we're
bordering what was going to happen
neir line was suddenly struck by
aporous blast that almost took them
If their feet. To their EXPLANATIONS
# anger the doctor replied that he
vas simply killing the germs with
God, strong solution of bichloride of
mercury, explaining that the apparatus
as an invention OF his own, of which
e was very proud; that the mechau-
sm was simplicity itself, and that he
'as thinking strongly of getting out a
atent on it. In the meantime he re-
sprinkled their best Sunday
uits, sparing not an occasional plug
at or gusdy tie, and serving alike the
sborer's jeans and the dudes prince
.lbert.'
When their interior surfaces seemed
saturated, the sturdy health
fticer calmly told them to turn their
acks. and proceeded to finish the duck
,g ''to the Queens taste,'' relentlessly
orking his medicated sprinkler until
le last offender was soaked.
A street-car load of "sports' was held
p and similarly served. Most of them
fered to get out. but the doctor ex-
lained that that was unnecessary, as
Is antiseptic spray would work we'll
trough the windows. :
Several young gallants had brought
leir finances in buRgies. but their
smiles had little effect on the
Onyhearted medical man and after
lie usual douching the doctor says he
nptied q few pints of fluid ON the