The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-11
San Francisco Is at Last Com
PEELED to Acknowledge
Existence of Bubonic Plague in
the City.
OF BUSINESS
True Situation Has Been Con-
ceaIed Up to This Fine
For 4 ear It Would Injure the
Business Interests.

fenartrnant has become satisfied thAA
bubouic plague exists to an alarming eN-
tent in San Francisco and thatstrlLis1i
measures must be taken 20 prevent tie
spread Of the disease. The state auIhol-
titles in California have maintained mere
torore that the disease has -.ot appeared
i there at all. bat they have at last been
forced to admit that the washington
officials are right
The matter reached a crisis, when a
commission of CalifcrnianS appnlalHl ~
the governor OF the state appeaLea =
the treasury department and spent neat
~ a whole DAY in conference Win 500 e.S
far,r f>qra Assistant Secret-try 5pauAu-
ing and Supervising General w lyman. q
the marine hospital service Ihe 1eleI ~
commission appointed by rs ssel , @se,rs
some time ago to investigate the AAaA IA
ing situation in San Francisco recently
returned a confidential report that pu-
benic plague does exist beyond q DOUBT
in that city. that there have peen AZ
least six recent deaths from the disease,
and that there are a number o. cases a
sTha situation has been aggravated for
some time by the conduct OF the stAte
authorities in California They nave
held almost TO the last that there mas
been no case of plague in ne city or ~
the state Governor Gage has not yer
openly admitted it, Several weeks ago
he sent a message to the legislature at
Sacramento asking for an apprcpTIat ton
such measures Of relief as might posi-
blv be found necessary
At the same time he declared that the
federal government was NEEDING m a
matter that was none Of its busisess. he
sent a telegram to the secretary OF the
treasury denying that there was any
case OF plague within the state. and
when Secretary Gage insisted upon al
lowing the federal investig tipn to pro-
coed. sent a telegram to President Nc
FZInley several hundred words in length.
almost demanding that ne interfere ana
cause the secretary to ueSlSt from what
he denounced as an unwarranted inter-
ference Bitter attacks were also made
on DIR. kinyonn. the surgeon OF the ma
rine hospital service at San Francisco
The actions Of the governor were re-
eented by the treasury department and
a plain answer was sent that The depart
ment was acting within its jurisdiction
and should continue to do So
When the commissions confidential
report reached the treasury department.
Secretary Gage declared that prompt
measures must be taken for controlling
the plague situation Thereupon the
governor Of California appointed his
curlrniSsiO to come to washington and
protest against what he called federal
interference The commission consisted
of John p. Young. chairman. Fremont
Older. II. r. Williams Henry r. Scott.
president of the Union Iron works: VIM
f. Herrir. general counsel of the South
ern Pacific railway ~
The first three named are newspaper
editors or prCprietors in San francisco.
Herrin acted as spokesman before Secre-
tary Gage and the other treasury Off
Gals Although it was not denied, as it
had been by the Californians up to this
time. that buhouic plague exists in San
Francisco. an effort was made to show
that the federal agents there have exag-
gsrated the seriousness of 5he situation.
and that in some cases the disease has
been COMPOUNDED with another malady.
which somewhat resembles the incipient
stages of pla que
Although the conference aid not result
IN q conclusive agreement the outcome
is expected Ia be fhat fine state q M city
authorities VIII cooperate harmuninusly
with the federal government IN measures
10 stamp ont The disease The visiting
commission is anxious that the govern
ment conduct its operations as quietly As
possible, refrain from publishing reports
c1 the disease in the weekly public health
bulletin Of the marine hospital service
and avoid everything that may fni,4re the
business interests Of California
The treasury department has received
petitions from several states in the far
west asking that the whole state Of
California be placed in quarantine from
them. so that the hezlth 81 their people
may be protected The department does
not believe that such a measure is war
ranted at present. but ii Las been init
mated officially that even this drastic I
measu re may become necessary unless
Governor Gage and the other authorities
IN California come out with frank rec /
ignition Of the existing sftuaffor and re- 4
Train from opuoEirinr, n, ina ,as191rzs ~ So
mapped out Secretary Gage believes now
that III VIII NOT Be- NECESSARY Is suafsr1- /
tine the state. or even the whole city A /
quarantine viii probably be placed on /
the chinese quarter. where the deaths I
nave occurred and where the remaining /
cases are nov under treatment In any 4
event individual isolation OF the cases viii 4
D. erected and rtgidly enforced
. None ct the San Francisco neWspa pers /
mas published anything about the plague 4
since the situation became serious. for il 4
has peen feared that the public alarm 4
quarantine over tbs state and transfer Il
OF tne immense army transport business i
2uu a part OF the other commerce OF the n
port TO Portland and Seattle.
. surgeons OF the marine hospital serv- \
3ee stationed az various parts Of the world \
total OF more than 410 cases or BIZ
ponic plague and 1900 deaths from the 4
GnSeaSe since November last. and these re
pots IN many cases do not include the 4
period between December and March. II
treasury department reports show the n
exists IN every part Of the world. includ- 4
Ing south America and the Phflfppfneg
4nd even IN HuAs England, and Cardiff.
Until recently the steady westward
AlaEEh Ct the plague had not reached the Il
zine hospital service has been taking act
I've measures for the last two years to
kreFent II from obtaining a fo0th0ld here
Alil-s tae disease can thrive even in these
northern ATTITUDES Is shown by the sew
eFaA deaths that occurred frarn it IN Clas-
cow Scotland. several months ago ana
cisco
The best for your snouth-churchIH
Havana Cigar.