The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-15
Sanitary Inspector Cotton and Two
Assistants Tell of Lively
Experience.
SENTINELS ON EVERY HILLTOP
TIE ORDER ''MOVE on HAD TO BE
OBEYED TO THE LETTER.
A Family with Smallpox Moved to
the Village Penthouse After
Some Persuasion.

Sanitary Inspector George Cotton. who
is under the Indianapolis Board of Health.
has been to Carthage, Rush county, and
has new ideas about the suppression Of
smallpox. Cottom's particular duty here
is TO inspect all smallpox cases, and his
experience has been such that he Is not
scared when ne visits a new place. He
would not have been scared at Carthage.
either, but for the martial scenes that met
him as he drove into the town Sunday
morning at o'clock.
Carthage has a family in which smallpox
developed. So alarmed did the town of
1000 people become that they acted prompt
ly to isolate this family. Saturday morn
ing thirty men went to patch of woods
outside the town, and in one day built,
rooted and shingled a two-room house to
De used a pesthouse While these men
were at work Edward Hill. one of the lead
ing Carthaginians. came to this city and
visited the Board of Health. He wanted a
man to remove the afflicted from their
home to the pesthouse. He employed Cot
tom, who took with him Charles Doesch.
who has been on quarantine duty here, and
a negro, who is an immune. They drove
the whole distance-thirty-fou miles.
There was little unusual about the drive
until the hilltop west of Carthage was
reached. There a large bull's-eye lantern
flashed in their faces and they had 10 bring
the horses up short. The man who held
the lantern was stationed to admit them TO
Carthage and to prevent any one else gain
ing admission. In the town Cotton and
his assistants found about thirty men in
the streets at different points. They car
smallpox. They would not let Cotton sta
BILE the team but finally furnished horse
feed Then Mr. Hill paid the expense of
the trip and bid all goodbye. The people
were hospitable, but discreet. He showed
the way to the smallpox house. The street
in front was barred with ropes and from
the ropes lanterns hung.
MEN WITH SHOTGUNS.
Men with shotguns were visible at most
corners. They seemed keen eyed and de-
| termined. Cotton went into the house,
fumigated it with formaldehyde and invited
the man, his wife and his son to get in
the wagon and go to the pesthouse. The
man refused. This was not included in
| Cottoms calculations. The man was con-
valescent and was moving about For a
| time he was obstinate. Cotton showed his
| badge and announced he didn't drive thir-
| ty-four miles for fun and that the man
/ must go.
"Oh, you're the State Board of Health
are your the man said. well, let me
| feed my horse"
He went into the barn and shut the
door. Cotton tried TO follow, but the door
| was fastened on the inside. After much
| work Cotton got the man to acquiesce anc
| he was taken TO the pesthouse.
! Then the indianapolis party turned fol-
home. 1t was day and the horses were
| spent with their long drive. Several at
tempts to buy feed failed Finally a farm
| er agreed 20 sell sixteen ears of corn fol
! 10 cents. Cotton started to alight.
! Hold on" said the farmer. You stay
where you are. I'll bring the corn to the
gate and leave it and you get it and leave
| the money the gatepost"
| This was done and the party proceeded
! At Charlottesville sentinels hailed them
| but they would not stop. East of Green
| field quarantine officer from Greenfield
| turned the wagon away from the road t
! town and the driver proceeded around
/ Greenfield to the south and Cotton anC
! Doesch walked to Greenfield and came
| back on a car.
Cotton said yesterday that he doesn't be
lieve any more smallpox will get into Car
| thage without being shot