Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-02-19
As the Result Of the Raising Of the
Quarantine at Gilt Edge One
Is in Force Here.
LoNGEWAY VISITS GILT EDGE
Finds Twenty.Four Cases and Says
Fumigation In the Early Stages
of Outbreak Was Lax.

Statlng tnat the smallpox quarantine
had been entirely removed by the
county health officer and numbers of
those who had been guaranteed and
exposed to c~ontagion were on their
way to Lewistown.
A meeting of the city board of
health was hastily arranged in order
to take radical measures that the sit.
uation called for and at $3.50 p. m.
the board met in Cook & Hilger's of.
flee.
Those present were: Chairman
Treacy. G. w. Cook, David Hilger,
Rudolf Won Tobel, F. e. Wright, j. NJ.
Vrooman, A. w. Stoddard and A. B.
Lehman.
j. M. Vrooman was elected secre-
tary and a motion was at once made
and approved that steps be taken to
quarantine the city against Gilt Edge.
A motion was made and passed un-
animously that the city health officer
ascertain the true state of affairs at
Gilt Edge and ask the state health Of
ficer to re-establish the quarantine at
that place. A motion was also passed
that the city marshal be instructed
to enforce the quarantine against all
residents of Gilt Edge and any other
person who had been in Gilt Edge
since the establishment of the quar-
antine.
The Mayor, G.. w. Cook, thereupon
instructed Marshal Kane to procure
deputies and guard the roads leading
toward Gilt Edge, and enforce the
quarantine in the strictest possible
manner.
On Sunday the news arrived in
Lewistown that two smallpox pa.
tients had escaped from Gilt Edge
and made their way to Kendall, throw
ing that camp into a high state Of ex.
element. DIR. Wilson sent word to
Ed. Martin at Gilt Edge to arrest
them; this was done and they are now
being taken ARE of inside the quaran.
tine line of that camp.
The quarantine was rigidly enforc.
ed and several men travelling from
the infected camp were stopped by
the guards who turned them back,
On Monday evening at 1880 DIR.
Longeway, secretary of the state board
Of health, arrived on the Benton
coach and on Tuesday morning a
meeting of the city board of health
took place for the purpose of explain.
ing the situation to the doctor.
Beside the regular members of the
board, there were present by invita-
ton Samuel Phillips. DR.. Wilson, Jos.
Meredith and Judge Cheadle.
Chairman Treacy called the meet.
ing to order and stated that DR.. Longe.
, way had come over to look into the
y Gilt Edge quarantine difficulty and en-,
deavor to s~traighten matters out to
the satisfaction of all concerned.
DIR. Longeway stated that it was re.
A ported to him that there were twenty.
five cases in Gilt Edge at present and
: asked DR.. Wilson IL that was correct
DR.. Wilson said that there were six.
teen or seventeen cases and that sew.
eral were now ready to be turned
loose.
An account of the starting of the
smallpox epidemic at Gilt. Edge was
then given by DR.. Wilson at the re
{ quest of DR.. Longeway and DIR. Viii
! son stated that the present trouble
o was occasioned by the people of Lew
n istown getting excited and %quarantin
ing the city before obtaining any au
thentic information and further said
d that ne reliable report had been re
d ceived from Gilt Edge in this city from
anyone who was competent to make
: such report.
e City Attorney Won Tobel asked DR.
Wilson II 1t was true that there were
six new in Gilt Edge last week
to which the doctor replied he didn't
know, but If there were they were
taken care of. In answer to the ques
ton II there were three new cases
Ii last Saturday. DIR. Wilson replied In
g a very emphatic manner that there
were not.
Chairman Treacy asked II it were
a fact that DR.. Lakey broke the quar-
antine at Gilt Edge and visited Lew
istown last week. to which DR.. vii
8 son replied that il was and asked il
there was anything wrong in his sc
doing. Mention was also made of the
!. ,act that DIR. Lakey had taken care
or a case of child birth and had trans
mitted the infection to the child; this
!. was explained by DR.. Wilson that tn,
child was born before the outbreak
OF the disease and that the so-callet
h smallpox was nothing but a rash. Ow
ing to the fact that the county health
officer seemed rather i%ndisposed t.
being cross examined. DIR. Longewal
stated that a meeting OF the presen
kind was a good thing and enabled
the different members of the profes
sion and the city and county boar'
OF health to find out each otheri
views on the subject.
b. A. w. Stoddard asked DIR. Wilson /
il was true that he didn't chang
g clothes after visiting the infected dis
A. trict of Gilt Edge IN. which tho dor