The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-10-13
LUKE WRIGHT's GRIT.
An Incident In the Career Of
Governor Taft's Successor.

An Incident In the Career of
Governor Taft's Successor.
CALM In THE FACE OF DEATH.
John Louis Taylor Tells How the
General Braved 1t For Hume aity's
Sake and Describes His Character
a. Indicated In q Memphis Yellow
Fever Epidemic.
General Luke e. Wright. who is to
succeed William II. Taft as governor
of the Philippines. says John Louis
Taylor in the Ell Paso News. was. prior
to his appointment to the Philippine
commission, a lawyer at Memphis,
Tenn. He was the partner of United
States Senator Tom Turley, who was
made a senator against his will and
who had never before held a public Of
fee. 1t is presumed that it was partial
~ due to Senator Turkeys influence
that President Mckinley selected Cen
cartwright as a member of the Philip
pine commission. The choice was a
wise one, as subsequent developments
have proved.
That the people of Memphis have
cause to revere General Wright and re-
joice over any good fortune that may
come to him is due to the fact that he
| proved himself to be a man during the
yellow fever epidemics which swept
that city in 1S7S-79 and killed tens of
thousands. 1t was during those times
which tried mems souls that he show
ed what stuff he was made of. He did
not run away, as did physicians, ordi-
nary citizens and nearly all ministers,
except Catholic priests, but stayed at
home and fought the yellow death.
He was a member Of what was call
ed the Howard association" which
| was composed of men banded together
and pledged to face the calamity that
confronted them and risk their lives
| to alleviate the suffering Of the masses
and preserve order in a city devastated
| by one of the most terrible epidemics
| of modern times. At that day. when
| Memphis was devastated and silent,
J when the greatest noise was that made
/ by the carts at midnight rumbling over
the stones en- route to the cemeteries
with their high piled burdens Of un-
known dead. General Wright stayed at
his post and braved death for human
ity's sake. Dozens of his associates
died, yet he remained steadfast. 1t was
nooosSor v tha4 cnrno ono sho.1ld roOain,
The populace was scattered to the four
winds. and thieves, ghouls and bur
glars ran rampant through the town..
Those who had been trapped by the
quarantine lines knew that almost GER
tain death awaited them, and all the
veneering of civilization was thrown
off. Men became brutes and in their
desperation committed all manne of
crimes.
General Wright and his colleagues
succored the sick and suppressed crime
by radical means. Ghouls and pillag-
ers were dealt with in a SINH
lar to that in vogue after the Calves
ton disaster, and order was preserved
at the point of the bayonet.
1t was during the awful summer of
1878 that l first saw General Wright.
I have never forgotten his face. The
yellow death had swept out of exist
ence entire families in the neighbour
hood where l lived. l was a child.
Playmates and associates had died and
been carried away. Next door to me
the son of Jefferson Davis. president of
the Southern Confederacy, had breath
ed his last. One day after my little
brother was stricken. At the end of
three days he expired. One week later
the disease fastened upon me. then but
a lad of eight. In the dimness of the
silent room and the whirling dizziness
of eyes burning with fever l remember
that a man came into the house. He
sat beside the bed and felt my pulse.
They told me it was General Wright
Of the relief committee. He was fac
ing death, but vas as cool and delib-
crate as the soldier who goes into bat
tie expecting to die and unmindful of
his fate. File spoke a few words to me
and the attendants. laid his hand upon
my scorching brow. turned aside. wrote
an order for medicines and supplies
from the relief station and went out.
Beyond the open doorway an August
sun was blazing with unusual ferocity
in a cloudless sky. There was IL hush
everywhere. No laborers We're in the
fields. and the wheels of m
We're still. Only the %graveyards exhib-
tied signs of activity. The dead and
dying were on every hand. General
Luke B.. Wright walked among these,
looking death in the eye as calmly as
he occupies his position today as gov
ernor of the Philippine Islands.
An Empress Pilgrimage.
A palatial building has recently been
completed in Jerusalem for the accom-