Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-09-18
LUKE WRIGHT'S GRIT.
An Incident In the Career Of
Governor Taft's Successor.
OALM IN THE FACE OF DEATH.

John Louis Taylor Tells How the
General Braved Ii For Huma N ity's
Sake and Describes His Character
as Indicated In a Memphis Yellow
Fever Epidemic.
General Luke Z. Wright, who is to
succeed William ii. Taft as governor
of the Philippines. says John Louis
Taylor In the FL Paso News was. prior
to his appointment to the Philippine
commission, n 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 public of.
flee. 1t is presumed that II was partial,
ly due TO Senator Turkeys influenc.
that President Mckinley selected Gen
eral Wright as 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 10 the fact that he
proved himself TO be q man during the
yellow fever epidemlcs which swept
that city In lS7S-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
HiH nhysiaianS nrHi
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 city devastated
by one Of the most terrible epidemics
Of modern times. At that day, when
Memphis was devastated and silent,
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 I'M
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
necessary that some one should remain.
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 manner of
crimes.
General Wright and his colleagues
succored the sick and suppressed crime
by radical means. Ghouls and pillag-
ers were dealt with in manner 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 / first saw General Wright.
I have never forgotten his face. The
yellow death had swept out of exist
ence entire families in the neighbor-
hood where l lived. was a child.
Playmates and associates had died and
been carted 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 whiring dizziness
Of eyes burning with fever | 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 was as cool and delib-
crate as the soldier who goes into bat
tie expecting to die and unmindful Of
his fate. He spoke 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 hush
everywhere. No laborers were in the
fields. and the wheels Of commerce
were still. Only the graveyards exhib-
lted signs Of activity. The dead and
1ying were on every hand. General
Luke e. Wright walked among these,
looking death In the eye as calmly as
he occupies his position today as gov
ernor of the Philippine Islands.