The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-26
JACK HAS NO GERMS
The Navy Is Healthy, According to
Surgeon N, :. Gates Of
the Atlanta.
Interesting Incidents Of His Recent
Cruise Along South Ameri-
IL can Coast.

navy says Surgeon M. r. Gates, late Of
the cruiser Atlanta The navy is a foun-
tain of life, If not Of youth, because it
has become practically germless.'' ex-
blamed Dr.. Gates to-day at the home Of
his brother in-laW, Leroy Robertson 2615
Clinton avenue. The surgeon himself APP
pears so youthful that his professional
word is needed to convince callers that he
has treated cases of ''shore leave for
more than fourteen years
IS THE sea air is SO pure and our vessels
are kept SO chemically. clean, barring a
bit Of coal dust, that it Is considered bad
form now for any man to die at sea dur
ing time of peace. In fact, when I left
the Atlanta few days ago at Boston,
we had been three years on cruise; we had
three hundred men in active service; yet
zone man only had died in all that time,
Epr about one tenth Of one man annually
in every thousand. That is merely nomi-
nal. Mathematically of course, the death
rate in the navy could soon be. reduced
ITO minus quantity, Ind we d all be sail
ing about on Flying Dutchmen.
s "Our healthfulness on the Atlanta was
Ethe more remarkable considering that we
fcruised entirely n Southern waters, that
we spent many months near the equator,
and that the ports at which we stopped
were chiefly South American cities, as
beautiful as they are deadly. But we
took great precautions;l we drank nothing
food with minute care; we never an
chored alongside of any southern dock and
Eve insisted upon g. sanitary cleanliness
about the ship. So we didn't have ione
case of fever. vast III 4rae t5eS7
| conquerIna yellow Jack.
| "Our three years were spent almost en-
tirely along the eastern coast of South
American. We found that some of the
South American cities have .profited from
| 49, ,P4 A
have cleaned up sufficiently to get rid of
yellow fever. There was Santos, for ex
ample, in Brazil, the great coffee port.
| 1t used, to- be a pesthole-strangers ar
irving at Santos expected to have yellow
fever, looked forward to it, almost longed
for it. # they came away alive they were
disappointed and, abused the guide books.
There was always a new consul at San
| tOs; that post was the refuge, the sue
cor, of the state department. Whenever
tevery other office failed. a statesman
EcOuld always get his friends into the con-
sulship at Santos. But that port isn't
now what it used to be. Washington can
! it's streets. thrown away its reputation
and its yellow fever, and become one of
the healthiest, dulest places along the
4 South. American coast.
\ t"Rio, however, Rio de Janeiro, that we
could so easily remember on the map, re-
capital. It's as beautiful as ever, as
aromatic. You still enjoy every day in
Rio-you may not get another to expert
ment with. But the American minister,
and, in fact all the diplomatic world
4 down there, have, serious duties to per-
q form: They can't devote themselves to
4 pleasure. So they go out Of town and
4 climb the mountains with cogwheel rail-
\ road and live outlet consecutive, days al
their own little city Of Petropolis. They
1ivs 3tIisrez beealsg the yellow. fever can't
or, rather because the yellow fever mos
quito Ito can't vt, survive the mountain air
You can catch Hi VII, at Rio put him
ever 50 3tenderly inteIa wine gauze box
and startGen I'M the evening. with every
hope that you can bring him safely home
to- your wife and children In Petropolis
But all your trouble will be wasted. De:
: spite of warmth and watchfulness, YOU
!. little pet will Idle before you've climbed
1.-The mountain
! A Peep at Revolutions.
At Santo Domingo City the Atlanta pu
in to see the revolutions. 1--WE saw fnt
specimen" says DR.. Gates. TT was ex.
hibited by prominent citizens of the island
Almost all Of the participants were ne.
ggoes, most Of the leaders were mulattoes
) whenever the cannon got particularly
} noisy In the: outskirts of the town VIZ
would hear business man call for theil
guns, see them enter their carriages anC
! drive out to the, old Spanish walls to take
part in the shooting. But they Away.
!, quit firing early enough to drive back ii
time for dinner. +, AS a prominent mer.
chant told me- Even a patriot must con
slider his health &+z n"
But the natives are brave enough W.
saw half a dozen young men climb dow1
the outside of the city wall, and, shooting
; as they went, with their guns at their hips
5 trot across an open field in the face o.
a rafting volley from three dozen Of the
enemy who were taking aim from behind
, some earthworks. The three dozen were
| firing Mausers and Remingtons: it wasn'1
J a wholesome outing for the six But They
} sang and shot and yelled and trotted anc
the other fellows jumped up from behind
:; the earthworks and ran away. They ex.
posed themselves boldly in leaving the
earthworks that way. It was wonderful
J; courage. So.
i eve took care of the wounded while we
stopped, at Santo EDonhngo-the wounded
) from both sides. This was a new thing
!, to the natives. They never have military
surgeons. Most people praised u.s. Bu1
some said we were .uneivilized- need.
lessly prolonged the war"
} After a ten days yisit--tfs first home
) coming since he was married ten year.
: ago-Dr. Gates. will go to, Philadelphia fo
a tour Of shore duty. or $50 q
III IF->T