The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-25
IN JUSTICE TO OXFORD.
But One Small Pox Case There this
Year. Letter From Supt. of Health.
Especial to News and Observer)

Oxford, N. c., March 24.-In ycstel-
days issue Of your faithful and indispen-
siblc paper | notice an article from the
pen of Mr.. n. b. Broughton relating II
| the splendid Sunday school convention
held at Durham, Oxford and RoXboro.
In speaking of the Oxford meeting the
writer says: THE convention at Oxfo1d
for Granville county was great success
so far as it went 1t cl Dsed, however,
after two sessions on account OF smallpox
in the town. l am SO sorry that l did not
make myself more clearly understood
when | made my statement in regard to
the smallpox situation and requested the
leaders OF the convention to bring the
meeting to close. We knew very well
that the visitors were in no danger OF be-
ing injected by the people OF Oxford, be
cause there was not single case Of small
poX in the town. But we feared that
some visitor might innocently do harm to
other visitors and to Oxford people, be
cause there was smallpox in two adjoining
counties, one on each side of Granville.
, again, as / stated, had just broken up
large negro meeting because it was at
tracing people from distance and l have
manage the negroes by any rules which l
make for them unless | require the white
people to abide by these same rules.
There has been but one case OF small
pox in oxford this year, and 1 took that
case mile and a half from towns in less
than twenty-four hours after | learned Of
| its existence and vaccinated and quaran-
| tined every person who had been exposed
| 10 that case. There has never been a case
of smallpox in any other county which
was carried from Granville. Two little
mulatto girls went from Chase City, Va.
to the KNAPP of Reeds section in this coun-
ty and broke out with smallpox forty-eight
hours after their arrival. Three white
men took the disease from these girls. All
three had continent smallpox-two died
and the third lost one eye and a large part
| of his nose. A helpless creature and mis-
cradle looking object for the rest of his
life. ! quarantined Granville county
| against Chase City and had no more
trouble with that outbreak.
Twenty-three or four days ago a negro
| man named Pegram Waller left Durham
with a mild case OF smallpox. saw a hun
| dred or more people, mostly in the open
air, but spent two nights at the house of
| his rin-law-(Shack Bullock and
| gave smallpox to Shack, his wife and six
| children and then went back to Durham
before | knew he had been in my county
| Seventeen days ago Rufus Boyd of
Clays Station, went to Durham, spent the
| night and slept with his brother. who
then had hot fever with great pains in
the back and head and was put in the
pest house at Durham two DAYS after
wards, thoroughly broken out with small
pox But how about Rufus? Why he
| came along home in Granville, and
learned OF the circumstances by accident
and put him in quarantine
sixteen days ago, one Moses HargroYe,
coiofed, VINO was at work in some factory
IN Durnan, was exposed to smallpox, then
lett Durham and came to his HON. of
Creedmoore: in this county, kept his ex-
posure secret. began to break out with
smallpox last Saturday. I was notified
OF his condition by DR.. Sanderford On
Monday, when the eruption was out unon
him full and thick.
Many people had come in contact with
this negro, mostly negroes. Result: 7
| had TO quarantine some twenty of tbo,,
at the expense of the county.
/ l thought the time had come to cuarar-
tine against Durham. Was it right for ), !
| to do so? ''to
! s. D. BOOTH. M. D
Supt. Health Granville County. n r.