The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1905-09-23

Recently The Tradesman of
Chattanooga, Tenn, requested of
B. r Herring, advertising mana.
ger of the New Orleans Roofing
and Metal Works, New Orleans,
La a statement as to the effect
of the yellow fever epidemic on
the business of that city, and the
business mans attitude toward
existing conditions.
Mr.. Herring's reply is as fol,
lows:
"Our present troubles, whatever
their cost, will undoubtedly prove
lasting benefit to our cOmmunl.
ty. The reasons for this are
several-and obvious. First, the
difficulties thrown around the
transaction of business by quaran
tine regulations are bringing out
the best elements of character in
the representative business firms
of this section, and these elements
are the courage and adaptabillty
to circumstances that mark the
successful man the world over,
that lead him to surmOunt diff
culties in one way when his pro
gress Is checked in this or that
direction.
"The more active business ele
ment of our city took immediate
steps to ship goods in their respec
tive lines from points outside the
fever zone as soon as quarantln es
were announced. The case of the
New Orleans Roofing & Metal
Works Is but one of hundreds.
No sooner had quarantine restric
tiOns shown indications of becOm
ing general than we made instant
arrangements, both by wire and by
a personal trip to the northern
and eastern markets, to supply
our trade as usual, and as conse
quence, we are today doing a
larger business than we could
have expected to do without the
! quarantine, since there has fallen
to our lot, by reason of the vigor.
GUS means we took to meet these
: conditions, and the rapid manner
in which we notified tie trade of
II facilities, a world of business
which had been in weaker hands,
people who either could not OF
did not grasp the situation and
find a way out, instead Of bemoar
ing conditions. l think it can bt
safely said that every firm IN New
Orleans which adopted this policy
is today rushed with orders an(
reaping the reward of this vigol
GUS action.
20 "Aside, however, from the mere
matter of dollars and cents, thl
- moral and tonic value to the con
- munity of the experience through
~ which 1t is now passing is incalcu
- liable. This epidemic has brough
home to our people, coming as i
~ did at a time of the greatest pro-
perity our city has ever known
in a most forcible manner th'
economic value of prevention il
- ounce packages, rather than cur
. by the ton. Aided by the lates
- discoveries of science, it ha
=. shown yellow fever to be not
thing of blind chance, agains
which human effort is pOwerless
and bad sanitation-lts sprea'
due to the same lack of foresigh
-, and action at the proper time.
n. "Unless l am badly mistaken il
n. the temper If the New Orlean
people, yellow fever, in its epfder
ic form, is now paying its las
:" visit to this city. The public Sc
% timent that has been awakene
=. will not die out with the disa
VI pearance OF the disease, but wi
~ co ltinue to grow, and demand {
e. the local authorities a fuller pe
~ formance of their duties, wit
y which it will be Impossible IL
yellow fever to obtain anotht
foothold here.
"As a matter of fact, condition
for in New Orleans are in no wise ;
~ bad as believed by the rest Of Il
world. An outsider visiting OF
o;+v wonld never know there VI