New-York tribune., 1905-08-21
In THE FEVER BELT.
SOUTH AS 1T REALLY is.
Graphic Pen Pictures of Yeuozc
Jacks TERRITORY.
From a spseIal corrssponasnt q - rrfsun.l

respondent who had Just arrived from New
York on his way to New Orleans.
This statement was a prelude to conp-s-
7 hensive defence OF the quarantines-shotgun and
otherwise-estabIished by Alabama Misslsslupl
and outlying parishes Of Louisiana against New
Orleans. quarantine so exacttng that az ons
point a shipment Of carboIic acid from the fever
stricken city was returned with thanks.
We've had doses OF Yellow Jack" con
tinued the Southerner. We've seen half tha
population OF many prosperous place stricken
down Our cemeteries are full Of gravestones
made necessary by this yellow death-aH this
before the doctors worked out the mosouito
theory. We know that under present methods
of treatment the disease is not as deadly an If
was. but taking no chances. Afraid Of
IL? Certainly we afraid OF it, and NOT
ashamed of being afraid, either"
Two cities OF the South join IA laughing a,
| the fright and uarantine-New-O Orleans. where
| the epidemic started. and Atlanta. which IN
sists on keeping it's gates open TO AL who care
to come
New-Orleans would be in a bad way II II rera
not for the liberal spirit OF Atlanta 1t wou1
! be impossible to get to any points in the North
without putting in from six to ten days IN a bos
detention camp in Mississippi or Alabama. nr
was not possible to run tightly closed car,
through these States into Georgia.
Running the shotgun gantlet in the through
cars is bad enough in the semi tropical weather
which prevails but the detention camps ac-
| cording TO all accounts. are infinitely worse
In travelling South the first indications one
has that yellow fever is raging on the Gulf is
at Mount Arie. a summer resort in Georgia. two
hours run north OF Atlanta. Here some two
hundred and fifty well known citizens Of New
Orleans are waiting for frost or the government
surgeons to free their home city Of fever
In and around Atlanta one finds between four
| thousand and five thousand refugees The big
hotels are filed to the roofs. and many have
found boarding places in private families.
NO CASES AT ATLANTA
Atlanta has never suffered yellow fever epi-
demic. The health authorities Of the city say
that Ii would be impossible for the disease TO
spread there. and that any cases which might
come from New Orieans-the trip takes bur
fourteen hOurs-could be handled without dan
ger to the rest Of the population
There have been several rumors that fever
cases existed there. One persistent one OF
week ago placed the number OF cases at twelve
and for time even one of the doctors credited
it, 1t proved to be false and the Tribune cor
respondent. in visiting Atlanta yesterday. was
assured that there was not a case in the city
we do not fear yellow fever in Atlanta"
said Mayor James G. Woodward "and we have
no idea of quarantining New Orleans OF any
other city If infected persons come here and
the fever develops we are prepared TO give them
the best possible treatment in a hospital that is
ready for use There is not the slightest chance
that the disease will spread"
DR.. c. p. Wertenbaker, surgeon OF the United
States Public Health and Marine Hospital Ser
vice, confirmed Mayor woodwards statement
that there was no fever in Atlanta He was
sent to that city from Havana TO issue health
certificates. which are necessary TO all who wish
to travel in the South. He is the busiest man I'm
the State
After asking many questions and examining
witnesses or documentary evidence. DR.. werten-
baker issues a certificate that the bearer has
produced satisfactory evidence that he has not
been in any territory infected by yellow fever
within the last ten days"
As a means OF Identification the applicant
presses his thumb an linking pad and then
makes an impression on the certificate. Woe is
the portion OF the man who uses his neighbor's
certificate and cannot show the proper thumb
mark.
Two well known GeOrgianS one the brother
the other the law partner. OF members Of the
State legislature started to Savannah the other
day on passes which the politicians had secured
from the railway company. They neglected 70
!
nah health officer put them off at Burroughs.
ia station few miles away from Savannah.
This made the Mayor of Burroughs angry and
frightened his constituents
Are we going 20 be the dumping place FOR
yellow fever suspects" thsy asked.
Ihe answer was shotgun quarantine against
the world. savannah included. and to-day Bur
Ioughs Is town which all who like may leave.
b=t none may enter.
ALL MUST GET CERTIFICATES.
Even those who are bound 70 New-OrIeans
have to get certificates from DR. WerIenbaker
or be hauled off at the first detention camp The
Tribune correspondent had 10 get one. in spite
of the fact that he was just from New-YorS
and had never been in yellow fever belt in his
The applicant who followed him az the Marine
Hospital Office was a New-OTleans business
man. He came 10 Atlanta in fourteen hours o
transact some business. which took him half
| day. He wished to return to Nsw-OrleanS, It's
stegomyia and its arsenic tablets. He was
forced to stay in Atlanta seven days until he
could qualify for certificate
All tickets out Of Atlanta are marked on ths
| back. Subject TO quarantine regulations" anu
| the train is not half an hour out Of the new
/ Union Station before big man I'm a s,ouCh haI.
| grim and determined locking. enters the car
| From the lapel of his coat bangles dirty yell
/ low ribbon, on which Is printed. "AlabaInt
/ Health Officer" His hand is bandaged, from a
wound which. he explains he received in a
scrap with a d stuck up Georgian who
| lowed he wouldn't answer no questions.
| Where is the Georgian asked the Tribune
| correspondent
I'VE ell is lust dstainins h'rs, down the line
bit. and he sure is nursing something worse tnan
/ yeller fever
He asked his questions. about dozen Of
/ them, regarding the passengers movements
/ that IL was $500 fine and a year IN prison If yon
| lied 10 him and swere you on an invisible STACK
| of Bisles.
| \ drummer who came up from Newt Orleans
I WaGE a = int - n n