Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-08-01
YELLOW FEVER EXPERIENCES.

Although 1t Is not difficult to gather
from the dispatches that are being
printed daily that the people OF lower
Louisiana and Texas are very much
distressed on account Of the yellow
fever epidemic with which they are
threatened, the full extent Of the hard
ship through which many Of them may
have to pass can only be appreciated
by one who has actually been there.
Mr.. r. c. Allein OF Yorkville was
reared In the city Of Vicksburg, MISS
and continued to live there until only
a few years ago. He passed through
several epidemics, including those OF
1872, 1878, and 1884. and as Is natur-
ally to be expected, has very clear
idea of conditions down about New
Orleans, not only as they are now; but
as they may be later on.
What does this shotgun quarantine
business that the papers are speaking
about, amount to-" asked a representa-
tive of THE ENQUIRER Of Mr.. Allein
yesterday.
Mr.. Allen smiled at the question at
first: but while his memory was evil
IDENTIFY drifting back to never to be
forgotten experiences Of long ago he
grew serious, and he replied:
why 1t just means about what
1t says. Imagine yourself frightened
half out Of your life on account of the
fever to the point where you can think
of nothing but try to get away, and
before you have gotten good started
from the infected town, you are looking
down into the muzzles Of shotguns and
into the faces of men who would blow
you into kingdom come before they
would argue with you two minutes
That Is as near as can come to tell
ing you what the shotgun quarantine
amounts to-" he concluded.
"You talk as II you had been there. V
observed the reporter. do you mind
giving your experiences" .
"Why no. It was In 1878, the year
of the big epidemic that killed between
four and five thousand people at Mem
phis. / had had a mild attack Of yei-
lew fever In 1872; but after standing
few weeks Of desolation and death
I decided to get out where, I did moi
know: but anywhere would do. The
plan was to go with my sisters In
covered wagon. Ny father advised us
that we had just as we'll remain ir
Vicksburg: but II we desired to at
tempt to refugee, we ought to go on
We had not gone a great distance be-
fore we were held up and taken to
camp of detention After ten days
there, we were allowed to start again
There was fever all around us, and
decided to go over into another county
to stop with relatives. We had
health certificates all right; bu'
friends warned us that the quarantine
guards would never allow us to pass
the Big Black River boundary. Sure
enough we were held up before we got
to the river and we were given tc
understand that we could go no fur
ther. We remained in the immediate
vicinity from August until the fros
came about the middle Of November
In connection with his experiences
Mr.. Allen gave an interesting de-
scription Of the terrible hardships
through which the refugees generally
passed. Many of them had plenty o.
| money; but there came time wher
money was no good because there wa!
nothing left in the shape Of food tina
could be bought. There were plenty
Of provisions in Vicksburg; but people
outside the city dared not venture II
for fear that they could not get ou
again, and they were fed by friends
who caused provisions to be sent ou
| to them at night. The distress OF those
outside the city was probably as grea'
as was that of those inside.
In Mr.. Allein's opinion while there
may be something In the mosquito the
ory Of the transmission Of yellow fe'
yer, the filth theory is more probably
correct. He thinks that the disease
generally has its origin in the filthies
foreign quarters Of New Orleans, anc
from there is transmitted by variou:
means of which 1t Is impossible u
form a satisfactory idea. Although th'
papers have had nothing to say abou
the matter New Orleans Is just nov
making extensive excavations for sew
erage purposes. 1t is possible that thii
may have something to do with the
renewal of the plague. Then there II
another theory that is entitled to
certain amount Of consideration.
is a noticeable fact that 80 long al
the cities in the yellow fever territory
are kept as clean as possible, there Il
very little trouble; but after severa
years exemption from the plague there
| Is a tendency to carelessness and an
other epidemic comes along.