The Washington times., 1905-09-19
COL. HENRY HESTER
CR|T|C|SES GUARDS
Cotton Expert From New
Orleans Discusses Fever.
QUEER QUARANTINE DOINGS
Mississippi Watchmen Lax in Their
Work, While Georgians Are
at Dagger's Point

Col. Henry c. Hester. secretary of the
New Orleans Cotton Exchange, who
was recently appointed consulting ex-
pert in the cotton department of the
Census Office, is in Washington TO aid
Director North in the preparation OF his
report on the coming statistics in cot
ton. which will soon be issued.
The New. Orleans cotton statistician
is considered the ablest man in the
United States in his line. and his re-
ports on the movement of cotton have
long been accepted as authoritative by
the cotton manufacturers of the South.
On his trip UP from New Orleans,
Colonel Hester had ample opportunity
to observe the manner in which the
quarantine regulations of Mississippi
Alabama and Georgia were enforced,
and gives an interes ting description of
what he saw. as well as of conditions
in New Orleans.
Quarantine Lax.
with al the row that Mississippi has
raised over the yellow fever it is re-
markable how loosely the State is quar-
antined," says Colonel Hester. Guards
meet every train that comes from New
Orleans as 1t passes through Mississippi,
Alabama. and Georgia. AT the Missis-
sippi towns. where my train stopped,
the guards allowed the passengers to
get off the train and mingle with the
people on the platform
This. to my mind was almost criri-
nal. If an infected person got off the
train and was bitten by a yellow fever
mosquito. that mosquito could fly away
and infect the whole town. but the
IA hot r1-<,-
selves much about it. 1t was noticeable
ali through the State that lax methods
prevailed
Scored the Guards.
THE danger following a yellow fever
outbreak in a small town is double
what It Is in a large city. because the
country people are in deadly terror Of
the disease and even the doctors are
loath to tackle cases. A panic invari-
ably follows the appearance of the first
i case. / took great pleasure, as a New
Orleans man. in telling some of the
Mississippi quarantine guards just what
i thought of the manner IN which they
were carrying out the quarantine
In Alabama it was better. The
guards in that State are courteous, but
very strict. They do not allow pas
sengers from New Orleans to alight on
Alabama soil.
''It was the Georgians that gave us
the fun. though. You know there is a
clash between the State health author1-
ties and the Atlanta health authorizes.
The State authorities say that nobody
from an infected district shall come into
Georgia. The. Atlanta. authorities say
anybody can cone tnto Atlanta, as
they are not afraid of fever there. While
our train W. still in Alabama a num-
Der of Atlanta officials came on board
and warned us against the state au-
MI OF
the train at the Georgia line The At
lanta people assured me that If / want
ed TO get off at Atlanta would be af-
forded abundant protecucn against the
State authorities.
Mayor Was Determined.
.'I was told, in fact. that the mayor
of Atlanta said that he would turn out
the whole police force, If necessary. &c
protect any New Orleans man who
wanted TO get of In Atlanta None OF
us wanted TO get off there. however, SC
I did not have chance 10 see how thu;
conflict of authority operated"
Asked about conditions In New Or
leans, Colonel Hester paid high tribut
40 the work of the Marine Hospital ser
vice.
the conditions that existed during tn
yellow fever epidemic OF 1875 In order I
appreciate the work that is being don
IN New Orleans now, he said w her
we had a hundred new cases a day the
we have twenty new cases now. TIL
State of Louisiana and the people o
New Orleans appreciate the work IN
Marine Hospital service is doing. Di
White: who is in charge, Is perSonall
.nd officially looked up TO. The peopl
realize what he is doing. and they ar
standing by him to a man. There Is n
friction. snd the affairs of the city ar
moving smoothly
Business Goes On.
"A great deal of business is going or
and II a stranger came 20 New Orlean
without knowing that yellow fever wa
there IL would take him days 20 ind OF
Shout IL unless some one told him
fact. the figures show that there wa
more business done in New Orleans !
August of this year than In august
last year. The truth is the people {
New Orleans do not become panfcke
over yellow fever. They meet the situa
ton calmly ald coolly, and fight steaC
ily.'
FRENCH CORRESPONDENT
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