The Washington times., 1906-11-27
TETANUS BACILLI
LURK IN FIELD
Physicians Explain Death
of Several Men ToiIing
There.
FARMER ABANDONS PLACE
Unable to Secure LabOsers He Is
Practically Bankrupt-Refused
10 Work Farm.

Los ANGELES. Nov. 27.-Twenty-
dve miles south of this city lies the
most peculiar deathtTap in the world.
Looked al from outside the barbed wire
fence which surrounds fl, IL is a harm
less looking field, furrowed with the
marks Of the plow months old and
grown up TO cabbages and carrots, tur-
nips and lettuce, all now in their seed
stalks, for il has been months since
the field was worked.
Near Santa Ana is this bit OF level
land. About a year ago IL was re
claimed from the wild mesa and rented
TO a Chinese gardener. Within the first
two weeks Of his occupancy two of his
Oriental woTkmen had died in the great
est agony.
Both were stricken in the field. one
lived 10 reach the humble bunkhouse
where laborers on the ranch were ac-
eustomed 20 sleep; the other was picked
mp, his body already stinening in the
rigor OF death. in the midst OF the fur
row down which he was hOeing. on
the foot OF each was a slight scratch.
too small 10 be called a cut. evidently
made by a misstroke Of the heavy hoes
the men were using.
No one seems 10 have connected the
den deaths. The copofer passed the
usual verdict of death from natural
causes. they were buried or sent back
TO China. and the incident was for
gotten. \ month went by and no fur
ther harm befel the workers IN the field.
Then there seemed to come another cpl
demic. Another man died from causes
apparently identical with the other two.
The Chinese began to be afraid Of the
field. and those living On nelghboring
vegetable gardens would have nothing
20 do with proffers or work.
The last man who died IS said 10 have
cut an entire toe OF with his hoe. IN
any event he made so large a cut on
his foot had the head OF the Chinese
the man who was running the garden.
Charley Kim by name-declded IN his
crafty Oriental mind that there was
some connection between the cut and
the sudden death. SO he warned the
two or three men he stln managed 10
keep with him TO be doubly careful as
10 injuring themselves.
Several months went by, the scare
among the Chinese died down TO some
extent and the gardener imported six
Angeles. Inside OF a week two Of these
had been stricken and within an incredi-
bly, short time both died. as had the
others. IN horrible agony.
Fled From the Place.
Three Of the new woTkmen fed for
their homes In the larger city; increased
wages offered were OF no avail TO hold
them. All together. they fled from they
knew not what Not one Of the Chinese
labOrers working on other vegetable
gardens would go near the field by day
or night. They declared II was be-
witched and the owner, though thor
Oughly AmeTIcanized Chinese. began 10
think so himself. All his men We're gone
but one-one of those last six who had
come from Los Angeles, and three Of
whom had fed so incontinently when
death laid its hand on two.
This was a brave fellow and a curious
one as well. He wanted TO know the
cause of all the trouble. He saw the
cuts on the feet OF those who had died
saw and wondered, and was careful not
to cut himself.
At last however. he relaxed his
watchfulness and did cash one of his
feet, not lightly but with a heavy blow
from the hoe. About 200 yards from the
field passes a trolley line to Los Angeles.
Hastily he bound up his injured foot
ran at the top of his speed to the line
boarded the first car that came rush
ing along and was borne directly to
the county hospital.
Ground Sown With Bacilli.
''Tetanus." said the surgeon, and
gave him an injection Of the antitoxin
Then mis- story came out. A rigid in
vestlgation of that fve-acre field was
made and the ground was found 10 be
laden with the bacllli of lockjaw. the
dread. yet mysterious. disease which had
been Staying the laborers who had set
foot In the rich, black soil.
Now the vegetable garden Is closed
Now. too, the search Is ON for a way
70 kill the deadly bacini in that field
so that it's fertility may once more be
put TO use Doctors say the poison
came in with a horse used to plow the
land, that this horse had been inOculated
IN a mild manner with the disease so
that his death did not come for some
time.