Connecticut western news., 1907-05-30
CONDITIONS ARE
 M|SREPRESENTED
AS TO CANAAN TYPHOID FEVER
Board of Trade Takes Action-0utside Reports Greatly Exaggerated-But Three Cases NoW-State Officers to be Summoned.


 Three Cases Now State Officers
 to be Summoned.
 On Saturday evening last. the Canaan Board of Trade held a meeting at the law offices of A. T. and J. H. Roraback to consider the sanitary condition or the village and to take some action relative thereto. J. B. Reed was chosen chair man and J. c. Roraback, secretary.
 The meeting was attended by 50 people and much interest was manifested. The numerous cases of typhoid fever which have developed here inspired the call for the meeting and several of the leading citizens, including local physicians, spoke more or less emphatically on the subject, the key note of the remarks be- ing that something should be done, and that immediately to prevent further outbreak of the disease.
 The result of the discussion was that on motion of Judge Roraback, com mittee of three, consisting of Dr. F. Il. Lee. Dr. J. G. Adam. and J. B. Reed was chosen to wait upon the State Board of Health on their arrival here 1n the near future and to explain to them the feeling ill the community relative to existing conditions and to see to 1t that every possible precaution is taken to rid the village of everything which tends to braod infection and disease
 A vote of thanks was extended by the Board to William Canfeld, owner of the Warner House, for his activity and earnest efforts to stamp out the disease and he was further assured that he would have the hearty support of the Board in his undertaking
 It is expected that the State Health officer will de here at his earliest con wenience and that he will adopt drastic measures in ascertainlng just where the trouble lies in order that the cause of the disease, when found, may at once be removed.
 The reports relative to typhold fever have greatly exaggerated the real sltua- tion. In some sections the story IS gong the rounds that the fever patients ln Canaan are numbered by dozens, when AS MATTER oF ABSOLUTE FACT THERE ARE NOW IN THE HOUSE OF MERCY AT P1rrsFIELD (where fever patients from Canaan are usually taken) JUST TWO CANAAN cAsEs-NO MORE, NO LESS, l. e., Samuel Brinton and Mrs. Henry Miller. There were three cases before the death of John Langs, which occurred Tuesday evening. MT. Brinton and Mrs, Miller are both on the road to recovery.
 In order to correct the erroneous i'm pression existing hereabouts that there have been from fifteen to thirty cases Ill Canaan during the past year THE NEWS appealed to Dr. F. H. Lee, the local health officer, for definite information, and he states that during March, April and May of 1906, one case each month was reported to him, and that DURING THE ENTIRE YEAR OF 1906 THERE WERE REPORTED TO HIM JUST EIGHT CASES.
 There was reason to believe that ln
  contracted ill the Warner house. Dur ing the present spring four cases have been reported. BETWEEN MAY l, 1906, AND MAY 1, 1907, NINE CASES WERE RE- PORTED, and in the April bulletin ls- sued by the State Board of Health, Dr. Lee states that three cases were re- ported to him during that month.
 The above is the truth and the exact truth relative to typhoid fever ill Ca naan, and the statements we make are supported by the local or state records. Although the situation is too serious, 1t falls far short of being as serious as it has been pictured.
 AS is probably well known, the ma jority of these cases have arisen from the decidedly unsanitary conditions which prevailed in and about Canaan's only hotel, the Warner House, before it was purchased by William Garfield a few months ago. He thoroughly real izes the situation, and the work of bringing about change in the condi tions of the premises and rendering them perfectly sanitary in even the most mi mute detail is we'll under way.
 MT Canield expresses his desire to cooperate with the local and state health authorities, and invites their in- spectlon, criticism and suggestions. It now appears to be an assured fact that upon the completion of the work there will not be piece of real estate in Ca naan the condition of which will be more sanitary than the hotel property, epidemic is looked for, although every