The Washington herald., 1908-08-24

Distracted by his fellow-men. with the
prospect or never sgain seeing his loved
ones. and goaded by the specter Of long
d-awn-out agony and death. John R
Early. a Ieper. sits in his little tent on
the border Of the Eastern Branch. re-
signed to his fate with Spartan herolsm
and forurude.
Rereft Of hope. all JOY. and denied the
right Of associates. the afflicted man
bears Up braveIy. comforts himself with
his Bible. and meditares on the future
a smile Of sorrow wreaths his counts-
nance. His frank blue eyes are set as
e some s-ear calamity were impending.
his speech is broken and quaverinz. and
with an he IS an object OF sympathy and
pity.
How long ne VIII live IN the small
improvissd quarters no one can say. II
by -he operations Of an lnsrrurable fate
he is never 90 return 90 those near and
dear 20 BIN. he prefers 70 spend his re-
manning DAYS where he was yesterday.
tuA OF she District.
Health office autho-itses viii make
every endeavc- 70 get The stricken man
out Of The District They have the deep
est sympathy FOR The young man. and
insist there is absolutely no danger OF a
spread Of the disease. so long as he is
kept in tie tent under guard. Notrfth-
standing these facts. however. the case Is
dangerous one. euraiIIug a great deal
of expense and ANXIETY The health Off
Gals feel rhat as Eariy is not a resident
of Washington the municipality should
uot be 5urdered with him and put under
p strain which his presence causes
Yesterday The acting health oa7cer
v-~te letter 20 the secretary OF the
state board Of health Of North Carolina.
requesting tGaJ steTs be taken 20 take
Early hack 20 his home In Lynn. No
power oa earth. 90 is said. can compel
the state NJ North Carolina 10 ACCEPT the
leDer- II is not beIie-ed the health of
Gals Of that State VIII assent 10 his be-
ing slsporred 20 their Cou-orwealth.
Another perplexinE problem with which
The District authorizes are confronted IS
how 20 set TIE man out OF the District
~
receive him Il VIII be exceedingly diff
cult % obtain transportation for him. and
tie states through which he would have
% pass 10 reach his home would Prob
ably object 70 his doing 50.
At the Home Industrial Mission % the
Salvation Army. -l9 Pennsylvania averue
northwest where Early lodged until T.
was discovered he was afflicted with the
maLady. every pracautisn has been taken
20 preTeEt any possibIS spread OF The
diseased
Everything Is Destroyed
Notwithstanding the bed linen. towels.
toilet facilities. and all other articles
with which Early is known 20 have come
in contact have been burned or otherwise
destroyed. Il cannot be said Washington
Is entirely safe from other cases Of lap-
r1sv-
Eariy says he ate in a number Of lunch
rooms IN the vicinity OF the ~Capirol.
handled ard read newspapers and mass-
zines which other persons picked I'd after
he had finished with them. and. even
more dangerous. E-asped in friendship the
hands 0t a number Of men and women
at the mission and in the streets Of the
city.
The theory that leProsy can be caught
bE breathing the same air as q person
afflicted with it has been prevalent since
lat b C.. when the disease made its
appearance II the delta and valley of the
Nile But science to-day coutroverts this
prehistoric belief. That the disease can
be and IS transmitted from one person
II
same articles Is an established fact.
There IS 70 danger Of contasion. but Iep-
rosy IS the most infectious disease IN the
world.
While health Office physicians and others
declare there Is no occasion for alarm.
and that The case and conditions are ab-
s1lU-ely under control the fact remains
that there are persons IN Washington
Who have shaken the hand OF the man:
that he handled cups. saucers. plates.
knives. forks. spoons. and napkins. Coin
aud bills carried IN his pockets ard
handled by him are in circulation IN
Washington. and a quantity Of reading
matter is lying about the city.
Where He GOT lFeaIs.
One OF the health Office physicians said
-N---l al4 lA-1L " ALiaAt might ne possible
20 learn every restaurant or lunch room
n which Early tsok a meal. It would be
next 20 impossible 20 find the utensils
used. The idea 81 having al the utensils
IN the Ignchroosns destroyed in order to
BE- sure Of getting the ones Early used
does not appeal 10 the health Office au-
thorities- / IS styled unreasonable %
Mention OF The names OF the lunch rooms.
some Of which are known, IS thought
Unvise by the health authorities. on the
ground tHat Il would serve 70 ruin the
business Of those places.
Early says he went 70 the Pension
Office on 3fonda~ last TO ascertain If he
could not have s denomination he has
been 81 for eight years. and bases his
claim TO a pension On the fact that he
has had 10 heath since his return from
the army IN the Philippines, He was ex-