The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-30
Mr.. Agee Writes Of Cholera 9
Epid emics He Has Seen

Mrs. Baker was q lone widow ana had
been 50 much bothered with tramps
that she would not take In any stran-
gers. but kindly informed me that
PROBABLY ] could be accommodated ct
the next house. 1t was then dark and
raining. rtrudged on for a mile until
found q. house on the roadside and
dogs barking. The bark OF dogs was
the only sign OF life. I moved on IN
the darkness until / saw fence
rans) on the roadside. which I fol.
lowed which enclosed q horse lot
rode up to the house and hailed
female answered. ! asked for lodg-
Ing. She said her husband. Mr.. Ham
hton. was not at home and she could
not take me. I told her that I was
wet and cold and must stay. She then
told me that she had sick child and
could not entertain q stranger.
Doctor and may be OF service to your
child.
had administered medicine to my
children and slaves. 80 leave to casu-
lists II violated the moral law. II
may have misied her. but Il was not
an unmftigated lie.
But this appeal to the motheriy in
stinct did not have the desired effect
and concluded she was the violater
OF the moral law In my desperation
told her that II she denied me shell
ter In her house would put my horse
In the lot and camp in the crib. but
before I did 50. would tell her who
was and my mission. did so and she
informed me that Mr.. Leslie had spent
the night with them on HIS way to
Mobi.s. when he contracted the fever
ana died: that was welcome to come
In the house and spend the night.
] lost no time In stabling my horse
and roasting by the pine knot fire to
dry my thin clothing. That was SAT-
day broke with rain still descending
with q freaky. chilly wind. I waited
till o o'clock and no cessation. then
started for Goodies Mills. the only df-.
rections being to follow the plainest,
most travelled road. as there were 90
many log roads In my route. 4,
About ~ o'clock 4 came suddenly
to the creek (Dog River) and founle
young Mr.. Goods. Burton, ] think.
with lot OF hands floating logs to
the mill. y -. 49, q
1 had known the young mas, il,
Monroe county during the war, and ne
excused his violation of the Sabbath
by saying, there had been no rainfall,
for two or three months, and took adj !
vantage of the rise, of water 7
thought he was fully Justified He
invited me to his house at the mill for.
dinner. Mrs. G. did give me an els-S
CANT warm dinner, the first I had
eaten for two days. / enjoyed it and .
return thanks at this late day. Ny,
next objective point was Elders Ferry
ten miles distant. Ny journey led me
through small scrubby pines near the
coast with numerous sand dunes or
hillocks of sand. Suddenly. at dark,
came without warning In the Pasca-
goula river, dark, deep stream
there, without banks or blur. and was
safely piloted over by Mr.. Elder on q
narration with advice, never to start
on long journey in October too hur-
riedly, and without preparing for a
change of weather.
I will further remark that these
valuable lumber miliE. nianer ami dry
kilns of Mr.. Leslie, were soon after
destroyed by fire, thus verifying the
er come singIy.
We hear but little OF cholera now
and the mention OF II does not strike
terror. Science and common senss
have quite eliminated yellow fever
from the coast cities. and smallpox
has become OF mild form. But we
yet have scarlet fever. which seems
to be more dreaded than these or
any contagious disease. whether
milder or more fatal than formerly.
paaplesare more nervous. perhaps, be-
cause II Is not so frequent, or because
hf the germ theory lately evolved. I
Germs in the afr, germs in the water.
germs in the clothing germs In letters
and newspapers, germs In the tele-
phone There are few good Samafi1 :
tans in scarlet fever cases. but the
others walk around. go the other way.
IL there no preventive? Where are
the scientists. hutnanitarians. biolo-
gists and bacteriologists. that they do
not discover the cause and preventive
Of scarlet fever and this new disease.
pe,lagras. that is threatening the lives
of 80 many people? r.
:. Would 1t not have been wiser ana
more charitable for the Legislature TO
appropriate money to discover the
ca use and remedy for these diseases,
instead of the thousands for useless
lawsuits, and for extra feas to sheriffs
(already well paid to do their duty.
AMI more, than duty. to ferret out pet
ty misdemsanors. Surely the life and
health OF our citizens ara more impor-
tant than the prosecution OF vinIatnrs
of police laws. ~
Selma, August 81.