The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1910-04-10
NO lEPRoSY HERE.


Except for the fact that legitimate
and reputable business institutions OF
Ogden have been injured by the H.
d,cnlous STORY, the recent reports
which gained popular belief. that hair
goods were unsanitary and that stores
which handled women's hair goods
we're becoming infected with leprosy
as result
The foolish yarn had its inception
on Chicago vaudeville stage. ana
sensational newspapers OF tho WINDY
CITY" with characteristic ayidity,
seized the opportunity for enlarging
upon IL with q terrific array OF Stalls
tics" manufactured in the imagination
Of one OF the cleverest of the "yello"
writer's. An ignorant public, quick TO
grasp the sensational. took up the
story. and as it travelled 1t grew in
force and magnitude until by the time
II reached ogden every department
store in the city had become a breed
ing place for disease germs.
Dealers, and not without some jnst-
+ fication. believe that an effort 10 de-
stroy the tremendous trade In this
cluss of goods was made by compet-
tors. and that 10 this end they lent
every possible assistance to the pro-
mitigation OF the falsehood However
that may be, the fact remains that
the story. insofar as Ogden at least
IS concerned. is utterly false and
without the slightest degree of foun-
dation.
Tho Examiner has conducted caro-
fui investigation simply to assure it
self that the story was untrue In
every regard 1t has arrived at that
conclusion and hastens TO assure Og'
Geu women that they are without dan
ger from any ridiculous source, such
as that alleged in the infamous ru-
mors
That Salt Lake City has discovered
the same conditions Is apparent from
the following article published in one
OF It's leading papers and reprinted
from the Examiners news columns or
yesterday morning;
"A girl attending the Lafayette
school is alleged to be responsible for
the rumor that a large consignment
OF imported hair goods was destroyed
b. Salt Lake City department store
because the manager OF the establish
ment feared that the goods might
contain the germs OF leprosy.
Such rumors are declared to be
absolutely without foundation. None
of the department stores in the city
has destroyed any hair goods, neither
is there any fear among the mer-
chants that the rats" and turbans
sold in the department stores in the
city has q source of spreading leproSy
or bringing IT into this country.
Il, B. Needham. one of the depart.
ment managers Of the II. C NJ J.. said
this morning that the Idea OF hair
goods causing leprosy was the most
foolish thing he had ever heard OF.
He said;
The fact that all hair goods are
boiled and put through a chomical
process before they are shipped does
away with any idea that the goods
might be responsible for leprosy in
this country. The cheap woolen
rats and turbans sometimes contain
dust and dirt. Now. If a person has
any scalp disease. or trouble this dust
from the hair stuffs may cause a sore
scalp. However, this leprosy idea Is
idiotlc
Don't you suppose the United
States government would have looked
into this matter long before this ara
stopped the importation OF such goods
II there had been a possibility of the
disease being transmitted in this man
ner? 1t surely would
And another thing The big hail
goods factories employ their owr
chemists and physicians, who inspec
every piece of work turned out
whether 1t be OF real hair or artificial
They take no chance Of putting dirt,
OF unsanitary goods on the market
Robert Patrick. one of the buyers
OF the z. G. NJ. l.. said this mornins
That he had made it a point 10 lool
into the matter and had secured In
formation from the best hair good
authorities and manufacturers in th,
country to the effect that lcpros
never had been traced 10 hair goods
He also said that. II the 2. C. NJ.
entertained the slightest notion tho
the goods could carry the disease o
would in any way be menace :,
public health every piece of hal
goods IN the establishment would b
destroyed In hurry lie also meu
toned that there is a standing rule a
most department stores that no hal
goods of any kind whatever can h
returned 10 the store after once bein
purchased at the establishment