Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-12-27
INSPECTORS KILL 225 FOWLS.
Only Means Of Support OF Family.
Fowls Said to BE Infected.

a Boise Udaho) newspaper, The
article Is as follows:
With woman and her three
children in the house crying as If
their hearts would break as every
crack Of the rifle told them that the
State health department was taking
away from them one OF their lest
means OF scanty livelihood, James
B. Wallis, deputy sanitary inspector,
and DR.. j. II. Weber, State yeterina-
rian, yesterday killed off flock OF
225 chickens, guinea hens and tur-
keys at the home Of II. j. McCorkle,
near Meridian, every ono OF the
fowls being declared by officers as
Thoroughly infected with tuberculo-
sis in Its most advanced form.
Into home already making des-
perate struggles to provide the ne
cessities Of life, tho State inspectors
brought new difficulty when they
took away the entire flock within
few minutes Of time yesterday after
noon. Living three miles southwest
Of Meridian, the farmer was able to
supply the markets there and in
Boise with butter, eggs and chickens,
and he was building up a good bust
ness when the visit Of tho State off,
cials put an end to the prospects in
that direction.
SO affected wero the inspectors by
tho misery that they had created in
order to protect the lives of the peo-
pie of these cities that they intend to
start 4 subscription list to tide the
family over until next spring when
they will be able to take care of
themselves on their 40-acre ranch.
Heretofore they have depended solely
upon their livestock, which has now
been killed and SO tied up BY the
State department that they are for
the next few months with little means
OF revenue to mako both ends meet.
Law Should Cover Point.
There certainly ought to be law
In this State to provide for just such
emergencies" said NJ. S. Parker and
). b. Willis yesterday. 'The State
should In measure reimburse the
people when the health officers have
to kill Off the stock that way. 1t
means ruin to some Of them and ter
rible hardship on others. The de-
partment should be provided with
fund that 1t could spend in that way
and the department would know bet
ter than anybody else whether a case
deserved such help from the State or
not. That Is one Of the worst fea-
lures Of Our work. Had We not taken
that step, 1t is probable that within
a short time innumerable cases Of tu-
berculosls would have broken out
here and in Meridian At the same
time wo have brought hardship to
the family.
Samples Of the vital organs of the
fowls showed them honey-combed
with the disease. Capsules with the
tuOcrcular germs penetrated every
one OF them until they were swelled
to several times their natural size.
Worn away until they could be
crushed in the hands, the disease had
such a firm hold on the fowls that
they might have caused one OF the
worst plaques OF tuberculosis in
Boise in short time in the world.
The flock could have infected hun
drcds Of homes within short time.
This is the first time that such a con-
dition has ever been found in Idaho.
1t is not a new thing for other
states. California and Colorado hay
ing had frequent examples OF it,"
Crcmatcd Bodies.
The inspectors shot every one of
the farmers fowls and put their
bodies on the top OF a pile Of sage
brush, pine boards, boxes and other
material that would make a quick
hot flame and burned them to ashes.
Not trace was left. The fire, which
covered a space OF 90 square feet,
was as hot as the inspectors could
mako ii with selected material, and
they believe that they did a good Job
OF 1t. The roostS and all loose ma
terials around the chicken coop were
torn out and destroyed. All straws,
boxes, nests, and nest eggs, every
thing that could be taken out, was
burned In gencral-clean-up bon
fire. Chickens that had made their
nests In the hay stack or had escaped
under tho house were hauled out and
shot and their bodies added to others
in the flames
Five Of the chickens broke through
hole in the fence and escaped down
the road about half mile. Bcliev-
ing that these fowls were completely
infected with the disease and could
spread 1t, Deputy Inspector Wallis
chased them as hard as he could that
distance, shooting them as he went
until the last one dropped dead by
the roadside.
Returning. he picked them up and
N'i'oitoiSb " VIC uulHcS "lCn
the rest Of them. DR.. Charles Gard
ncr. deputy State veterinarian. made
careful inspection Of tho cattle and
found that they were not in the least
infected by the disease. He, how
ever, quarantined four OF the hogs
until 1t could be learned whether
they were in that condition or not.
Instructions were issued that the
chicken coop should not be used until
spring and that it should be painted
inside and out and should DO sprink-
led with crude carbolic acid sevcral
times during that period. TO TOP the