The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-02-27
cries eff Meetings at Emporia
Lasted Five Days Drawing
Enthusiastic Crowds
REV. R. l. STAPLES
ORIGINATES IDEA
Baptist Minister at Emporia Is
Promptly backed Up By
Emporia and Greensville
People and State Loard Of
Health

woe TO the Anopholes Mosquito and
ali ms tribe! HIS day Is numbered,
and ms wife and family will have to
migrate south or North or wherever
1t pleases them best The funeral
dirge of the Germ" family Is also
being sung. The sunshine of a new
DAY is dawning upon Virginia, and the
places that were heretofore pleasant
10 these destroyers of humanity shall
be no more. At least they shall be no
more fit as breeding places for these
critters" If the State will but look to
the example set by Emporia and
Greensville County.
To the Rev. r. L. Staples belongs
the credit for originating a Health
Revival in Virginia. This good Bap-
list minister being possessed Of the
idea that sleepy heads in his congre-
cation owed their failure to grasp his
message more to their physical con-
dition than to his lack of oratory
came to the conclusion that cleanli-
ness indeed stood next to goodness
and that community cleanliness was
as essential as personal cleanliness
Therell be less inattention to SER
mons in Emporia hereafter. and 1t is
probable that men and women of that
community will give praise to the Gre
ator for having sent them q man ca
P10AS VI ORIGINATING al luG6 winch
may spread over the whole country.
First Health Revival.
30 far as Is known. this is the first
time a health revival has been con-
Quoted in this country. 1t was done in
regular order. with printed program
and a list Of speakers that did full
Justice to the cause. The revival
lasted five days. There were health
sermons by the leading bacteriologists
of the State as well as by government
expertJ from Washington. Such men
as DR.. Ennion @. williams. DR. ]. Al
lison Hodges. DIR. Roy A Flannagan
and others were on the program. Miss
Agnes Randolph. secretary OF the Vir-
gtnia Anti-Tuberculosis Association Of
this city, was also a speaker. Another
woman 10 take part was Miss Fannie
Clement. OF the American Red Cross
Il Washington. .. c.
Greensvtlle County Spirit,
Suffice 1t that those who attended
the revival were really revived In a
mental sense. They got ideas that
had not before existed in their minds,
and they have already started forth
to STAY the dragon of uncleanliness
with the sword OF science.
Some time ago the State of Virginia
ofsered as an inducement to rural
communities that the State would 20
three-fourths of the expense OF a sani-
tary campaign In any county, IL the
county would so the other fourth.
Greenscille County, OF which Emporia
is the county seat, decided to give the
offer a test, and DIR. e. l.. Flanagan,
OF the State Department of Health
was detailed to go to Greensville. He
worked there for three months. He
found many things that needed to be
done and he went straight ahead and
did them with the cordial support. CO.
operation and approval OF the people
OF Greensville County. This work Gre
ated such an impression that the Rev.
r L. Staples began 10 see new visions.
He suggested that as a climax to the
campaign of sanitation that health
revival be held in Greensville Coun-
~. 1t Was done and as a post=climAx
resolutions were adopted by the coun-
~ asking that the State send DR.. Elan
nagan. or some one Just as capable.
back to that county for a second pc
Rod OF three months. the county
agreeing TO pay the one-fourth ex-
pense as in the first instance.
Farms Needed Nucleus.
Thus is formed a necleus which may
inaugurate such q genuine health re-
vival in Virginia as wifi make the
State the best from a sanitary point
OF any State in the United States. II
not In the world. For 1t may be
safely said that few nations or States
have carried on a sanitary campaign
like that in Greensville County.
Dumping places have vanished;
swampy holes are no more: citizens
keep their premises clean: garbage
cans and ash barrels are looked af
ter properly: streets are fresh and
free from filth; flies are half starved
to death: mosquitoes sing with weak
ened larynxes: germs have died from
an over-supply OF pure air and school
children breathe oxygen without in
reference. It's all right. Brother
Flanagan: It's all right.
A Week OF Revival.
The revival of Greensville County
was held during the week of February
2l-25. There was no sermon" on
health Saturday. though the follow