The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-12-24
MYTH OF CLOSED
TOWN EXPLODED

Saturday evening people were wait
ing for train at the Southern Pacific
station in Winnemucea. The train
was late and there was a long wait
nearly an hour. Without mentioning
any names, which might bring super
stitious censure upon individuals, it
is sufficient to state that a count re-
vealed twenty-eight persons in the
station at one time. A young man
was brought in-carried in. He was
from out of town and a considerable
automobile party arrived with him.
He was accompanied by a physician.
The physician said his patient had
been suffering twenty-five days with
"fu." He was being taken to an Oak
land hospital.
The station doors were closed, be-
cause it was cold night. There was
a hot fire in the stove. The air was
not what one would call just exactly
pure-and there was a bad case OF
"fiu" in the midst Of it. Now, none of
the people who were in the station
will catch the disease of which so
much ado is made That is the fact
II the belief which the closing of
churches and schools is intended to
frustrate was the fact, all those peo-
pie in the station ought to be sick.
because better conditions for "conta-
gion" could scarcely be imagined.
How does that compare with the
idea of people going to clean church
for an hour, or children attending
school in what is acknowledged 10 be
the best ventilated building in Hum
boldt county? And. without any dis
paragement of what the churches
stand for. how many more than twen-
ty-eight people do they usually have
at Sunday services?
No, friend reader, the town is not
closed-not so you can notice tex
cept the best and healthiest part of it.
and that is churches, schools and our
very nice little picture show. Nu-
merous instances are in sight To-
prove the statement Why not look
facts in the face?
In Los Angeles, short time ago.
the readers of a. certain church were
arrested and jailed for refusing to-
abide by an order of the health de-
partment of that city, commanding
churches to close as a health meas
ure." After their trial the judge pre-
siding in the case handed down a
written opinion which indicated that
the readers might collect damages
from the city for false imprisonment,
il they cared to sue; and that health
officer or commission was. to say the
least. presumptuous in setting him
self or itself up as superior to the
Constitution of the United States. A
sentence from this opinion reads:
"Yes, there may be, as yOu say. In
this city an epidemic; but the Con-
Stitution OF the United States guar
antees to every citizen a right to
worship God according to the die
fates of his own conscience; and.
epidemic or no epidemic, the eOnsti-
iglion n not suspended"
In the city of Greater New York
which has the finest health record Of
any large municipality in the United
States for the period Of the ep'demi"
the health commissioner. nan high
in the councils of medicine, declared
at public meeting held to discuss
the situation" and take action;
being Methodist and physi-
ian. cannot of course be a Chris
tau Scientist. In &reater NlW YORK
we viii no. close The schoo' houses,
nor picturo shcws nor theGtrce' uor
ta e. bit =, jl'r e.o2'" e"
about in tasir aCcustoI",i ways,
and 10 their amuSemeHts, and there
- ~i~ thc.n so'nsthl4c 70 ocfHPv
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