The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-12-11
ABOUT SELLING MEATS.
Visitor Complains About
Methods of Peddlers Here.

1 uS I1Cl diu uOCS uOI hIo" IAO
identity of Mr.. J. C. Brown, but the
abominable conditions described by
him in letter dated Columbia, S. c.,
Oct. 25th, 1919, to the State Board
Of Health in regard to the sale of
fresh meats on the streets in Bam-
berg certainly does not reflect great
credit upon our town. And the gross
ly unsanitary surroundings as pictur-
ed by him of the meats and wagons
from which he says he saw the meats
being sold are indeed worthy of the
consideration of those people of our
town who place their health at a
high premium. In consequence of
Mr.. Browns letter to the State Board
of Health detailing the conditions
which he said he saw in both Bam-
berg and Branchville on October %,
1919, the mayor of Bamberg has re-
ceived from DR.. James A. Hayne in
Columb bia, State health officer, a let
ter in which he states that if Mr..
Browns description of conditions To-
cally is accurate the meats in ques-
ton are a dangerous source of dis
ease to the people of this community,
and suggests that due attention be
given the matter by the city council
and the local board of health, an in
vestigation be made and some steps
be taken to improve the situation.
Acting upon this suggestion and
prompted by the letter of Mr.. Brown
to the South Carolina Board of
Health, a copy of which was mailed
to Mayor Smoak by DR.. Hayne along
with his own letter, our city council
has passed an ordinance to take effect
Immediately, which prohibits in the
future the sale Of any fresh meats
from wagons, boxes or other outside
stands in the bushes sections of the
city, and requires any meats. so sold
or offered for sale in the residential
parts of the city be properly screened
and kept strictly sanitary, further
describing and limiting the conditions
and requirements under which meat
may be sold in those parts of the city.
Mr.. Browns letter to the State Board
of Health is as follows:
Columbia, S. c., October 26, 1919.
South Carolina State Board of Health,
Columbia, S. c.
Gentlemen:-I feel like it is the
duty of every citizen of the State to
assist you in your work in every way
that is possible by calling to your
attention the conditions as they are
in different parts of the State.
I am taking the liberty of calling
your attention to conditions as 1 saw
them at Brachville, S. c., and Bam-
berg, S. c., on Saturday, October 25,
1919, as to the way that fresh meats
are handled and served to the public.
At Branchville man has an old one
horse wagon standing on the street
with a few yards of black oil cloth
for cover. In this wagon he was
selling fresh beef and pork which
was exposed to the flies, and there
were swarms of flies on the meat.
This man was handling this meat and
allowing everyone else to handle it
the same way and serving it to the
customers.
At Bamberg the condition was lit
tie worse. There were two men SELL
ing meat there on the street and l en-
quired of one of the parties if he
thought that his meat was sanitary
and shouldn't he protect the meat
from the flies. He remarked to me
that the flies did not hurt it, that it
was always washed before it was
cooked, and, too, he did not eat the
meat himself, and it sure would not
make him sick. called his attention
to blowfy eggs on the meat and he
stated that that little bit did not hurt
anything. The flies we're on his beef
and pork in swarms. 1t was pro-
tected by this countryman gently fan
ming with a piece of newspaper. which
he used for wrapping paper. This
meat was being served from the top
of an old box that was brought from
the back of a livery stable, having
deposited on it stable manure. [
hope that you will not think that l
am impertinent in writing this letter,
but I feel that with the efforts that
are being made by the State health
department to prevent diseases, ty-
phoid, etc., it is my duty to call to
your attention the conditions as they
actually exist. am sure that the
doctors of these two places with the
aid Of the town council will assist
you in having such uncivilized cond1-
tions remedied.
Hoping that you will take this let
ter as mean it in that it is the inter-
est of the people and the whole COM
munity that needs such conditions
Very respectfully,
(Signed) J. G. BROWN.