The Redwood gazette., 1936-07-09
Truth VS.. RumOrs


n EDWOOD FALLS has a concrete ex
X ample of how rapidly rumors, though
utterly without foundation in fact, cal
travel in the reports which have circulated
in regard to a supposed epidemic of sleeping
sickness, spinal meningitis or some othe1
dread disease alleged to be taking lives II
wholesale quantities here in recent days.
Reports of the rumor first reached The
Gazette Monday of last week. Immediately
a reporter was dispatched to get signed
statement from all the physicians of Red
wood Falls denying the rumor That state.
ment as prepared and signed read as fol
lows:
Rumors that have been circulating through
out the county to the effect that there is an
epidemic of tubercular meningitis prevalent in
Redwood Falls are utterly baseless and
sequently there is cause for the apprehen-
sion that has been created. 1t is only coin
cidence that there have been two recent deaths
due to the same disease and there no other
within the city or in the vicinity. In the
first place, the sickness is not contagious and
if it were the cases would have been handled
differently and the patients isolated and pri-
vate funerals conducted.
Signed
DIR. J. w. ANDERSON, city health officer.
DIR. T. E. FLINN
DIR. H. B. COLE
DIR. o. H. JOHNSON
With this information in his possession,
the writer then consulted the Fourth of July
committee in regard to getting it published
in every paper in the surrounding territory.
A meeting was called, which was poorly at
tended, and it was the concensus of this
small group that this was the right move
Later reports, however, led the publicity
of flo 70 ho1; hot
the rumors were not widespread and that
any publicity concerning them would work
to the disadvantage rather than the advant-
age of the celebration, spreading the report
where it was not already rampant. Acting
in good faith with the city's interests at
heart, this group decided that the fact that
that the city was going ahead with it's cele-
bration, that the federal government was
taking Company L to Camp Ripley and that
no deaths other than two from non-contag-
ious diseases the previous week had occur
red, would stamp the rumor as false. No
city would desire or dare to invite thousands
into it's limits if there was even one case of
such a malady and certainly the government
would not take chances on communicating a
camp where thousands of men are quarter
ed
1t was further contended that denial of
such rumors by word of mouth wherever
they occurred would be the most effective
method of combating such reports without
danger of spreading them. This logic, earn
estly presented, led the Gazette and the COM
mittee to drop all recognition of the reports
believing this the wiser course.
Some believe the rumor was maliciously
spread. Perhaps, but we very sincerely
doubt it. Every newspaperman has traced
down hundreds of reports equally false to
find that some misunderstood remark some
snap judgment or even the misreading of a
printed statement was their only fOunda-
ton. Once started, such report grows
with each retelling until unrecognizable at
it's source. We are reminded of the story of
key who remarked to Able, ''Vel, hear you
sold short and cleaned up 10000 bucks in
Florida oranges" To which his friend re-
piled, you're right except that l was long
instead of short and it wasn't Florida Or
anges it was California grapefruit and it
wasn't 10000, it was 10000 and I didn't
make-I lost it."
1t is difficult to see where anyone ex-
pected to gain by the report. The celebra-
tion was free and the funds were collected
to pay for it. What further the city was out
was what little it's merchants might expect
to make on the sale of refreshments. The
people who remained at home or went else
where are the ones who have reason to be
peeved, they missed a good old-fashioned
free program that was credit to the COM
mittees in charge.
1t is clear now that immediate steps
should have been taken to squelch the rum
or and that ignoring it only served to arouse
suspicious. The printed word is the effec-
tive way to counteract misinformation. Next
time-and we hope there never is next
time-the ugly bull will be grasped by the
horns.
A Vote of Appreciation
The Fourth of July committee takes
pleasure in thanking The Redwood Gazette
for its hearty co-operation in putting over