There remain but three houses under quarantine for smallpox at Clay City. The cases are those of three women, who were mildly infected and are nearing convalescence.
“Indiana Notes,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 11 April 1900, p. 3, col. 7; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 3 February 2015).
Letter translation:
MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
9-14-43 [sic 9-16?]
Dear Daddy – Pauline & I went to Laf. today. We stopped to see Mother then went to shop then returned to the hospital. I called Dr. Cole. He is giving Mother Vit. B shots every day but she isn’t eating any better. She had quite a lot of distention of the bowel today. He said he couldn’t see that she is any better. Her supper came while we were there but she wouldn’t eat much. Alma came out & kept the babies. She said they weren’t any trouble. Both took naps while she was here. She was going out to the fair this evening with Jack & the boys. Mark went with Zells after school. He won third prize on baking and third on vegetables. He is home now and I just ordered him up to the bath tub. John had to do the furnace work this evening and came up sneezing. I have been letting him out of the furnace work recently because of his hay fever. Your letter of Sept. 3 came today. Glad you rec’d another picture. More are on the way and have some being developed today. David broke a slat on the venetian blind at the south den window. I moved his pen so he can’t reach it now & glued the blind slat together. He is always reaching for something he shouldn’t have & climbing out of things – I wonder what his Daddy would do about the climbing urge – Seems it is more than spankings can take care of.
Love – Mother
©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/02/12/a-broken-slat-gladys/
I know I have been silent of late, and I haven’t been reading many blogs. I have a GOOD reason. I have been working hard getting the first volume of Roscoe and Gladys’ WWII letters ready to publish. Today I just submitted the files for their final review, and I should have the physical proof copy soon. Hopefully, the book will be published by the end of the month or early in March. Here is the cover, which was designed for me by a good friend.
INFANT DIED OF SMALLPOX
Mother Had the Disease When It Was
Born – First Anderson Fatality.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
ANDERSON, Ind., April 9. – The first death from smallpox was reported to-day. The three weeks old child of Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Brown was the unfortunate victim. The mother of the babe was suffering from the disease when the child was born and in two weeks the infant developed a case.
The burial was conducted by the city health officers, under the most rigid sanitary regulations, at a late hour last night. There are but three cases in the city under quarantine, and they are of a very mild character.
“Infant Died of Smallpox,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 10 April 1900, p. 2, col. 4; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 3 February 2015).
Letter transcription:
Sept. 14, 1943
Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
F.P.O. San Fran. Calif.
Dear Mother,
I don’t know if I mentioned it before but we recently received a new doctor boos boss here and he is interested in taking care of the natives so he has deputized me to go with him one day each week or rather he has ordered me to do this and so far he has gone with me. You will note the pictures. We didn’t know the pictures were being taken except of course the group picture – There are eight pictures in all and I’ll send some each in the next few letters. They aren’t good of me or the other Dr. but some of the natives are good. I will comment some on them but not too much. You can easily see our operating table and some of our
[page 2] patients. In one you can see a dog under the table chewing on a nasty old bandage we removed after one week’s time. We rushed the dog away as soon as we saw him but the picture was taken before we knew it was there. The building back of us is the church. The picture with the light streak was the one I wanted to turn out good. I got clear over on the end and tried to get between two women but one woman is completely blocked out by another just in front of her. What do you think of the South Sea Island Glamor girls?
Many of these natives have Yaws, a disease that resembles syphilis and that is what we are treating and we seem to be getting good results. We spend about 2 hours there each week. They are not on the Island we are but on one of the neighboring group.
[page 3] You will note the date of this letter is Sept. 14. I’m writing this at night because tomorrow is inspection day of other camps and in order to finish in one day I’ll have to start early and be gone most of the day so I’ll just add a note in the morning.
Sept. 15. A.M.
Just happened to think I’m the one without the cap in case you can’t tell me from the other Dr. or the natives.
I’ll send you a check in a day or two so be on the lookout for that and more pictures.
Must get going now so
Lots of Love
Daddy
[Editor’s note: None of the photographs that Roscoe mentions appear to exist in the family papers.]
Russell Islands
Image by Kelisi at Wikipedia.com (Wikipedia Commons license)
©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/02/11/yaws-disease-roscoe/
DISEASE IN THE STATE.
Facts Contained in Reports to State
Board of Health.
Reports to the State Board of Health show the following facts concerning disease in the State during March, as compared with the previous month: Increased – Rheumatism, measles, tonsilities, influenza. Decrease – Pneumonia, bronchitis, intermittent fever, diarrhea, diphtheria, croup, typhoid fever, erysipelas, whooping cough, inflammation of the bowels. No material change – Consumption, peritonitis, scarlet fever, puerperal fever and cholera morbus. Smallpox was reported from the following counties: Posey, Washington, Greene, Marion, Clay, Jackson, Vanderburg and Gibson. There was a marked decrease of smallpox in March; until March 31 the total number of cases reported in the State was 56, as against 750 on Feb. 28.
The State Board of Health announces that the annual conference of the State health officers will be held in this city on May 8 and 9. The feature of the meeting will be a symposium on school hygiene.
“Disease in the State,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 8 April 1900, p. 3, col. 3; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 3 February 2015).
Letter transcription:
Kentland Ind.
Sept. 15 – 1943
Dear Daddy –
Another chilly day. The sun did shine and we got a washer of clothes dry. We have to wash every day with 2 babies in the house. James L. is so different from David. James L. will stay put any place. He can be left on the bath table, couch, bed, play chair, Taylor Tot or anywhere – David climbs out of anything but his bed & play pen and has for months. This evening Pauline was holding David and said James L. is much easier to hold. David won’t sit still – just wants to climb all over a person. I often wonder what his Daddy would do about his urge to move around all the time – Maybe just like we do – just try to keep him from getting a fall. I put a pr. of corduroy overalls on him today and J. & M. thought he looked like a boy should look. He still has long hair, but it curls up around his neck & his Mother can’t cut
[page 2] it off – she keeps saying she will give him a hair cut when he is a yr. old. I think I know what Daddy would say – “give that boys a hair cut.”
Uncle Wes & Aunt J. were here enroute to C.C. this a.m. – Uncle has lost 30 lbs. & doesn’t look so good. Has had a bronchial cough that has taken him down.
J. & M. have gone to the fair tonite with Zells. They had grand stand seats. I made them wear wraps. It is so cool they need heavy coats – but didn’t want to wear anything. It’s hard to think it is so cool this early in the fall. Mrs. Zell said today it looked like snow. Of course it didn’t snow but the clouds would look like snow clouds sometimes.
I have to meet Glenn in Laf. tomorrow & see Mother. David seems to have a little cold or it may be an allergy – I can’t tell and I want Dr. Cole to see him. Since John has his fall allergy too or it may be just a cold. This cool weather so early is a good excuse for colds.
Arlene called me today. She hasn’t any help yet and it keeps her busy doing everything. I asked her to go to Laf. with me but said
[page 3] it was so hard for her to get away now. She has to have everything prepared for meals before she leaves. I really feel sorry for the girl because she isn’t too strong and with this other baby coming has her hands full.
I havne’t had time to get John & Mark down to writing you again but will try over the week-end to get them to. John has a teacher (Band) Clements from Jasonville – He knows Floyd & says he knew of you. He and John had quite a chat one evening after school. I know only a few teachers so far – Al had to hire so many new ones this fall.
My hands are all over the “spell” they had but are tender and burn this evening from running out to the clothes line today. Pauline is cleaning house for me while they are here. She got the little bedroom cleaned today & wants to clean the boys’ room tomorrow. She is a hard worker & clean. A lot different from Norma. She wasn’t much on the work order. She says Glen will take the screens down & put on the storm windows. He wants to wait a few days to see about Mother before they start back. He is much heavier than he used to be. His asthma isn’t as bad now that is it cooler.
It’s about time for the boys to come home from the fair.
Love – Mother
©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/02/10/another-chilly-day-gladys/
MALIGNANT SMALLPOX
It Caused the Death of a Little Child
At Saline City.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
BRAZIL, Ind., April 6. – The little son of Attorney E.G. O’Brien, residing at Saline City, died this morning of malignant smallpox, after having been ill only twenty-four hours. Drs. Griffith, Finch and Gantz attended the child, and they all agreed that the disease was virulent smallpox.
Two more cases are reported in the town, but it is believed the patients will recover.
“Malignant Smallpox,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 7 April 1900, p. 2, col. 5; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 3 February 2015).
Letter transcription:
Sept. 14, 1943
Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. S.F.C.
Dear Mother,
Somehow we missed mail yesterday; the first time in several days but the service has been so good lately that we have no right to complain – only hope that is won’t be too many days before more comes in.
The show last night was “Stage Door Canteen.” There was a host of stars in it and it was a fair show. The thing that struck me funny at the show and always does is the reactions of the audience. A good musical number is received with very little attention. Not long ago an actress sang a semi-opera (I guess that is what it’s called) and the boys made so much noise in a discussed [disgusted] fashion the song couldn’t be heard, and then let some blond just walk on to the stage and the cheering really is stupendous. I guess it’s [a] distorted sense of what’s right and wrong. If the audience at home carried on at trivial things like they do out here anyone could write a play with success, but I guess it’s youth away from civilization and that is bound to be a little
[page 2] distorting.
I suppose the weather back there is really getting pleasant and frost can be expected at any time – the leaves turning brown – smokey Indian Summer days – flies crowing around the screen doors at night – The air filled with bugs at night and numerous other things characteristic of Indiana at this time of year. Can dream I guess. Missing those things 2 years in succession makes one remember wonder if he really can remember that far back. If I’m incorrect about the above correct me please. Maybe living in a land of eternal green makes one forget and maybe one living there without getting into the tropics don’t appreciate those things. I don’t believe I did, at least not to the fullest extent. Of course maybe I’m a little prejudice in my view point just now, and possibly to ye use that old Edwards saying – “What all that meat & no vegetable?”
I’ve written enough nonsense so to be more sensible I’ll say solong until tomorrow and
Love from Daddy
©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/02/09/stage-door-canteen-roscoe/
MUST DO THEIR DUTY
State Health Board Proposes to En-
Force Laws.
At the meeting of the Indiana State Board of Health yesterday it was determined to insist in the future on the strict enforcement of the health laws of the State. Health officers will be required to do their full duty under the law, and physicians who fail to report deaths and births to the health authorities will be held amenable to the law. The board also took up the case of the two health officers who were charged with having failed to enforce the health laws. A report on the recent smallpox epidemic was read by Dr. Hurty, secretary of the board. Reports from Washington county say that out of 300 cases of smallpox only eighty-nine were reported to the board. Physicians who failed to report cases of which they had knowledge will be called to account.
“Must Do Their Duty,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 7 April 1900, p. 8, col. 4; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 3 February 2015).
Genealogy Lady 