Drummond | Genealogy Lady

CRIMINAL INDIFFERENCE.
Attitude of the Clay City People to
the Smallpox Epidemic.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
CLAY CITY, Ind., Feb. 16. – New cases of smallpox are of almost daily occurrence in this vicinity, owing largely to indifference to the disease. This indifference is partly accounted for in the fact that only one death has occurred and in the additional fact that some professional men and many of the nonprofessional stoutly maintain that it is not smallpox and not dangerous. Several family, released after about two weeks’ quarantine, have been quarantined a second time owing to other members of the family having contracted the disease. Cases have existed in some families for days before being reported to the health officer, the father of one of these families going to and from his home and attending to business down town as usual.
One young man, sent home on the 15^th of January, all broken out with the disease, was at work in his shop, as usual, on the 27^th.
Last Saturday a man thickly broken out stood in the postoffice lobby, along with fifty or more persons.
The persons quarantined at G. J. Kaysor’s continue to drink from a dipper chained to a pump at the sidewalk for the accommodation of the public.
A young man named Drummond was running about the streets last week, thickly broken out, and had to be forced to go home and the house carded.
There are many other cases like those mentioned.
W. T. Damer, quarantined for twenty-one days, and sick throughout the period, was released on the 14^th inst. He was literally covered with the eruptions. For many days Mr. Damer could not stand. Many cases like his could be cited.
It is reported that between twenty-five and thirty houses in the township, outside of Clay City, are carded, and somewhat fewer in town, which shows a large decrease for the town. The township schools, including Middlebury, a mile away, reopened on the 12^th inst. There were three new cases in Middlebury the first of the week, but the disease is being rapidly checked there.

“Criminal Indifference,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 17 February 1900, p. 2, col. 3; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 6 December 2014).

NOT SO MANY CASES
Rigor of Quarantine Checks Smallpox
at Clay City.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
CLAY CITY, Ind., Feb. 9. – There has been a perceptible decrease in the number of smallpox cards within the last week, due to the great stringency of the quarantine. Owing to the mildness of the disease a few persons fail to give Health Officer Modesitt the support due him. At one place where quarantine exists the persons quarantined drink from a dipper chained to a pump on the sidewalk, and many other persons drink from the same dipper. A few who have not had the disease deliberately go into quarantined places for milk and butter. The Griffith family was quarantined on account of a boy fourteen years old. The quarantine was lifted at the end of fourteen days, and a few days later it was accidentally discovered that the boy’s father and mother were sick, and again the house was carded. To-day the boy was running about the streets in the south part of town. He was reported to the health officer, who will take steps that will prevent a repetition of the act and perhaps deter others from doing the same thing.

A young man named Drummond was on the streets Tuesday broken out with the disease and several persons chased him away. On the following day the house was carded. It is reported that the quarantine will be made more rigid from this time on. The disease has been in about 150 families, and it is estimated that it will average three cases to a family.

Soldiers’ Home Quarantined.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
DANVILLE, Ill., Feb. 9. – On account of a well-developed case of varioloid in the Danville National Soldiers’ Home that institution was put under rigorous quarantine at 6 o’clock this evening.

“Not So Many Cases,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 10 February 1900, p. 5, col. 5; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 6 December 2014).