Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 October 1873 — Suffering Shreveport. [ARTICLE]

Suffering Shreveport.

The fever is not abating any as yet, but for the material it has to work on, it is as bad or worse than it has been yet. It is now among the negroes, and working out in the suburbs of the city, and is in equally as malignant a form as at first, except with the blacks it is not so fatal. The interments yesterday, were n ineteen, three of which were negroes. The distress is still perfectly terribly, not only with the poorer classes, but with many who have plenty of property, or could give any kind of security; but they cannot borrow money at any sacrifice—it is not here, and, even if it was, the provisions are not here to purchase. We are closely quarantined from every point of the compass, and, in consequence of that, and fear of the disease, no Country people come to town. The result is, you cannot get a chicken, eggs, butter, or anything from the country that the convalescing need. The mutton is exhausted, and nothing but poor beef, and very little of that, is in market. Of course all Texan beeves have been turned from this market, and no one Will drive here as long as the epidemic lasts. All that the “Howard Association” receive is distributed at once among the poor and destitute. Every business-house in the city is closed, and the proprietors are either in their graves or gone to the country. Among the leading firms that have died are Mundy & Collins, Hoss & Noel, Southerland & Page, P. F. L. Frank, L. Beer, Dreyfuse Brothers, Sale & Murphy, H. L. Lee & Co., and many others that I cannot now call to mind. These are whole firms that have been swept away. Then there are many others where one or two of the firm have died. There is hardly a business house in the whole city that has not lost some member bf the firm or clerks. Oh I I am satisfied there never was such an epidemic before known on the American Continent. ’Twould be worse than futile to even attempt to describe the terrible suffering and distress of this poor afflicted community. Wlwn the disease was first proclaimed “yellow fever” by the physicians, every one who could get away from the city, by any and every possible means, left, and of the few remaining, between five and six hundred souls have passed to their final account. ‘Nearly 15 per - cent, of the remaining population have died within the short space of thirty-four days, and the end is not yet, and where it will stop God above only knows. Many who were considered entirely well, and had been on the streets for eight or ten days, have suddenly taken a relapse and died within a few hours. 8o you see it is impossible to tell when one is safe and out of danger. Many, many immediate friends'have been burled before I have heard they were sick. I know of whole families that have been swept away in the short space of one week, and not a child left to bear the name. There are not actually well ones enough left to nurse the sick and bury the dead, notwithstanding New Orleans has done all she could in sending, us nurses and physicians. Their physicians have met with no better success than oiir own. The disease is of a different type from what they have had in New Orleans. At the present time it is estimated that there are between 800 and 900 down with the disease. So far, over twenty-five per cent, of those who have taken the disease have died. and.many who left here have died in the country. The exact number of deaths, or who they were, will never be known, for, soon after the sexton was taken down, they were buried promiscuously, and, in many instances, no record made of the interments. In many, very manv cases, the corpses have had to lay on the ground for twelve or eighteen hours, awaiting "their turn for interment. Now, as for, business, that is one of the things of the past. No one thinks of doing anything but the drug-stores, three or four little retail groceries, and one or two bakeries.. These constitute the business of Shreveport, excepting the “Howard Association,”which (Godblessthem)have done yeoman’s service; and as for the outside world, had tliey not responded so noblv to our relief; Heaven only know whether there would have been one left to tell our woes. As for the citizens of Shreveport, I do not know, at this lime, one solitary soul that has not gone forth to battle with the enemy and render every assistance in his power to alleviate the sufferings of the sick and distressed, watch over the sick and dying, wash, dress, and bury the dead. 1 know of no one who has shirked duty, but all have come forward, fearless of the result, as if of one famijy—and I regret to say, very many sacrificed their lives, martyrs to the cause.— Shrewport Qor. St. Louis Globe. ,