com
The' Farmers Society of Equity is
spreading over this county and the
Courier is spreading with it. Its ad
vertising columns are good as gold.
A factory pay roll of $100,000 a
month makes some town. Oregon City
is the best city in the state ontside of
Portland. .Keep it on the more.
30th YEAR.
OREGON CITY, ORE., FRIDAY, MAR. U 1313.
No. 44
OREGON
WHITEWASHING"
SCARLET FEVER
REV. SPIES SHOWS THE UNPUB
LISHED SIDE OF CASE.
WHY ONLY ONE SIDE GIYEN?
Can
They Deny the Charges He
Makes Against Them?
(When the state board of health
was hni-e last '"eek investigating re
".igence of health laws,- a
resented signed by the
..- of this city exonerating
iiwi. . '.ivsician Dr. Norris. A report
was published in the Enterprise stat
ing that no evidence of carelessness
was introduced, and Judge Beatie
made the statement that complaints
had been made to his office that health
officer was too stringent in his en
forcement of the health laws. The
following letter by Henry Spies is
in answer:)
That paper, which came to Mr. Lat
ourette without being solicited and
which was signed by nearly every
physician in Oregon City, was un
doubtedly aimed at me first, and in
the second place it came from men
who had recently formed a medical
association. The association was
formed since this investigation was
begun. Now why do I say that the
paper was aimed at me? Because my
name was signed to the complaint
against Dr. Norris as health officer.
In that paper they set forth that Dr.
Norris was a careful, sincere and ef
fective health officer, or words to
that effect. Why did they introduce
it? To help one of their number out
of a bad scrape?
Now Gentlemen, (my friends who
signed this paper in order to influence
the state board of health in their de
cision,) I do not believe that the gen
tlemen composing the State Board of
Health will do otherwise than decide
upon evidence introduced . at the in
vestigation. The paper is well gotten
up ana is a splendid eulogy, but con
tains absolutely no information in the
case pending. Just a word gentlemen,
on some of your general statements in
that great eulogy: when you stated
that he was efficient, careful, etc.,
did you do so after an examination, or
did yoa do it' on general principles?
To be sure you made no special ex
amination or you could not have writ
ten as you did.
Will the gentlemen kindly tell us if
a man is careful, sincere, efficient,
etc., as health officer when he is told
that there is a case of scarlet fever,
and after he goes to the place and
finds it true, he does not even quar
antine the. place, nor does he keep that
patient from attending public school
after fumigation as the law requires ?
When he does not tell them what
the law was ? If he had been careful
he would have rigidly enforced the
laws of quarantine in this, which was
the first case. There is no other phys
ician upon whom he can throw the
blame. How does it happen that that
case was not entered on record? Do
you call that careful ?
Now gentlemen: since .it appears
from the testimony of at least one of
you that the epidemic of scarlet fever
at Clackamas was caused by the care
lessness in these first cases; and he
spoke as an expert how is it that in
these cases which you attended you
did not cause them to be quarantined ?
The law makes every attending phys-
ician a deputy health officer to take
such precautions as are necessary un-
til the health officer can be informed.
See Rule 17 of State Board of Health:
"It shall be the duty of every phys
ician called to atttend a person sick
or suspected of being sick, of a con
tagious disease, to report in writing
within 24 hours thereafter, naming
residence, etc., to the health officer.
Rule 18 makes it the duty of the coun
ty health officer where a case of scar
let fever or any other contagious dis
ease is reported, to place, or cause to
be placed, in a conspicious place at
both front and rear of premises, a
card or flag indicating the disease by
color.
. Also "It shall be the further duty
duty of the county health officer to
prohibit entrance to or exit from such
house without his written permiss
ion." Why is it that as physicians you re
ported cases by phone and waited
days before submitting any other re
port? It is conclusively proven by the
testimony given by two physicians of
Oregon City, the Health Officer, and
witnesses brought forward by Dr.
Norris himself that at least three of
the first cases of scarlet fever near
Clackamas were attended by physic
ians who signed above named paper
and Health Officer Dr. Norris. That
until recently nearly all were re-admitted
to the public schools within a
few days after being fumigated. Two
of them came to school Monday when
they had been fumigated the Satur
day previous or about three days. And
when these had been in school a few
days the teacher dismissed them be
cause they had come too soon the
health officer gave them certificates
which admitted them to school al
though the required twenty one days
days had not passed.
Now honorable gentlemen, you who
signed a paper, to nullify my charge
against Dr. Norris as health officer,
do you assume that the above cited
flagrant violations of law is to be set
aside by eulogy? If I did not know,
or were tolerably certain that the law
had been virtually set aside by the
health officer, Dr. Norris, in his act-
ions at Clackamas, I would not have
made the charges. You are aware, no
doubt, that the health officer is re
quired to keep vital statistics as well
as enforce rules of the State Board,
Lords Oregon Laws 1905, C. 170 p,
296 (2) 4696. "The board of health of
each county shall be subordinate to
the State Board of health, and it shall
be the duty of the secretary of such
county boards to report such county
tacts and statistics as may be requir
ed under instructions from and in ac
cordance with blanks furnished by
said board: and it shall be the duty
of the secretaries of city boards of
health to make reports of such facts
and statistics as may be required un
der instructions and in accordance
with blanks furnished by the State
Board to the secretaries of the coun
ty boards of health in which such city
boards of health are subordinate. It
shall be the duty of the county boards
of health to enforce all rules and reg
ulations of the State Board of Health
in their respective counties which
may be issued from time to time for
the preservation of the public health
and for the prevention of anv ep
idemic, and contagious diseases: pro
vided, that all books and records kept
by the secretary of the county where
such records are kept, and filed with
the county clerk, where such records
can be consulted without fee."
Did Mr. Norris keep such records ?
Did he keep such vital statistics ? Are
they kept in the office of the county
clerk?
He has a few records, none com
plete. Five cases of scarlet fever from
Clackamas are not there three of the
cases, his cases, where he was the
only physician in attendance.
Let anyone try to consult the rec
ords at the clerks office. There are
none there. Is that a violation of law
gentlemen ?
The duties of this officer are also:
"To protect the public health by re
moval of. causes of
diseases when
known, and in all cases to take
prompt action to arrest the spread of
contagious and infectious diseases."
Did Dr. Norris do this? '
When within one-half mile of one
case, one-fourth mile of another, and .
the third case on his way home, why
didn't he go to these places when
there?
The charges against Dr. Norris
were based upon the following laws:
"The State Board of Health shall
have power to remove at any time any
county, city, or town health officer
for intemperance, failure to collect
vital statistics, obey rules and by
laws, keep records, make reports, or
answer letters or inquiry of said
State Board concerning the health of
the people."
AVhflf. is.mir mntivfl? H.arrvintr 1-rt
its logical exclusion what some of
your number said about the spread
of the contagion.'AU the cases occur-
mg in December and January could
have been preventea.
Did we sustain the charges made
against Dr. Norris?
That belongs to the Health Board
to decide and I will not anticipate
their decision.
Is the task too much for the health
officer?
No indeed. So far as Clackamas
is concerned Dr. Norris was the at
tending physician as well as the
health officer to three cases, and one
of these was the earliest one reported.
This first case - he failed to quaran
tine or keep the patient out of school
the required length of time. The other
two were admitted into the public
school within three days of fumigat
ion. While traveling along the road he
was met and stopped by two of the
directors of the school, who asked him
for information, yet he did not even
give them a copy of the Rules of the
State Board of Health, but told tliem
to continue the school. He gave as
surance that he had matters in hand
and yet while halted at a crossroad
wh
- mile-would -have tak
en him to one place of which the di
rectors told him there was a case of
scarlet fever without quarantine, a
quarter of a mile would have taken
him to another place where there
was a case. In less than an hour both
places could have been visited. All 17
cases could have been visited in one
day with time to spare. They covered
a period of three months. THAT the
county is large we know. THAT THE
PEOPLE OF THE COUNTY PAY
HIM ($1,000.00) ONE THOUSAND
DOLLARS WE ALSO KNOW.
We also know that the health offic
er is the one officer who has every
physician by law as his deputy until
quarantine is established. Also he has
the right to as many deputies as he
needs and guards without number if
they are necessary. Only, last month
his deputies had a fair amount al
lowed them and I have never heard
any complaint on the part of anyone
against the cost of the health office
if it is efficient.
The people know that the various
health boards of the state cost a con
siderable sum of money. They also
know the reason for their existence
is the preservation of health and the
prevention of contagious diseases. Is
it too much to ask that the health of
ficer does his duty and safeguard the
health and life of the children? The
people of Clackamas do not take kind
ly to the statements of the health of
ficer and other physicians that tr-y
(the people) were to blame for the
spread of scarlet fever. Especially
now do they feel outraged when it is
established that two of these phys
icians and the health officer attended
these cases and failed to quarantine
the cases and thereby protect the
community. Their only fault lay in
trusting these men and the health
officer, but now they know where
they are.
I have been censured and abused by
the vilest language on the streets of
Oregon City. Dr. Norris, meeting me
on the street and giving me a pass to
the regions where they shovel coal
(Page 2, Seventh Column.)
SGHEUBEL CIS
WIS HOT STUFF
VIGOROUSLY CONDEMNS THE
PRESENT WATER SYSTEM
CLEAN UP ALSO HAD If
Tuesday's Session of Live Wires
Live Wire Session.
Pure water bobbed up again and
came up hard at the Tuesday ses
sion of the live Wires, and a clean
city was a close follower for the lime
light.
B. T. McBain reported that the en
gineer had been working all over the
county, within the range that this
city could use a water supply; that
the city council members had been
working with and assisting him, and
that at the next meting of the Wires
report would be made. Mr. Mc
Bain stated that the committee of
nine was unanimous for a pure source
oj. waier lor me city, and tne only
point to be carelully considered was
to get an absolutely pure supply and
build for the future something we
would not have to tear down and do
over again later on.
George Randall stirred up a wasps'
nest in a short and rather sarcastic
talk defending the present water sys-
tern. He said we were attributing
measles, whooping cough and small
pox to the water, and that he did not
believe it was bad; that he thought
the water under our filtering system
was pure, etc. Mr. Hazel interrupted
him to ask what brand of liquor he
mixed with his water, and the crowd
roared, and the impressiveness of Mr.
Randall's defense of the water was
spoiled.
And then
Chris. Scheubel went to
him. He stated that the most im
portant matter before Oregon City
today was the matter of pure water;
that the present water was vile, filthy
and he personally and absolutely knew
it to be such, for he had had water
from his own faucets analyzed on his
own account and had found it such;
that he believed some- of the samples
that had been sent away to be anal
yzed had been boiled before it was
sent;. He stated that 25 years ago
the Willamette was comparatively a
pure mountain river, but that today
it was the largest sewer in Oregon,
that Oregon City was at its mouth
and that our people were drinking it.
He made it emphatic that it was time
for Oregon City to get busy and rem
edy this condition, and if they did
not that he would bring damage ac
tions without charge for every per
son in the city that had had typhoid.
He said that he believed there had
been inside work in this matter and
efforts made to hide some of the men
and conditions; that either the water
is pure or that certain men were
guilty of criminal negligence. He
warned those in charge of the matter
that unless something was done and
done speedily to protect the people
from the present water (conditions
there would be a public indignation
meeting called and the people would
do something.
Dr. van Brakle, : chairman of the
civic committee, made the following
report along the lines of the work
undertaken for a clean city:
"Friday evening, March 7, a joint
meeting of the police and health com
mittee of the Live Wires was held in
the council chambers, and it was de-
should be cleaned up, and that all le
gitimate means should be used in se
curing this resujt. Public sentiment
is already being aroused to the fact
that epidemic illness ts largely spread
and maintained by unsanitary con
ditions and we are sure that no in
dividual owner will long persist in re
fusing to remedy conditions which
are recognized as a menace to com
munity health. The committee will
hold joint meetings on the Wednesday
following the 15th of every month.
John Albright was elected to serve as
chairman of these meetings and r. A.
Olmstead as secretary.
"The county court has reported fav
orably on a plan for a weekly cleaning
of the suspension bridge and are now
engaged in providing proper, equip
ment for this purpose. The commit
tee's clans for obtaining a better and
more adequate lighting of this bridge
has been turned in to the proper de
partment of the lighting company
and we hope to have a favorable re
port at an early date."
President Cross praised the sev
eral committees and the city council
for the harmonious work they were
now doing along the cleaning up
lines. He said he was one of the first
to be jumped on by the civic commit
tee, that he would obey orders, and
that he wanted to see the whole city
made clean and safe.
G. L. Hedges gave a brief outline
of the weights and measures law re
cently passed by the legislature and
which would take effect about the
first of June. He said that if it was
inforced it would be a good measure;
that the fine for short weighting or
for using false scales was from $5 to
$50, and that a few inforcements
would bring about a condition of hon
est weights in Oregon.
President Cross urged upon tne
men present the importance of get
ting a public dock for this city; that
it would solve a good many of the
questions before us and give us cheap
er shipping rates. He strongly urged
that the business men get togetner,
forget sectional lines and all work
for th project
AFTER EIGHTEEN
YEARS
SLEEPING
CITIZENS ARE COMING AWAKE
TO AN OVERLOOK.
AND NOW WATCH OUR SMOKE
Enthusiastic Meeting to Boost Long
Delayed Public Project.
For eighteen years the matter has
been in cold storage, and it now looks
as if the new public sentiment that is
stirring this old town, was going to
take it out of the ice box and put it on
final passage. .
Twenty-five men, business men and
shippers, met in the Commercial Club
rooms Tuesday night and unanimously
went on record that there was no pub
lic matter that would do so much to
build up the city, bring in new busi
ness and force down lower freight
rates than a public dock for Oregon
City, and every man present joined in
a resolution, which will no doubt be
uanimously endorsed by the 300 mem
bers of the Commrecial Club, asking
the city council to take- immediate
steps to give this city a public free
dock for shipping and receiving pur
poses. . '
The Panama Canal will soon be
complete. The free government locks
at the falls here will soon (we hope)
be commenced. We nave a govern
ment appropriation for deepening the
river between here and Portland. And
we have NOT anything that even
smells like an adequate dock.
Farmers and shippers go to Clacka
mas and Canby, because they have, to
stand their teams on their heads to
get down to the present dump of a
dock a privately owned concern from
which our city gets the enormous in
come of $15 a month.
We are working for terminal rates;
the Clackamas Southern will soon be
bringing in great quantities of freight
from the Molalla country; our city is
rapidly growing; our c'ty ships in and
out more freight than half of Oregon;
plats are completed and plans ready
for the building up of the west side by
both the Moody and the Willamette
companies AND YET WE HAVE
NO DOCK.
If we didn't have this magnificent
river running through. . our city, we
would want to spend a million or two
to dig caanal from here to the Colum
bia, and make a river.
" But because it is here, as fine a
navigable stream as ever ran, down
hill because old nature made the
channel, and the mountains furnish
the water free; because it has not cost
us anything, we simply refuse to use
it for the value we might get out of
it; we say "Let George do it," and go
back to sleep. -s ., ;
When the Panama canal gets into
the shortcut business, potatoes won't
be left for the hogs to dig in Clacka
mas county, for want of a market, and
the question is, whether we want to
handle the increased business tnat
this big canal will give to this whole
coast country or whether we want to
let the produce go to other town mar
kets.
Jesse Hazel said in the meeting that
a member of the Chamber of Com
merce in Portland, stated to him that
with the great mills Oregon City did
not seem to be alive to its possibili
ties and future growth.
Look at the cities up the valley
which we have beaten seven ways for
industries, yet they have us skinned
for making the most of what
iney
have.
Let's not embalm this proposition
again. Let s Keep n aiive ana raise
the dock.
If we don't provide a public dock,
the West side will let that soak in.
The meeting had the right ring to
it. Unanimously the men declared to
let the city council fix the location
and stand by them in whatever place
they deemed best.
UNDER PRIVATE CONTRACT.
E. D. Olds Shows Three More Bridges
Built in Same Old Way.
Mr. Taxpayer: I do not wish to
persecute any one, but when I showed
you the method of bridge-building our
county court has adopted, I refered to
only four bridges.
There are others I took for my il
lustrations of the court's peculiar pro
ceedure, the four largest bridges. Let
me tell you of others.
Under the same method, the court,
on April 7, 1911, entered into a con
tract with the Coast Bridge Company
for the steel for three bridges: (1)
The Johnson creek at Milwaukie, a 70-
foot span; (2) the Bear creek bridge
at Needy, a 60-ft. span; (3) the Rock
creek bridge at Zion church, a 50-ft.
span; and also a few feet of 30-inch
tube work, for the sum of $6,850.00.
Then again on a later day they gave
the same bridge company $640 to add
20 feet on the Johnson creek bridge
at Milwaukie, making a total of
$7,480.00, and this was under a private
contract.
I do not know how many pounds of
steel there are in these bridges, but
I have seen them, and I will assure
you they are not very heavy. The
Johnson bridge is fairly good bridge.
Now as to what they cost to erect, I
haven't looked at Journal 25 as yet,
but will if necessary, and also figure
the weight of the steel.
I do not know what you think of it,
but I regard it as a very poor method
of doing pulbic business.
E. D; OLDS.
-'HAS OUR CITY A
!
DOCTORS' TRUST?
ARE THEY HANGING TOGETHER
!
FOR SELF PROTECTION?
NOW UP TO THE PHYSICIANS
Were they Afraid to Have the Full
Evidence Given to People?
This matter of the board of health
coming to this city to investigate
health conditions and health ficials;
the report as puollsried in the Emtr-
pnse exonerating the health offirer;
the signed staeemimt of the physic
ians of the city defending Dr. Morris;
the statement of Judge Beatie that
the complaints made to him were not
that the healh officer was too lax. but
too lenient, and the published report
that there was no evidence that there
had been carelessness or neglect of
duty all seem very much at variance
with the published and signed letter
of Mr. Spies in this issue.
When it comes to the matter of
protecting human life and fighting
disease, tne Courier doesn't plav anv
favorites. It would condemn the edi
tor's brother if he were negligent or
tried to evade his duty.
The letter in 1 his papt : find the ac
count published ?n the Elite :-f rise, are
as far apart as che tws po'ot., and
the people have 4 right tc know, and
liey should i 1 1 out. waethur we
have a, phytic hue orga:i,..u'.'.i;i ai:d
nty offiiii..s' pid society to hr.ng
iip.-ther on lhi; matter, or whether
Mr. Spies is falsifying the reports
and misquoting the evidence on this
hearing.
It is such affairs as this that put
Oregon City in bad, and it is one the
physicians have got to defend and
explain, or they have got to stand for
the verdict the people will render of
hanging together for protection.
Now let us see what will come of
the affair, and let us see if the peo
ple are going to sit and twirl their
thumbs while others play football with
life and death conditions.
The dead inside of this matter
should be laid ' on the outside. The
people should know all about it, and
if it is not trotted out in the open, the
grand jury should trot it out.
Last Friday's Enterprise had a first
page article on the state investigation
under these heads:
"EVIDENCE FAVORS
HEALTH OFFICER.
"WITNESSES TELL STATE
BOARD DR. NORRIS IS
FAITHFUL
"JUDGE BEATIE PAYS HIGH
TRIBUTE.
"All Physicians of City Sign
Statement Favorable to Offi
cer Accused of Careless
ness." And then the article opens with this
paragraph:
"Evidence was heard by a
committee of the Oregon State
Board of Health at the county
court house Thursday, afternoon
which was entirely favorable to
Dr. J. W. Norris, the county
health officer. Dr. Norris was
accused by Rev. James Spiess of
willful violation of the state
health law in connection with the
recent epidemic uf scarlet fever
at Clackamas Station.. The prose
cution endeavored to show that
the physician did not attend to
his duties and that his books did
not show complete records of the
diseases that were reported to
him. No evidence was introduc
ed which showed that Dr. Norris
was guilty of willful neglect and
that he had been careless."
The Courier editor has before him
the report of the evidence introduced,
and certain it is that this evidence
DOES show that someone was guilty
of either neglect or carelessness, and
there is no use in the Enterprise try
ing to dump a barrel of whitewash
over evidence that is sworn to and
a matter of record.
The physicians signed a statement
in defense of Dr. Norris, and among
other things, stated:
"Dr. Norms has not only done
his duty faithfully, working hard
er than his physical condition
would warrant, but he does the
work for less than one-half the
remuneration that he is entitled
to; in fact it would be difficult to
procure another that would be as
competent and do the work that
Dr. Norris does for twice the
money he gets out of it."
The health laws provide mighty
liberally for health and the health of
ficer has almost unlimited authority
in the way of deputies and money.
What he can't do he can hire deputies
to do, and the following items, taken
from the county records, would indi
cate that he has had help, as his sal
ary is $1,000 a year, or $85.63 per
month. The county records show the
following payments to Mr. Norris and
his deputies:
March, $117.68; April, $187.08; May
$89.33; June, $96.68; July $88.13;
August, $93.38; September, $85.63;
October, $85.63; November, $93.63;
December, $135.13; January $123.88;
February $142.13.
Dr. Norm is one Df the Courier
editor's best friends. This article is
not written to injure him or endanger
his position, but health conditions are
above everything and this paper has
no favorites when it comes to human
life conditions.
Rev. Spies is a father who for days
Dent over the cot of a baby girl and
saw the fevpr rMih her vitalo oH
take her young life. Scarlet fever was
waged there since January. He is
fighting the conditions under which it
continues an epidemic. .
We should sustain him. If we have
a physician's combine to uphold each
other's mistakes, or neglect, we should
know it. If we have not, the physi
cians should exonerate themselves,
and do it out in the onpn without
whitewash brush.
31 Years a Subscriber.
jacoD uswait, oi Molalla, was in
the city Tuesday, and a caller at the
Courier, and he stated he had been a
subscriber for this paper continously
Nearly Ready for Business.
The Hawley Pulp & Paper Co's
fourth mill is nearly ready for install
ing the machinery. The new mill
will employ about 150 hands. The
spur from the P. R. L. & P. Co's
tracks is now completed to the mill.
Parole Didn't Cure.
Sheriff Mass arrested Henry Wal
ters last week for breaking his parole.
He was sentenced to a year in prison
for contributing to the delinquency
of a girl, but paroled by Judge Beatie.
It is said he has served a sentence in
jail in Salem since his parole here.
Speed 25, Fined 25.
Edward Reed, a chauffeur of Port
land, hit the town at a 25-mile rate
with a party of city friends. -Chief
Shaw arrested him and Recorded
Stipp fined him according to the de
gree he broke the auto law a dollar
a mile. He paid and protested.
They are Biting.
The' salmon run is now on, and
every felow who can get a boat will
get in the fishing game . Several
early catches are reported, and the
fish landed weighing from 30 to 65
pounds. Many outside fishermen find
business at the county seat these days.
Wait and Murmur Not.
The deeds to the locks property
were sent to Washington seven weeks
ago, and some sweet day when the
sinesure can't be worked another hour
the matter will be wound up and work
on the government canal here will
start.
But don't chafe. It will be only two
years next month since news was wir
ed to us from Washington that the
project was a go.
After the Grave Robbers.
District Attorney Tongue and as
sistant Livy Stipp propose to stop the
robbing of Indian graves and they
will have a careful watch kept and
will vigorously prosecute any person
caught opening any more graves.
At Willamette and along the bluffs
in this city any number of graves
have been opened and the prosecuting
attorneys say an Indian grave should
be held as sacred as a white man s.
There is hardly a week that ex
cavations are not made on the bluffs
here, and it is said the work is done
during the full moon hours of the
night.
WAIT AND SMILE.
The Library Commission Will Soon
Treat You Far Better
Since having to vacate its quarters
and find a temporary home in the
basement, the public library has been
working against big odds, but a con
siderate public has been very patient
and charitable, and things have moved
along so much better than it was
though possible they could have mov
ed under such circumstancse.
But patrons know that a splendid
Carnegie library is finished and lack
ing only the acceptance by the com
mission to be occupied by the library,
and they accept the present quarters
and limited service without a protest.
The library movement in this city,
which has in less than two years,
grown from a few donated volumes to
a splendid $12,000 free library build
ing, is a monument that the few men
and women who brought it about
should ever be remembered for.
It was just a little affair at first
A few interested men and woman,
without any funds, yet recognizing the
great need, determined to start and
found a public library. Public spirit
ed men and women divided their
books and it was starctd. From the
opening day it was a success, and so
rapidly did its patronage increase
that the present Carnegie public li
brary was a close-following result.
The handsome library will soon be
opened and then the patronage will
no doubt increase. The new home is
everybody's home and the books are
for the poorest as well as the richest
absolutely free to any person who
can read and wants toin a sense a
free school for all.
So patronize the temporary base
ment quarters and keep the smile on.
In a short time there will be a pub
lic opening at Andrew's home and
then we will have a library homo we
will all be proud of.
WANTED!
Girls and Women
To operate Sewing Machines
in garment factory.
Oregon City Woolen Mills
LET 1HE CITY
WALKJNTO THIS
LETS SWAT FILTH, CLEAN UP
AND SHINE. .
OUR EPIDEMICS ARE COSTLY
Let Us Annihilate the Conditions
That Breed Them.
Here's what a certain clique of Ore
gon City men will call another of
Brown's knocks. Call It so if you will,
but we are going to keep them com
ing until we get enough public senti
ment behind to force a change, or we
are going to force the issue that Ore
gon City wants to roll in filth, breed
boils and play swine.
One day in the Live Wires B. T.
McBain told you typhoid fever and
diseased water had torn down more
in three months than the Commercial
club could build up in five years.
AND HE TOLD YOU A PLAIN,
LITERAL TRUTH.
The Portland Tetegram issues a
year book, an almanac that goes all
over the United States.
This book tells its readers if they
are interested in this section of Ore
gon, the Oregon City Courier and
other papers will send to any ad
dresses free sample copies.
From all over the east and middle
west we have received postcards ask
ing for sample copies, and for almost
three months we have been advertis
ing to these people that we have ty
phoid, scarlet fever, measles and
smallpax.
This is just one little item in con
nection with our filth and filthy wa
ter. Pretty hot stuff when a city coun
cil finds it necessary to publish col
umn after column of names of per
sons who have filthy disease-breeding,
dangerous conditions in the city.
Mighty expensive advertising when
the state board of health has to come
here to investigate conditions and of
ficials for a continuous run of dan
gerous and contagious diseases. ,
Isn t it about time these pimples
came to a head and were lanced ?
Do we want to have this city con
stantly smelling like something the
dog has dragged in and left?
Do we want e give notice to out
siders that Oregon City is a good city
to stay away from, that we are un
healthy, unclean and breed boils?
Some blame the newspapers be
cause they have put big heads on the
typhoid and smallpox stories, and
they say it is knocking business.
Had the newspapers put big heads
on the typhoid stories a month ear
lier than they did last fall (as they
should have done), they would have
perhaps knocked the undertakers'
business and we would have had more
people'alive.
Business comes too mighty high
when typhoid and smallpox has to be
hushed up to get it .
Makes one think of the buzzard
waiting for something to die.
If dangerous health conditions are
parasites on business, then remove the
conditions. Its-the conditions, not
business that needs the knife on the
appendix.
A Live Wire committee and the
city council committee have formed a
co-operative organization to stamp
out the conditions that keep us almost
constantly fighting some epidemic,,
and any man who will not obey the
health orders ought to be 1iandetfT)ver
to Sheriff Mass and kept there until
he grows a full beard and the laws
of this city and the health laws of
the state will stand behind putting vi
olators there if necessary.
The civic committee has started
something In this city, and now, men,
walk into it, and lot's get the job done
and keep clean.
This committee is not picking out
marks it is picking out filth. The
men on it are giving their time and
tramping every block in this city and
they are reporting conditions as they
find them, regardless of where the
conditions are.
The thing to do is to back this play,
stand behind these men and what they
are doing.
Public sentiment is forcing a new
water supply on this city. It is now
but a question of finding a pure and
adequate source.
Had we people kept quiet we wouia
have had the present sewer source
continued, with a little anti-toxine
squirted in to restore confidence, and
every year we would die off from the
epidemic.
Now make the same noise behind
this clean-up campaign, and bring out
a public sentiment that will make ev
ery man clean up or put him in jail.
And make a noite that will force
the utmost precautions against this
smallpox which has a foothold here
and which is spreading. It is a loath
some, horrible disease, and we warn
to come alive to its danger, stamp it
out and stamp out for all time the
conditions which build it.
Let's have a city that invites.
Sentiment is behind an everlasting
clean-up. Keep it alive and let's make
Oregon City look like the youngest
Sapolio twin.
Climbing Up.
Twenty-two new subscribers were
added to the Courier's mail list Tues
day. Every week we add from 80 to 60
new names. Tha Courier is covering
Clackamas county and thera'a a
reason.