Ed note: in this age of verbose internet trolls, it is amusing to realise that, 100 years ago, they were also allowed column inches to express their views – with similar repercussions. I feel that there is a LOT more to this story.
Richmond River Herald 29 May 1903
TYPHOID FEVER IN CORAKI.
By “A Hawker.”
On the day of my arrival in Coraki I was almost scared to death when I was gratuitously supplied with the information that typhoid fever was raging at one end of the town, and it was as much as my life was worth to go and sojourn in this “gossip-ta-booed” portion of Coraki. According to local wiseacres (which town does not possess scientific luminaries!) one specially marked spot was a hotbed of fever, plague and any other infectious disease. It was the rendezvous by day and by night of the microbes, germs, and other unwelcome guests. Unfortunately for these pious christian and charitable gossips and backbiters, “A Hawker” is not easily scared; in fact if there was anything to spur him into action, this was the very thing. And strange to say with all that scepticism of mine I truly and firmly (not hypocritically) believe in a powerful and mighty ruler of our lives—atheists call it Fate—if a man has to die by the rope he won’t die by water. Since the fall of Adam and Eve forbidden fruit has always had an attraction for a certain class of people; I am one of them. Therefore I established my headquarters at the supposed meeting place of these darling little friends that one eats, drinks and digests, provided they don’t take a fancy to establish their domicile in one’s bowels. Having met moral and physical difficulties of almost every kind in Australia I thought for a change to try and meet these Coraki scarecrows. They have an advantage on you. They can see you, but you can’t see them. They act as many people – they don’t show themselves, but only their deadly effects. The first thing that called my attention at Mrs. Nolan’s was the perfect cleanliness of the hotel and the excellent health of the children and staff. The place had been thoroughly fumigated, bed and bedding burnt out and disinfectants placed everywhere. No chance of a germ or microbe meeting taking place there. Having satisfied myself that there was no danger, whatever by staying at the Coraki Hotel, I wanted to know what interest or revenge had some Coraki people by bringing the Coraki Hotel as a hotbed of pestilence. I had not to go far to find a key to the enigma. In the report of the last meeting of the Coraki Municipal Council inserted in the local paper I read that a certain alderman took upon himself the RIGHT without any authority whatever to wire to the Board of Health, asking peremptorily that a man should be sent at once to inspect, condemn and exclude from any public institution, such as the Municipal Council for instance, any microbist or germinist, Mr. Nolan’s (a J.P. and Mayor of this town) hotel being specially pointed out as a source of danger to the public health, with the result that through such a dastardly attack Mrs. Nolan has lost some of her best customers, and consequently is entitled to damages, inasmuch, as above mentioned, that alderman had no authority whatever to try and boycott hotel. If for once Dame Rumor is right, steps in that direction will be taken as soon as Mr. W. Nolan has recovered from his illness. For the edification of the public it is well to point out that Mr. Nolan and the alderman under notice were both running for mayoral honors, Mr. Nolan being the successful candidate. Under such circumstances it was that alderman’s duty to show his chivalry and courtesy (surely chivalry is not dead in Coraki!) and, as a gentleman, to extend a sympathetic hand to a successful and fallen rival. If, as this officious alderman advances, he was approached by a section of the Coraki community – I would give him the benefit of MY doubt, because in country places one will always find busy and officious persons, or, to speak in plain English, gossiping and back-biting bodies – with regard to the sanitary condition of the Coraki Hotel, it was his duty as a rival alderman for mayoral honors and as a gentleman, to refer the matter to another alderman, and not take advantage of his aldermanic position to try and crush a helpless rival . . . by throwing innuendoes, false and uncalled for. Of course, the Board of Health, in a spirit of sarcasm combined with irony, answered that they had not the time to be bothered with a Jack-in-the-Box’s dreams – without more competent authority. Later on they would give the matter further consideration – what a sarcasm! – but for the present they did not feel justified to spend the ratepayers’ money by sending a microbe and germ expert on the mere authority of an officious humbug. There was no real danger for the present, when the time of action comes – if ever such a time comes – the Board of Health will know how to act. For the present they did not want to be taught their duties by a man without authority. Had the letter pertained from the Mayor himself, the case would have been different. A Mayor in an “in extremis case” is invested with full powers concerning the interests of the town. Of course, the above were not the exact words of the Board of Health letter, but the spirit of it. In conclusion I wish to mention that on two occasions I slept on stretchers occupied by people who had actually died from typhoid fever in its most virulent form, and I did not get ill results. But, as your local paper justly points out in its article on “Typhoid Fever,” beware of your drinking water, (which, by right, should be either filtered or boiled,) stagnant water, bad drainage or not drainage at all, slops, soapsuds and dirty waters, refuse heaps, and especially excretions from typhoid fever patients; and, finally, if you remember that “cleanliness is next to godliness,” well, you will avoid many of the ills that flesh is heir to.
RRH Ed [While giving publicity to the above, we are quite satisfied the innuendoes conveyed are entirely groundless. Whatever action Alderman Scharer – for whom the comments are evidently intended – took was with the concurrence of at least two aldermen, and at the earnest solicitation of many ratepayers, whose only desire – as was that of Alderman Scharer – was to trace the cause and stamp out a deadly disease. Our correspondent takes an entirely erroneous view of the matter, and we are with those who hold that great credit is due to the Council, and Ald. Scharer in particular, for the prompt and correct way in which they acted.]