The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 30, 1906

EXTRA

Mad Dog in the East End

Police Shoot Animal Taken With Rabies at Two O’Clock This Afternoon.

An excited telephone call from east end residents received at the police station shortly before two o’clock this afternoon made known the fact that a dog evidently mad was running around at fourteenth street and fourth evenue (sic) south, foaming at the mouth and snapping viciously at other canines and pedestrians.

Chief Tullar and Captain Grant made a trip post haste to that part of the city and found the report true to detail. The animal was a terrier and showed unmistakable signs of rabies. he was instantly shot by the officers. It is not thought that any other animals were bitten.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 29, 1904

Shot in the Hand by an Unknown Gunner

Ed Johnson Suffers a Peculiar Experience While Standing in His Yard.

Ed Johnson, an employe (sic) of the Fort Dodge Light & Power company, living in the Oleson addition in the southeast part of the city, is suffering from a peculiar and unexplainable accident. While standing in his yard, he felt a sting in his hand. He look and his hand immediately became covered with blood. Dr. Saunders was called, and a piece of metal was found in the wound. It is supposed that the hurt was caused by a stray shot from a twenty-two calibre (sic) rifle, but no report was heard and no person was in sight in any direction. The wound is not a serious one, and Mr. Johnson will be able to be at work in a few days.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 27, 1906

Aged Woman Breaks Hip

Mrs. Margaret Wilkinson Sustains Severe Accident This Morning.

Mrs. Margaret Wilkinson, who resides at the home of her daughter, Mrs. W.A. Roper, on Ninth Street and Seventh Avenue North sustained a severe accident this morning through a fall on a slippery sidewalk.

Mrs. Wilkinson started to walk from the house and had proceeded but a short distance when she slipped and fell heavily to the ground. A physician was called and it was then learned that she had sustained a broken hip. Mrs. Wilkinson is eighty two years old and the injury will go hard with her.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 26, 1903

H.A. Sampson is threatened with typhoid fever.

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Lester Heywood was in Fort Dodge over Sunday. -Manson Democrat

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The office of the Prusia Hardware company is being thoroughly cleaned and repainted.

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Marriage licenses were issued at the county clerks office Wednesday to the following persons: Frank Mars and Anna Jacobson of Boxholm, also to Fred B. Lynde of Stratford and Stella E. Eslick of Warner, Iowa.

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Charles Bobziene, a teamster, while standing on load of coal Wednesday, slipped and lost his balance from a sudden jerk of the horses. He fell to the pavement and sustained a severe sprain of his ankle.

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At a recent meeting of the base ball enthusiasts of Tobin college, Terry Doyle was elected captain and Alpha Butts manager. Captain Doyle hopes to have his line-up ready at an early date, so a schedule of games may be arranged.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 23, 1904

Measles at Orphans’ Home

An Epidemic of the Malady Exists There.

The Disease Has Been Exceptionally Severe – Pneumonia a Frequent Complication.

An epidemic of measles in a most violent form has broken out among the babies at the German Lutheran Orphans’ home on Sixth avenue north, and one of the little ones lies at death’s door with complications resulting from the disease.

The malady appeared at the home some time ago, and at the present time every baby in the institution is seriously ill with the complaint. The disease has been exceptionally severe, and in every case has left the little on a victim to some complication or other. Pneumonia is the most common of these complications, while in some of the children, diseases of the middle ear are the after effects.

In the case of the child  which is at present in the worst condition, and which will undoubtedly die, the measles first became complicated with pneumonia, and later, in spite of all that medical science and the best of care could do, farther complications set in and the child has meningitis in addition to measles and pneumonia.

The disease as it has appeared at the home is said to be the most violent nature possible to the malady, being the worst that has appeared in the city for some years. There is, however, no danger of a spread of the disease, as the home is kept thoroughly isolated by quarantine.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 17, 1906

A Deadly Disease at Brushy

Anthrax Breaks Out Among Animals on Pratt Farm.

Is Contagious Disease Deadly to both Animals and Man – Place is Quarantined.

On being called to the farm of Charles Pratt at Brushy, Thursday afternoon by the news that a strange disease had broken out among the animals on the farm, Dr. Baughman of this city found the malady to be anthrax, a deadly contagious disease which attacks both animals and human beings. Already a number of animals have died from its effects.

Dr. Baughman, who is assistant state veterinarian took the case in hand at once and has imposed a strict quarantine n the place. All stock on the farm will be confined to it until it is certain that the disease has been stamped out. The sheds, pens, etc., will be torn down either placed in a strong antiseptic solution or burned and the dead animals will be burned in lime to prevent the disease germs from again coming to the surface.

The malady appeared on the same place some fifteen or sixteen years ago, and it is supposed that it reappeared through being brought to the surface by earth worms. It attacks those who are taken with it in the form of a malignant ulcer which spreads rapidly and soon brings death. There are practically no symptoms to give warning of the approach of the disease. The first that the farmer knows of it when he finds the dead animals which have succumbed to it.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 16, 1904

West Fort Dodge Protests

Against Location of the Pest House on That Side.

Board of Health meets and Revokes its Action Taken Monday Night.

The residents of West Fort Dodge were up in arms Tuesday and this morning when they learned of the arrangements made by the board of health for the location of a temporary pest house on the west side of the river. The West Siders were so vehement in their protests against such a step that a special meeting of the board of health was held this morning and its action of Monday night revoked.

Following the council meeting Monday night the board of health made arrangements by which a house near the river bank, just west of Duck Island was to be used as a temporary pest house in which the health officers were to place Harry Kettering, the man now at the Merchant’s Hotel suffering from smallpox. The house is owned by August Swanson. John Nelson, the agent of Mr. Swanson, secured the consent of the owner of the building and made arrangements with the city for the removal of Kettering. When the residents of West Fort Dodge learned that a pest house was to be maintained so near their homes they arose in protest and great was the indignation that descended upon the head of Mr. Nelson.

Protests were made to the mayor and this morning a meeting of the board of health was called, with the result that the disposition of the smallpox patient is still a matter that is worrying the health authorities. Mr. Nelson says that he would have refrained from offering the house had he thought there would be any objection on the part of the West Side citizens and when he learned of their objection he was one of the first to request the board to revoke its action.

(Editor’s note: The original article is located here: Afflicted Persons Allowed Freedom.)

The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 9, 1904

Afflicted Persons Allowed Freedom

Smallpox Case at Merchants Hotel Leads to Discovery of Startling Facts.

Family Suffers From Disease

But Until Tuesday Not Reported – Meanwhile Guests Come and Go.

If the statement made by the health authorities is true a number of cases of smallpox have existed in the city for several weeks and until Tuesday no effort has been made to report the disease to the proper officers, nor was there quarantine established, the afflicted premises being accessible to many persons during the time the sickness existed.

Tuesday a case of smallpox was reported at the Merchant’s hotel between Seventh and Eighth streets on First avenue north. The place was quarantined and now it is said that an investigation had led to the discovery that the disease has existing in the hotel for some time. M. L. Sperry, the proprietor, his wife and several of the children have had the disease, according to the report, and the children have been attending school.

It is also claimed that a teacher in the school attended by the children has been a sufferer from the disease. The malady has existed in a light form and as the several members of the family have suffered from it they have been kept in their rooms, but no medical attendance has been engaged.

A few days ago, Harry Kettering, a man of all work who has been employed at the hotel for his board, who was taken sick and showed symptoms of the disease. He was sent to a physician by the proprietor and returned to the hotel saying that the doctor pronounced him to be suffering from smallpox. His case continued to grow worse and he was again sent to the physician. the latter reports that his visit Tuesday was the first and then it only took him a short time to discover that he was afflicted with smallpox.

The health authorities were immediately notified by the physician and the hotel placed under quarantine. This morning City Physician C.H. Churchill visited the hotel and was told by the proprietor that himself and family had suffered what seemed to be the same disease but that they recovered and medical attention was not necessary.

There were a number of quests at the hotel Tuesday and those who did not leave will probably have to remain in quarantine until released by the proper authorities. The particular danger that has existed has been the coming and going of guests at the hotel while the disease has been prevalent.

Kettering is now kept in a room at the hotel. This morning a man named Dean applied for the privilege of removing the patient to his home, where he said he would care for him. Kettering, it seems, had been at the Dean home since he has been suffering from smallpox and even if he is not removed there the house will probably be quarantined.

Providing is it learned where inmates of the hotel have been during the past week or so, several more quarantines may be established.

(Editor’s note: An update on this story is located here: West Fort Dodge Protests.)

The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 9, 1903

Crawled into Furnace in Search of Warmth

None but a Webster City Man Could Think of Such a Unique Performance as This.

Webster City, March 9 – A fellow by the name of Murphy, an employe (sic) at the new Mercy Hospital building recently crawled into the hospital furnace to get warm while drunk and narrowly escaped serious injuries.

Murphy had been working thru the day with the regular hospital gang. At the close of the day’s work he filled up with liquor and instead of returning to his boarding place, went back to the hospital building. The furnace had been fired  up during the day but had been allowed to go down at night. The room and become chilly and Murphy was cold. Looking about in a drunken stupor for a warm place he came to the furnace. He opened the door of the fire box and crawled in. The fire had died down and Murphy lay on the smouldering (sic) ashes some time before he was badly enough burned to realize that his position was dangerous. He succeeded in making his exit and was found next morning by his companions when they went to work. He was lying in a corner covered from head to foot with ashes and his clothing partly burned off him. The whole of one side of his body is quite badly burned but the fellow sustained no serious injuries.

(Editor’s note: I think the drophead about only a Webster City man could think of something like this is indicative of a rivalry between Fort Dodge and Webster City. No current disrespect is intended.)