The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 21, 1903

City Water is Pronounced Pure

No More Impurities are Revealed by Careful Tests of City Physician Churchill

No More Need for Teakettles

Necessity for Boiling Water is Now Over. Lasts Typhoid Germ Has Fled

Fort Dodge city water has been pronounced pure. No longer need the anxious housewife bend over the steaming teakettle in which the family beverage is simmering in order that the last wandering microbe may be exterminated. No longer may the business man, busy at his office down town, and far from the disinfecting teakettle, rush hastily out to get a drink of Colfax water or something stronger, that he may incur no danger of catching the dread thyphoid (sic).

City Physician Churchill announced this morning that after repeated tests, he has failed to find signs of impurity in the city  water, and that it is once more fit to drink.

The happy outcome of the bad water scare indicates that truth of the supposition that the cause of the impurities which manifested themselves was the holding of surface drainage beneath the ice. Now that the ice has gone out, the trouble seems to have righted itself.

Just as soon as the water is low enough, the sand in the filters will be renewed, and all will be well again.

The news that the water is pure again will be gladly received all over the city, as the condition of Fort Dodge’s favorite beverage has aroused considerable anxxiety (sic) for the past few weeks.

Tags: 1903, Churchill

The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 6, 1905

Physicians Equip Common Laboratory

The Doctors in the Oleson Block Will Have a Laboratory for Themselves.

The Project is  New One

Four Physicians Are Working Together in Equipping This Labratory (sic), Which Will Be in The Back Room On The Second Floor.

The physicians in the Oleson block have adopted a novel plan, by which they will all be able to progress in their work in medical science. There are four physicians in this block besides Dr. Carver, who is a specialist, and the four men will jointly equip one of the rooms in this block for a labratory, which they can all use. Thus all will have the advantage of a well equipped labratory, and at a less expense, than if each had to equip his own.

The men have been talking of this plan for some time, but have been unable to get a room until this week. J.N. Millker, who has had his office, and that of the Fort Dodge Clay Works located here, today moved his fixtures to the office of J.M. Kincaid in the Messenger building. This leaves his large office room vacant.

Dr. Charles N. Mulroney will take this office and add it to his office suite, while he will give up the room he formerly used as his private office, for the use of a labratory for all the physicians. The new office is much larger than his former private office, and it will enable him to better handle his work, wh ile the former office will be sufficiently large for the labratory.

The labratory will be fitted up in the near future, but as Dr. Churchill, one of the prime movers in the new venture is out of the city this week, it will probably not be fitted up until next week. The project is a new one but will aid all the physicians in their work, as they will gain the help of the other men.

(Editor’s note: The word laboratory is misspelled labratory consistently throughout, but I only noted it once.)

Tags: 1905, Carver, Churchill, Kincaid, Miller, Mulroney

The Fort Dodge Messenger: July 24, 1903

Humboldt Pastor Dies of Lockjaw

As Result of Stepping Upon Nail, Rev. Carlson Succumbs to Dread Malady.

Dies in Intense Agony

Stepped Upon Nail a Week Ago Today but Failed to Call Physician Until Thursday, When His Condition Was Past All Assistance.

Humboldt, July 23 – Rev. Mr. Carlson, pastor of the Danish Baptist church, died this morning as a result of stepping upon a nail at his home a week ago today. The wound in the foot developed into lockjaw, death following intense agony.

Rev. Carlson accidentally stepped on the nail while walking near his home. The nail penetrated his shoe and entered his foot, but he failed to call a physician until Thursday. Dr. Churchill of Fort Dodge was called into consultation with the local physicians, but lockjaw, which had set in, had rendered the condition of the patient beyond medical aid.

Deceased had been a resident of Humboldt for fifteen years.

Tags: 1903, Carlson, Churchill

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.)

Tags: 1904, Churchill, Dean, Kettering, Merchant's Hotel, smallpox, Sperry