Iowa Old Press

Davenport Times
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
Jan 26, 1900

HOTEL IS QUARANTINED
State Board of Health Takes a Hand and Stops Protracted Meetings at
Ayresville and May Order Vaccination.

     A man is down with genuine smallpox near Ayersville. 14 people are
quarantined at Bennett, Davenport has been bombarded by telegraph for
vaccine virus and the end may not be yet. And the whole excitement is over
the return of Cad Ayers who has been a student at Dixon, Ill.

History of the Case.

     One week ago today, that is on Friday, Jan. 19, Cad Ayres came from
Dixon, Ill. to Rock Island and there took passage on the B.C. & N. train
Friday afternoon at 4 o'clock for Bennett. At Bennett young Ayres registered
at the Hotel Bennett. He remained at the hotel over night and last Saturday
morning the hotel proprietor, W. Delley, drove young Ayres to his home six
miles south near Ayresville and not far from Wilton.

Ayres Taken Sick

     Yesterday morning Ayres, who had been sick several days, was found to
be broken out on the arms and the physician, Dr. Battey, of Wilton,
pronounced the case smallpox. He had his suspicions and had informed Dr.
John C. Schrader, of Iowa City, a member of the state board of health, who
arried yesterday morning and confirmed Dr. Battey's diagnosis. Dr. Schrader
gave the necessary orders about quarantining all persons exposed.

Hotel Guests Quarantined.

     As a result of Dr. Schrader's orders the Bennett house located about
one and one-half blocks from the B.C.R. & N. station at that place is
quarantined and a rope is stretched along the sidewalk at the south of the
building beyond which the unwilling guests and the hotel keepers family are
not allowed to go. Caught in this quarantine are seven boarders, including
Frank Cope, owner of a drug store and formerly employed by John Harding of
this city; L.E. Kemmen, groceryman; Ed Conrad, Mr. Wingert, clerk in the
Bennett bank; Louis Dawson, grain buyer. Besides these there are quarantined
W. Dilley, his wife and two children; two hotel girls and Mrs. Dilley's
father, Mr. Leatherburg.
     The quarantine was established yesterday morning and at the same time
William Templeton, the township clerk, went to Ayersville and stopped the
protracted meetings that were in progress there.

A Bennett Man Talks

     Mr. Madden, who is car inspector for the B.C.R. & N in this city, and
whose home is in Bennett, when seen by a Times man today stated that there
was no indication nor great fear of the outbreak of that disease in Bennett.
"People have not yet decided to close schools and vaccinate the children.
Ayers has smallpox not varioloid."

[Transcribed by C.J.L.]