The Morning Star (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 222, Ed. 1, Tuesday, January 7, 1840 Page: 2 of 4
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THE'MORNING STAR.
Mo'nstoHVTHCsday Jan. 7 1840.
JTf- Owing to the length of oar article on the Health
of the City several are unavoidably omitted.
THE HEALTH OF HOUSTON.
Mr. Burgin the city Sexton has published a list of the
names of all persons who died in this city during the last
season. This is proper and trill scire to correct the
reports so industriously circulated prejudicial to the repu-
tation of Houston for health. The table of Mr. Burgin
enables us to compare the mortality of Houston with that
of other places which "have been visited with epidemic
Yellow Fever. This we shall briefly do at this time.
It should be borne in mind that the last season was
one of extraordinary fatality throughout ill the country
bordering the northern shores of the Gulf of Mexico. A
malignant pestilence swept over the southern and south-
western United States and a part of Texas the past year
like the Black Plague of the fourteenth century and th
Cholera of the nineteenth and other fatal scourges which
have been recorded as epochs of desolation in the history
of the human family. From Augusta on the north-
eastern boundary of Georgia to the City of Houston few
places of any note escaped; and in Louisiana especially
villages which had never before been visited by Yellow
Fever were partially depopulated. The salubrious re-
treats on the beautiful bays of south Mississippi where
the inhabitants of New Orleans and Mobile were ac-
customed to resort to avoid the unhealthy summer at-
mosphere of their own'citics were not exempt we arc in-
formed from the Yellow Fever. It would have been a
matter of surprise no less than of thankfulness had Hous-
ton and Galveston been passed unscathed.
According to Mr. Burgin's list made out we are in-
formed with great carefulness there were from the 1st
of July to the last of December two hundred and forty
deaths. This includes every fatal ease occurring during
this period from all diseases whatsoever. The whole
population of Houston was estimated at about two thoiH
sand. By the Mobile Commercial Register of ScptembcE
20th received by the last New Orleans mail we lean'
that during the preceding twenty days there had been
two hundred and eighty-four interments from Yellow
Fever. We have been informed by gentlemen of high
attainments and personally conversant with this subject in
Mobile during the epidemic that the number of graves
was about eight hundred; and that this mortality was
furnished by a population of from 3000 to 3500 souls 1
or about one death out of every four persons ! A gentle
man who remained in Mobile during the epidemic in-
formed the writer of this article that the general gloom
which overspread Mobile was indeed appalling yet
tolerable ; but that the sight of hearses dashing along at a
gallop without a mourner following the corpse was'
horrible. "We might take New Orleans and excluding
the large portion of her citizens who quit the city during'
the summer another large portion forming the crcola
population which is not subject to the disease and the'
large class exempted by having passed through un attack
some previous season and then taking the number of
deaths out of the number of persons not included in tha
preceding classes liable U be attacked wc might justly
estimate the comparative mortality of this fever in New
Orleans. It may be stated here generally that there is
no native or acclimated population either in Galveston or
Houston. We might pursue this subject much more in
detail and referring to information in our possession
touching the mortality of this disease in other towns dur
ing the present season prove conclusively that our city
together with Galveston has in fact suffered less severely
than most others.
But we shall conclude this part of our subject by ad-
ducing.aome facts shotting the mortality of Yellow
Fever in other countries and at former periods. Volumes
might be filled but we shall mention only a few taken
chiefly .from nu essay on Yellow Fever by Dr. Gilkrist'
Dep. Inspector General of Army Hospitals in Great
Britain. "In Hurt'ado's Deeadat it is stated that ol'
the first 134 cases treated at Murcia in 1804 not more
than three or four 'recovered. Dr. Rocboux one of the
French physicians at Barcelona during the epidemic of
1821 ; states in his book on Yellow Fever that in the
early part of the epidemic the mortality was in the pro-
portion of 19 outofSO; that ta wards the middle it became
much less and' at the close was only two-thirds! In th
early part of the Gibraltar epidemic ef 1828 very few
recoveries took place in the Civil Hospital: of the first
35Jews received into the establishment it is stated that
all but one were swept away 1"
"At Barcelona in 1821 scarcely a -patient survived in
the1 wards 'given up to the distinguished members of the
French-commission?' Theso gentlemen were Chcrvi
Bally and Paristt with whom the writer Ind the pleasure
subsequently to be acquainted. They held the first rank
in their profession at Paris; and Chcrvin and Bally had
both had many years experience in Yellow Fever in the
West Indies and other parts of America previously to
going to Barcelona. "At the period in question the
mortality under Spanish and French medical men in the
establishment called SeminarU was 1265 out of 1730
cases treated. The mortality at Malaga in 1804 was
1148G. In the epidemic of the preceding year at the
same place C6S4 deaths occurred out of 1G507 attacked-
In an epidemic at Xercs a few years ago one-third o'
the whole population was swept off!" We might fill
large volumes with the histories ef epidemics ns fatal as
those just recited. But our object is merely to show that
the recent epidemic of Houston was not distinguished
cither for a large number of cases in proportion to the
population nor for unusual fatality; but viewed in con"
trast with tho facts quoted it was of even less than com-
mon severity.
Our citizens will likewise be able to deduce another
satisfactory conclusion from the comparison wc have
made above. It is that the recent epidemic did not bafllc
in an unusual degree the skill of the medical gentlemen
of this city: for we deem if a high satisfaction to reflect
that our friends have not died through neglect or unskil-
ful medication. The writer is not restrained by any
motive of delicacy from making this remark as severe
duty occupied him elsewhere.
When wc view all circumstances accurately and re-
member that the newness of our country has hitherto
rendered it impossiblo for the sick to have many of the
most necessary comforts that the predominance of the
male population deprives many of those attentions which
the better half of our race can alone give we shall feel
no surprise at the mortality our city has suffered during
the past year. We feel confident that time will show
Houston to be as healthy a location ss any other situated
under an ardent sun and in the interior of the level coun-
try. It is now in the enjoyment of almost perfect health
there being scarcelya case of disease in the town. But
experience has already fully proved that it would be folly
to expect that any port in the latitude of our Gulf coast
will not be subject to occasional visitations of Yellow
Fever.
Wc have devoted much more time and space to this
subject than would have been necessary had not the re-
peated exaggerated statements of persons interested in the
removal of die scat of government from Houston produced
the fashion of denouncing it as a place of ill health situated
amid a sterile region.
In our next we design mentioning some advantages
which Houston possesses over every other inland position
of our country.
The city election yesterday resulted in the choice of
the following officers for 1840:
CHARLES BIGELOW Mayor.
D. W. Badcock Recorder.
Aldermen.
Johu Carlos
George Stevens
E. Osborne
Henry It. Allen
John W. Niles
William M. Carper
Ferd:nand Gerlach
John W. Moore
Lewis Wat Constable.
Six wagons loaded with valuable merchandize arrived
in Austin a short time since from Victoria in six days ;
and this is done while no direct route has been established
between the two places. It is said that arrangements
are about to be made to cut a road so that this trip can he
performed in much less time.
1 he Ohb river appears this year to have merited John
Randolph's description of it : " 'Tis a stream dry one half
the year and frozen up the other."
By the last accounts from England it appears that there
is a coldness between the young Queen and her mother
the Duchess of Kent; and a warmth between her and
Prince Albert
Reputation adboad. The following is from the
Boston Notion :
" It is mentioned as a disgraceful fact in a Texas paper
that in the town of Houston with a population of 3000
there is no house of public worship. They have a thea-
tre fifty gambling houses and nearly a hundred grog
shops."
Wc have no church
'"'Tis true and pity -And
pity 'tis 'lis true."
But we have among us a clergy untrammeled by instruc-
tion from their congregations and free to combat error
without fear of being suspended for refusing to advocate
abolitionism which is more than can be said of the good
people of Boston.
Jbfr. Corrls Benefit to-night. The efforts of this
gentleman to amuse the public entitle him to much favor ;
and we trust lie will have a full house this evening.
Brandon money iVselling New Orleans for twelve
and a half cents on thc.dollar.
There are forty seven buildings going up in Galveston .
the most of them being intended for stores and warehouses.
So says the Galvestonian.
From the German.
GOOD NIGHT.
Good night my father dear I
Thou com'st from thy labor full weary and worn;
But peaceful and calm is the cottager's slumber.
No care for the morrow tby dreams shall encumber
But the lark shall arouse thecal morn
Good night!
Good night my mother dear !
Thy lullaby oft has my sorrows beguiled
Now may our God have thee in his good keeping
Angels watch over thee while thou art "sleeping;
Soothed to repose by the voice of thy child
- Goood night;
Good night brother mine!
Soft be thy rest as if pillowed on flowers;
Sleeping or waking Gud keep thee from sorrow!
Sweet is their parting who meet on the morrow;
Ever dear brother such parting bo ours!
Good night!
Good night sister sweet!
Thou hast been long with tin flowers at play;
Hie to thy couch for thine eyelids are winking:
And se where the moon as to rest she is sinking -Smiles
on ray sisler and scemeth to say
Good night!
Good night beloved one!
Bright the visions sleep bringelh to thee
Heaven shield thee from ill till the night hours are over;
All sentle spirits above thy rest hover
Whispering ever beloved of me.
Good night!
Good night dear ones all !
No hearteeleth sid that we pirt for a while;
Then at our last parting oh! let us not sorrow
Since we know dearest friends wc shall meet on the
morrow;
But as life's evening closes repeat with a smile
Good night!
Slander. It "3 a poor soul that cannot bear slander.
No decent man can get along without it at least none
ih-it are actively engaged in the struggle of business life.
Have you a'bad fellow in your employment and discharge
him he goes round and slanders you refuse another
some very modest boon which he has asked he goes
round ani slanders you let your conduct be such as to
create the envy of another he goes round and slanders
you- In fine as we said before we would uot give a
cent for a person who is not slander 1 it shows that ho
is either a milksop or a fool. No no earn a bad
name from a bad fellow (and you can easily do so by
correct conduct) it is the only way to prove that you are
entitled to a good one.
jEj v"c 'lave received a bundle of papers from Judge
Robinson given to him by Castro the Lipan chief taken
in Gonzales county about the 25th of October last from
the Commanchcs.in fight with them in wh'ch one of the
latter was killed and one .Mexican boy about 15 years old
escaped and came into Victoria: he has been prisoner
with the Commanches about four years. The papers
are receipts for land-taxes a land certificate granted by
the Board of Land Commissioners for Bastrop county
and other papers all of which can be had on application
to this office. From the names they would appear to bo
the property of the 13 persons killed by the Indians 15
miles from this place on this side of Brushy creek.
Austin Gazette.
The worst government in the world is one which prac-
tises every species of extortion and monopoly under the
mask of liberty. The corruptions of a free government
are worse than the most inflexible despotism.
Advantage of low prices. A gentleman in one of the
steamboats asked the steward if there was no danger of be.
ing blown op? The steward promptly replied.
No sir we cannot afford to blow up people at these
low prices.
LAID FOIl SALE The sub-'enbers ofilr to trade from five to
fifteen leases of land a good bargain may bo had by Immediate
application 10
j 7 dK-- If SCOTT &. LUBBOCK
LAND on the Colorado Navidad and near this city for
sale cheap for cash.
5 000 acres or more in lots to suit purchaers of first rate
land on Ihe west bank of the Colorado river six miles abovis
the town of Columbus well limbered and watered being an
early locaiion by the late Gen. S. F. Ansiin. Also
2 ill acre of land on the Navidad river 13 miles above
Tciana being Ihe upper half of a league located in 1839 by
Eli Mercer; peach soil and nearly two-thirds timber. The
new road from Linn's Landing to ihe city of Austin passes
within 2 miles of Ihis tract. Alo
553 J acres of land situated on both sides of Buffalo Savon
about 5 miles above Ihisciiy nearly half timber of ihe finest
pine. This land will be sold low lor cash if applied for imme-
diately. Titles unquestionable and warranty given with am-
nle cuaranty. For terms apply to J. W. Crnger Telegraph
bffice. j7 dC-SW wtf
T Auction ani Commission Merchants.
he undersigned bsg leave respectfully 10 inform their friends
and the public that they have taken the well known establish-
ment of Messrs Hedenberg A Vedder and will continue to dis-
pose of mcrchandie both at private and public sale. They so-
iieit a share of public pa ronage.
FRANCIS R LUBBOCK
REFERENCES.
Whilteman Yonng Louis Bringia surveyor general or
LonWana New Orleans.
Galvcvton-Col E A Rhoadcs M Kinney & Williams.
Houston Hedenberg Vedder Love & Riley Pat C Jack
Esq. . . ....
Austin Hon James U Star L.01 v m u voo.c " -
I ham Esq. jidaaar
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The Morning Star (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 222, Ed. 1, Tuesday, January 7, 1840, newspaper, January 7, 1840; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth79996/m1/2/: accessed March 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.