From an Occasional Correspondent. – Continued Health – The Fair – Help for Memphis
CONTINUED HEALTH | Tipton County, Tenn., October 27, 1873 — The general health of our county is probably better than it has been, though there has been several deaths in the last few days at Covington. On Saturday last Mr. Span, an assistant to the depot agent at Covington died. I think of Pneumonia or congestion. About the same time a German, by the name of Sliverburg, died in Covington of yellow-fever, contracted, doubtless, in your city, as he was down there some ten or twelve days previously. We have not heard of a single case of yellow-fever in the county, except those who had been exposed to the disease in Memphis. Covington still continues to improve slowly, and if cotton was not so low, and money so scarce, the town would do a brisk commercial business, especially during the continuance of yellow-fever in your city. Poor Memphis, her citizens have certainly had much, during the last twelve months, to discourage them, but it is said, and truly, “that the darkest hour is just before day.” God, in his mercy, grant that it may be the case with your people. the Tipton county fair came off last week; owing to sickness in the county, the untruthful reports about yellow-fever, and the bad weather, the attendance was very light during the entire time, except on Saturday, and then it was only moderate. The balloonist, who was to have ascended the last three days of the fair, did not make his appearance. We understood that he was crippled not long since, in making an ascension in some portion of Middle Tennessee, and was not able to fulfil his appointment at Covington. We have been informed by one of the directors that the fair made something more than expenses, which, under the circumstances, is better than we expected, as there was no charge whatever this year for entries, and many liberal preminnas [?] offered. We will not consume space, and take up the time of your many readers in attempting to give any detailed account of the fair, but will refer such as may desire any special or detailed information, to the secretary of the association. Miss Jennie Somerville, her heart no doubt touched with compassion, on account of the great suffering in your city on Friday of the fair, brought her pet, a beautiful mocking-bird that had doubtless cheered her spirits in many a lonesome hour, and had the cage swung up in the floral hall with a notice appended to the cage, that it would be raffled for the next day at one o’clock, tickets fifty cents each, the proceeds to go to the Howard association. Some fifty dollars worth of tickets were sold. When the drawing took place, Miss Ann Eliza Sherrod won the prize, and generously offered it for sale to the highest bidder, the proceeds to go also to the Howard association. It was bid off by Charles G. Fisher of the firm of Messrs. Gage & Fisher, cotton factors and commission merchants of your city, at the sum of fifteen dollars, making about sixty-five dollars in all realized by means of that bird for your suffering city. We know not what the future of that bird is to be, but we do know C. G. Fisher to be a clever, generous, wholesouled gentleman, and we hope that it may again be donated to the Howard association, and be the means at other points of bringing in a revenue to your suffering people.
[Memphis Daily Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., October 29 1873]