Chariton, Des Moines and smallpox in February 1912

Outbreaks of smallpox were of major concern in Iowa, including Chariton, as February 1902 advanced. Although the disease now was not considered especially fatal, it remained dangerous, disfiguring and bad for business. Few wanted to do business, for example, in places where outbreaks had been reported.

That was of special concern in Des Moines, where outbreaks had been frequent during the winter and headlines in newspapers nationwide, but especially in Chicago, portrayed the city as lax in responding.

As a result, various meetings to consider the situation were held in the capital city and Chariton's Dr. John McKlveen attended one of those, reported upon as follows in The Chariton Herald of April 12 under the headline, "Small Pox in Iowa."

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Dr. McKlveen attended a meeting of the state board of health at Des Moines last week, at which meeting the small pox situation in Iowa was discussed. It seems that the small pox situation is not being handled with care in some localities, and the postal authorities at Chicago have asked the post office department at Washington to have all mail from Iowa disinfected.

The order will be issued, and another order is likely to follow, directing all Iowa postmasters and employees to get vaccinated at once. Chicago is inclined to quarantine against Iowa people, especially those from Des Moines, where it seems the small pox situation is being handled more carelessly than it should.

As the Herald has remarked on past occasions, the greatest care should be taken by everyone who has the disease, or is likely to have it, for while the disease itself is not proving fatal, as a rule, it is dangerous as a menace to business, for people do not want it, and will not go where they think they may contact it

The state board of health notified the Des Moines city board of health that they will give them 17 days to get their small pox situation in hand, and if it is not done then, the state board will take hold of it, and charge all expenses to the city of Des Moines. That sounds like business.

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Des Moines movers and shakers responded immediately. After protesting that the situation had been exaggerated by the media, the major and city council hired 35 additional law enforcement officers to help enforce quarantines, added additional physicians to the staff to assist with vaccinations and temporarily banned church services, theater performances and large public gatherings citywide.

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Of special concern in Chariton that week was a smallpox case among high school students. The response had been immediate and also was reported upon in The Herald of April 13 as follows under the headline, "Wholesale Vaccination":

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All of the 130 pupils of the Chariton high school building were ordered vaccinated last Monday because a member of the school, Orley Harris, living southwest of town, was taken sick with (smallpox) on Friday. The boy is quarantined at his boarding place at Mrs. Savage's, in southeast Chariton. This is the only case of small pox in Chariton at present, as Mr. Galloway's quarantine expired yesterday. There is less danger from the disease now than there has been for a long time, as vaccination is being so generally done that there will soon be few persons left for the disease to work on. The high school building was thoroughly disinfected on Saturday and Sunday, and school has gone right on without delay.