SCARLET FEVER SCARE

Urbana Daily Courier April 13, 1904

Many Champaign Families Afflicted With Disease

Sufferers Are Among Best Families in Sister City — Schools Fumigated Every Night.

Champaign is now in the throes of one of the worst epidemics of scarlet fever that it has ever experienced. More houses are now quarantined than ever before at one time. As a consequence of this quarantine families are divided against themselves, husbands and brothers and in some cases wives, mothers and sisters are shut away from their sick relatives and compelled to seek lodgings and boarding at hotels.

The disease is not by any means confined to the poorer classes, as is usually the case, but many of the best families are afflicted. Among them is the family of J. W. Murray, the grain merchant. Mr. Murray has been very unfortunate lately. A few weeks ago his new grain elevator at White Heath was blown down by a terrific wind storm and now three members of his family are afflicted with scarlet fever. There are cases in the families of J. B. Harris , G. A. Tyrrell , P. C. Amsbury, manager of the water works, and H. A. Holister; state high school visitor.

Every school room in Champaign is being thoroughly fumigated every night and all precautions are being taken against the spread of the disease.