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Ludington Record Appeal
Thursday, October 26, 1905

                PLAGUE OF DIPHTHERIA IN COUNTY
                ------------------------------

        WORST OUTBREAK OF DREAD DISEASE EXPERIENCED HERE
                      IN RECENT YEARS

        FIVE DEATHS WITHIN A WEEK, EIGHT SCHOOLS CLOSED

        All Parts of County and Persons of All Ages Made
         Victims of Ravages of Disease - Physicians Hope
          to Have it Now Under Control - No Cases Reported
           in Ludington but Rural Sections Suffer.

        Mason county is at present visited with the worst scourge of
     diphtheria in many years. Five deaths occurred during the last
     week and still there are numerous cases of sickness. Eight schools
     are closed.

        Saturday PLINA, the 14 year old daughter of FRED FREELAND of south
     Riverton died and was buried Sunday. Monday EARL CRUSEN, aged 19, died
     at Stearns camp and was buried Tuesday. Tuesday morning the ten year
     old daughter of GEORGE MOORE died and was buried that afternoon. On
     the same fatal day the baby daughter of MR. FREELAND succumbed to the
     disease as did MRS. HATTIE SORENSON, wife of ANKER SORENSON near
     Wiley, being buried Wednesday.

        The family of MR. FREELAND has been most sorely smitten of any in
     the county. Besides his daughter PLINA, aged 14 and his baby, aged one
     year, on Monday, the 16th inst. his daughter IDA, aged 5 years, became
     a victim of the disease. Thus within ten days the plague claimed the
     three daughters of his house.

        Besides these fatalities there are other cases. LAWRENCE W.
     VANNATTER, son in law of ISAAC H. BARTON of Eden, is seriously sick
     but happily it is announced that he is at present improving. The eight
     schools closed are the Marble, Wiley and Major schools in Eden, the
     St. Mary's and Morton schools in Riverton, the Wilson school in Custer
     and the Buck and north Weare schools in Oceana, just across the county
     line. Some of these schools are closed merely as a precaution, for
     example there are no cases of the disease in the Major district yet
     the school was closed this morning. So far as is known there are no
     cases in Ludington.

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