The $75 Smallpox Bill: A Theater Manager’s Mercy in the Face of Plague
When a member of the Nellie Boyd Dramatic Company contracted smallpox upon arriving in Seattle, his employer stepped up to cover half the medical costs, setting a precedent for worker care during a public health crisis.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
SEATTLE. — Seattle has at last been able to 'bear up' a case of smallpox, in the person of B. Philleo, a member of the Nellie Boyd Dramatic Company. Mr. Philleo had been exposed to the disease before leaving San Francisco, and feeling badly on Friday evening he sent for Dr. Smith. The doctor saw at once that the man was breaking out with the smallpox, and made arrangements to send him to the pest house, which was done early the next morning. No alarm need be manifested as all the necessary precautions have been taken to prevent the spread of the disease. Miss Boyd, in conversation with the health officer, stated that Mr. Philleo had drawn his wages up to date, but that she would pay for any extras the man needed out side the usual care given patients in the pest house. Dr. Smith made the proposition that she pay half the expenses incident to the case, including nurse hire, etc. To this the lady willingly consented, and paid down $75 to show her good faith. At last accounts the sick man was doing well.
In an era before workers' compensation or universal healthcare, this story highlights a rare moment of corporate social responsibility. Miss Boyd’s willingness to pay half the medical bills for an employee suffering from a contagious disease underscores the precariousness of labor in the 19th century and offers a poignant contrast to modern debates over employer-sponsored health coverage and pandemic response protocols.
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