After Smallpox Epidemic, Seattle's Health Board Chooses Assistant Officer
Dr. Palmer wins appointment over Dr. Wright after a divided board vote, revealing political undercurrents in public health.
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.
The matter of selecting a permanent assistant health officer was satisfactorily settled at a secret meeting of the board of health one day last week. During the latter part of the smallpox epidemic the health officer had two assistants, Drs. Palmer and Wright. The council then refused to pay the salary of both, so that either one must resign or both continue with the certainty that one would lose his time and pay. The board, at its last meeting, allowed the health officer the choice of his assistant, but the health officer did not care to make a choice.
When the board met the other day the members were divided as to a choice. Dr. Miller would not vote for a Republican, Dr. Samuel J. Holmes preferred Dr. Wright, and the president, Dr. James Shannon, favored Dr. Palmer. The result was that Dr. Wright will retire from office March 1 and probably be allowed full pay up to date, while Dr. Palmer will continue as the assistant health officer.
“Dr. Miller would not vote for a Republican, Dr. Samuel J. Holmes preferred Dr. Wright, and the president, Dr. James Shannon, favored Dr. Palmer.”
The smallpox epidemic of the 1890s demanded public health infrastructure, and the fight over who would serve as assistant health officer shows how politics could intrude on disease response—a theme that still resonates in debates over public health officials.
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