Fighting the Plague.
Some years ago that terrible disease, the Black Plague, got into California. Prompt measures were taken and there was no epidemic. There was one case of the plague in 1913, and another the following year. That is all; and yet the State and the nation continued hard at work for fear the disease might yet gain a foothold through the rats and squirrels that were still infected, and that might at any time pass it on to human beings.
In a single week, for example, 7,200 bits of poisoned food were placed in the Exposition grounds at San Francisco, and 1,800 elsewhere in the city; 200 rat-traps were set on wharves and vessels, and more than 1,000 squirrels were taken and from sixty to seventy rats.
A case of the plague was discovered in New Orleans a year before the present writing-none since; and yet, still, in a week recently twelve tons of coke and a ton of sulfur were burned to fumigate vessels, 6,000 rats were taken, and 11,000 premises were inspected. Nearly one hundred buildings in the city were torn down, and 96,000 were rat-proofed in the course of the campaign. In that one week 6,000 rats were received at the laboratory and only one was found to have the plague out of 1,800 examined. In all 500,000 rats were caught and 250,000 examined, only 250 of which had the plague; but those 250 were capable of terrible havoc.
In Honolulu there has been no human case of the plague since 1910, and yet 5,000 traps are set every day. It costs about twenty cents each to catch the rats, and still the work goes on. It means life or death to millions.
If men are so careful about a disease of the body which, at the most, can kill what is only temporary and comparatively trivial, what should be our care against sin, that fearful disease which slays the immortal part of us and dooms us to endless death? Bad habits and evil social conditions are worse than all the plague-infected rats in the world, yet men do not get excited about them or set traps for them or spend much money in combating them. The main business of this life is to lift us up into the realm of the spirit and make us realize the power, beauty, and joy of holiness. How are we following the main business of life?