100 years ago in Spokane: Fearing Spanish flu, theaters urge patrons not to sneeze on each other

The city health officer said that he wanted every theater in Spokane to deliver this urgent message to its patrons: All spitting, sneezing and coughing in public places “must be stopped.”

Dr. J.B. Anderson was clearly alarmed about the possible spread of the deadly Spanish flu to Spokane. One theater, the Liberty, was already flashing a message to its movie audiences to “sneeze in your handkerchief and not the other fellow’s face.”

There were already indications that the flu had spread to Spokane, but Anderson said there were not, as yet, indications of an “epidemic” here. If that were to happen, “all theaters and public assemblages must be stopped.”

“It is the only way to prevent the spread of the disease, which is communicated easily,” he said.

From the seafood beat: Spokane’s municipal fish market had proven so successful that private dealers and “trusts” on the West Coast were trying to stymie it. They were gobbling up all of the storage space, because they opposed the “at cost” plan of the municipal markets.

Another 24,000 pounds of salmon was scheduled to arrive the next day, but after that “there is a strong likelihood that no more fish can be received.”

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1962: James Meredith, a black student, was escorted by federal marshals to the campus of the University of Mississippi, where he enrolled for classes the next day; Meredith’s presence sparked rioting that claimed two lives.