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SOMK LOCAL HISTORY.An Accouiii of ilit'Scnurur by Cholerain Henry County in IM51.HY HIRAM HEATON.There is an account in the history of Kentucky of a maiden who rushed out] but I)r. Clarke had hopes of of a block house which was surroundeding something of a carpenter, made coffins for the dead, and often he would make a coffin for a person while that person was yet alive. He, too. died and was buried in a coffin of his own making.One of the saddest deaths was that of Penelojh* Glover. She was affianced to James Cain. Cain took the cholera,his recovery. Returning from Cain's to his by Indians to an out building and rej home in Mt. Pleasant, the doctor met turned with a pail of water, there be- Penelope on horseback at Rig creek, ing no water in the blockhouse. That She enquired of Cain and the doctor was a brave deed, hut in daring the gave her a favorable account and told missiles of the savages the maiden her to return home, that she could be1 I knew that many a man and woman, and | of no possible service to her lover.tifA 1itsstleseei-t-tiitfl-8-ienr*itnIImn-idr16;olee.lit* s 6-€lOtx* of ie-n-is-leasfinebttdleg-hentofsc-liesr-keusrdayofli*Ifo-ir-toona-■k-18,atbetichein)c-ofndohlatbeedares.us-byperhaps some particular youth, or possibly some rival maiden, would follow her daring with breathless suspense.Such deeds may be done when one knows applause will crown success or poignant anguish will forever enshroudone's memory. To defy death when there is none to applaud, or perhaps when all besides have followed the dictates of prudence, or fear, and have fled, is another thing.In 1851 when the cholera all but demoralized the {ample of the village of Home, Iowa, one man maintained a cool courage and was able to render aid to the sick and dying and to give decent interment to the dead. Some account of that terrible visitation and of the experiences of that one man through that trying time maybe of interest tothe readers of The Tribune.The year 1851 was an unusually wet one. Skunk river was out of its hanks and the mills could not grind because of the high water. On the nth of May George Crawford arranged plans to go to Burlington for a load of tlour. He engaged a man named Jackson to go with him with his team and wagon. Together they stopped at Judge Sample's, a mile below Rome, now the homo of Judge Sample’s daughter, Mrs. Wtu. Davis. At Sample’s, Crawford made a few minutes' halt to induce a couple of travelers to accompnny them instead of going by the stage, which was then the means of public conveyance. Crawford's brother, then dead, had been the first husband of one of Sample's daughters, but she had married again a man named Woodward, but the families continued very intimate. Crawford asked for Mr. Sample, and Miss Kliza, now Mrs. Davis, said her father was not very well, but there did not seem to be much ailing him.Crawford and Jackson proceeded to a Mr. Lusk's, where they lodged that night. At daybreak the next morning Crawford enquired of Dr. C. A. Clarke, whom he saw returning from the direction of Rome, where he had been. When told to Sample’s, he enquired the nature of the illness, and the doctor said it resembled the cholera. Returning from Burlington with the load of flour on Friday, the 11th of May, Crawford and Jackson learned that Judge Sample had died and been buried. When opposite Woodward's house Mrs. Woodward came to the door and called them to come, her husband was dying and she was alone. Jackson drove on to Rome with the tlour, while Crawford hurried to Mrs. Woodward’s call.Woodward drew his last breath as Crawford entered. While going about preparing the dead mau for interment, Kliza Sample called for help from her door. The houses are not far apart, and Crawford and Mrs. Woodward hurried to her help, but were too late to see Mrs. Sample die.Two days later ason of Sample's died, and by this time the plague and the f ,*ar of it had become so great that the only person Crawford could find to help him carry the body to the graveyard, which was but a short distance from the house, was a niece of the dead man’s. While bearing their sorrowful burden, as well as they could, two men on horseback rode by and called to Crawford that it seemed a heavy taskthat he was performing. Crawford replied that it was and begged them to come and help. The man who had spoken, whose name was Swan, said he was afraid if he helped he, too. would die. Crawford replied in that case I will bury you.” Swan dismounted and gave the needed help; his companion put spurs to his horse, in less than five days Swan died and Crawford was as good as ins word and buried him.A man by the name of Rice was taken with the disease, or else was frightened, (for Crawford contended that many died of fright), and said he must die. Dr. Clarke said, 1,1 Well, you are going among your old neighbors. ” Rice died contented A man named Parks, be-She persisted in her purpose, took thecholera, and died. Cam had been removed in the mean time to his own home and when Penelope died there was no one with her in the house. A coffin had been procured for Cain in the evant of his death and in this coffin, intended for her lover, jkxh* Penelope Glover was buried.Within two weeks Mr. Crawford helped to bury thirty-five persons, almost all of whom had been his friends and neighlxirs. In some instances he had been alone at the bedside of women when they died and had put them into their coffins and then buried them.At the out-break of the plague Dr. Clarke had foreseen its dread weight on the community, and had sent thirtychildren to Mt. Pleasant to be out of itsway, and also not to be a burden on the men and women who must contend with it. This fact accounts for so few children having died. Re also took one patient to his own home in Mt. Pleasant, where, under the care of his wife, Mrs. Sarah Clarke, now of Fairfield, the sick man recovered, but so great was the fear of the eolera that the citizens almost mobbed the doctor in his house for bringing the man into town.At the height of the terror Drs. Clarke A Bird induced two young men of Mt. Pleasant to help nurse the stricken people, who in many instances were sadly in need of attention. These two young men were Harris Palmer and Mr. Shoemahn, The doctors promised to treat them as if members of their own families, and Mrs. Clarko washed their clothing for them.That fear hud much to do in causing the deaths, as Crawford declared, would seem to bo true, in that Dr. Bird himself, father of Mrs. Babb, broke down under the strain and but for some vigorous language used by Dr. Clarke in his presence, seemed to be numbered with the victims. Bird was so shocked at Clarke’s profanity, so unheard of. and unexjected, that he forgot his collapse and recovered.How faint is the recital of these terrible days. What man would not much prefer taking his chances in a bloodier battle than any of the great civil war to meeting the pestilence that walketli in darkness; the destruction which wasteth at noonday?Pure’Hood’sBloodThe I test Way to CureDisease is to establish health, rich blood means good health. Sarsaparilla is the One True Purifier. It tones up the whole system, gives appetite and strength and causes weakness, nervousness and pain to dlsuppear. No other medicine has such a record of wonderful cures as Rood's Sarsaparilla.Rood's Pills are the best after-dinner{tills; assist digestion, prevent constipation. 25c.Pay up what you owe for The Tribune and get it hereafter for one dollar a vear in advance. This reduction willmbe good to Jan. 1st.AwardedHighest Honors—World’s FairDR.CREAMBAKINGPOWDERMOST PERFECT MADE.\ pure Grape Cream of Tartar Powder. Frearom Ammonia, Alum or any other adulterant AO YEARS THE STANDARD.
Newspaper Details
Fairfield Tribune
Fairfield, Iowa, US
Wed, Nov 25, 1896
Page 1
Full Page
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Patricia W.
USA 29 Jun 2019
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