The herald., 1893-08-06
AN 0LD-T|ME PLAGUE EPIDEMIC
A Pasadenan's "Reminiscences
of a Sad Time.
An Epidemic in Which a Doctors
Devotion to Duty Was Shown.
a Story OF Life in Little Indiana Town
Nearly Half Century Ago-A
"a Scene Of JOY Turned to One
Of Desolation.

shows that fright has 90 much to do
with spreading the disease - any other
factor:]
In the summer Of 1s49 was living in
6outheastern Indiana, about 20 miles
west o. tho Ohio river. The means OF
communication with the outside world
ut that time was by semi-weekly mail.
there being no telegraph or railroad
lines In that part OF the state. Cincin-
natl, 40 miles distant, was the great
commercial emporium OF the west and
New Orleans the port OF entry for all
foreign commerce and most OF the I'M
migration to the west and southwest,
which ct that time was being rapidly
settled, Indiana's quota Of the new ar
rivals was largely composed OF Ger
mana. A
The town in which I was living, ss
we'll ss large part OF the township, was
settled BY . good old English stock and
Z colony OF Pennsylvanisns. but the
township adjoining on the east, the one
on the west and the three on the north
containing nearly 200 square miles, were
almost entirely German.
They were q thrifty and industrious
population, nearly all Catholics, and all
Democratic. took no exception to their
politics, for ct that time l belonged to
the same political school myself.
We had been holding an old-time
Fourth Of July celebration in grove a
lhort distance from the village, belong
Ing to . patriotic Englishman who had
but recently absolved his allegiance to
the then young queen and become q
loader In the Wing party, aud also q
man OF prominence in the community
In which he lived. He afterward be-
came brother-in-law OF mine and dur
Ing the rebellion was killed in a most
brutal manner by bushrangers near
Fort Smith. Ark.
He had arranged an old.time bsrbe-
cue, in which English plum pudding.
prepared under the supervision OF his
mother, formed one OF the most arpe-
tixing features. In fact, Mother Clarke
Fourth OF July plum puddlugs and
brandy sauces formed an attraction that
lor several years brought people from
many miles distant to celebrate Amer
lca's great national holiday with Tom
CLARK.
Az before stated, the exercises were
held in grove not far distant from his
residence. Martial music, reading the
Declaration OF Independence. and pat
riotic Grafton by young lawyer from
the county seat formed the first part OF
the programme.
The next was the dinner-and what
RdinnerI There Was roast OK, stall fed
and prepared for that special occasion,
lat. Juicy and tender; choice mutton,
with spiced and sRvory gravy that l
have sometimes thought the old-time
English cooks alone knew how to pre-
pare; turkeys, tender and luscious; pud-
dings and pastries in great profusion
ale from Walkers brewery, for what
would an English dinner be without
''hAle."
The long rows of tables, the girls
dressed in pink and white, the green.
wood canopy overhead, the thousand
happy, joyous faces. formed a picture
too impressive to be forgotten, though
"A years, with all their wonderful
changes, have come and gone.
After the dinner the dancing COM
menced. This was in q large building
which Clark had. erected for such occa-
sions. The music was the old-time
violin, the musician typical back.
woods Kentuckian. The principal
tunes were Old Dan Tucker, Arkansas
Traveller and Money Musk.
The dance on this particular occasion
commenced about 3 or 4 O'Clock in the
afternoon, and was kept up with but
lhort intermissions until sunrise on the
morning OF the 9th.
A young doctor had come to the vii
lage about year previous to this time,
Who had until then little chance to
practice his profession. The doctor and
ais young bride, whom he had recently
married, were at the celebration, and
lemained to the close OF the dance.
But now comes the sequel to my story.
| we'll remember the languid and tagged.
cut appearance of the joyous and happy
aces OF few hours before. As the sun
vas just rising the last set was being
llosed, which, by the way, proved to be
he very last for many who were there
that sultry July morning. We were
ltartled by cry ON the outside calling
Doctor, doctor! De cholera! Mine
wife has de cholera; COON quick 7" Had
the imagination and descriptive pow
rn Of De Foe or the practical expert
e lnce Of . romancer, could paint word
picture Of that and the subseq uent scenes
n the next 80 days OF my experience in
he families OF that plage-stricken COM
nunity that would cause thrill OF hor-
or to the reader.
Inc sudden transformation OF that
ecently joyous company of young peo-
ple may not be described in words. To
ealize 1t, one must have been there and
cen and felt and known.
Byron has graphically rendered in
erse description OF the closing scene
i tho ball ct Brussels, when the happy
hrong was startled by the dread boom
4 the distant cannon of Napoleon.
fore terrible than the boom of the guns
1 the dread Corsican was the voice of
he frantic German as 1t fell on the ears
i the young dancers at the ball st
!, clark's.
A dead silence seemed to take posses.
ion Of the thronR. Whispered good
yes were made, and lovers separated to
meet no more. A strange pallor seemed
supplant the expression OF happiness
10, silently and terror-stricken, each one
eparted for bis home.
The German who came for the doctor
lvod abhut six or seven miles east OF
be village, and, coming for the doctor,
lad to pass through it. Some thought
!ie coming would spread the plauge.
Whether this was true or not. within
he next three days there were 80 or 40
asee OF cholera in and about the village.
" three sisters who were at the ball
wo OF them died in less than week
iterward. One lovely girl, whose
manced had but short time previous
tarted TOR the gold fields Of California,
ook tne cholera and died. Many others