The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-04-22

The story Of the great plague o.
London Is familiar to all readers of his
tory and has been dealt with by many
writer's Of Action. Even the bypaths Of
history supply much suggestive matter
while hidden away Ia churchwardens
and other old accounts are many Items
that remind uB OF those days. Here
for example, are two entries from thu
parish accounts Of st. Mary woolnoth
London:
mas-A Itefn. for setting a crosse upon ona
Aliens doors In the sieknesss
tlEne ..........,...........,...... ia
Item, paid for setting two red
crosses upon Anthony Sound hia
uoFo sssss.s.sss.s',.....as....s uito
The crosses were about a foot In
langth. The crosses served as eau
ucn against entering such houses. In
various parts OF England the plague
stones are silent reminders OF the time
when epidemics laid low so many In.
habitants both In town and country.
A stone In the Derby arboretum
bears the following inscription:
"Headless Cross or Market Stone
This stone formed part Of the ancient
Croas at the upper end OF FrIar Gate
and was used by the inhabitants Of
Derby ~ q market stone during the
visitation Of the plague 1905. 1t Il thus
described BY Hutton In his History Of
Derby.
1895 Derby was again visited by
the plague at the same time in which
London fell under the severe calamity.
The town was foraaken; the farmers
declined the market place. and grass
grew upon that spot which had fur
nished the supports of life.
TO prevent famine the lnhabiS
ants erected at the top OF Nuns Green,
one or two hundred yards from the
buildings now Frlar Gate. what bore
tho name Of Headless Cross. consisting
% about four Quadrangular steps ave
fest high. | knew II In perfection.
" 'Hither the market people. HAVING
their mouth prlmed with tobacco an a
preservatiye. brought their provisions,
stood az distance from their property
and az greater from the towns peo.
pie, with whom they were to traffic.
The buyer was not suffered to
touch any Of the articles before pur-
chase. When the agreement was I'm
hhed he took the goods and deposited
the money in a vessel filed with vine. |
aar set for that purpose"
The mention OF tobacco In the fore. |
going inscription II a curiosity, show. |
ing that the weed was then regarded |
a. very efiicaclous preventive.
NHfnahaataa
plague In 1865 On the downs near tho
city are numerous curlOusly shaped
mounds which are said 70 cover the
pits into which the dead were cast
When the peStilence ragged q print.
live kind of quarantine was practiced.
The country folk supplied food, which
was placed ON stone outside the city.
and In exchange the citizens placed
money in bowl OF water.
The old plague stone stu remains,
built into the base Of monument.
which bears an inscription as follows:
"Thia monument Is erected by the
Society OF Natives on tho very spot OF
ground from which the markets were
removed and whose hasls IL the very
stone on which exchanges were made
while the city lay under the scourge OF
the destroying pestilence In the year
sixteen hundred slxty-six. The Society
q Natives was founded on the 10th Of
August i6G9. for the relief OF the Wild.
pws and orphans OF their fellow clti
Ems who died Of the great plague"
Beneath q spreading tree In the
grounds Of Tothby House. near Afford,
LAneolnshlre. Is a plague stone. About
10 years ago the Inhabitants OF Spills.
y and the surrounding villages day
lftar day toiled up to the top OF Miles
Gross hill which oVerlooks the Wide
marsh country. with Afford lying Just '
{ the foot.
AZ the top they left food. etc. for the I
cor sufferers and took In return mon.
y deposited In vessels containing wa.
er or other liquid placed ON the plague B
tone. Then the people OF Afford came Z
o the other side Of the hlll for their a
applies. Thus the two parties kept a
len apart-Chambers Journal. !,
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