I found two intriguing newspaper articles. The first was published soon after the wedding of John Taplin and Anna Gage of the Sterling area:
Mrs. Blair and children started on Sunday to drive to the eastern part of the county to visit their mother and brother and attend the wedding of her niece, Miss Anna Gage… It may be of interest to those who met Miss Gage when she was here last spring to know that she was married on Wednesday evening, Sept. 11, to John W. Taplin. The wedding was attended by about two hundred and fifty invited guests. The bride was attired in white brocaded silk and carried white and pink rose buds. The presents were numerous, costly and beautiful. - 13 Sept. 1895, Maquoketa Excelsior, Maquoketa, Iowa.
The second article was written nearly a month later.
Fatal Results. Sabula Gazette: the terrible malady mentioned in last week's Gazette continues to increase in this city and vicinity, although there is no evidence of any new contagion.
Geo. E. Bryant, of near Sterling, passed away at four o'clock Thursday, after enduring the most terrible suffering for many days.
Others in the city and country are in a very dangerous condition and more deaths are anticipated. Among all of those mentioned it last week, but two persons have recovered sufficiently to be out of the house - Geo. Scarborough and Wm. Burton, and they are far from well men yet. The others are still very sick and with few exceptions show very slight improvement. Since our last report the following new cases have been reported to us, and of course the list is by no means complete: Miss Sutton of Clinton, at the home of Wm. Walker, W.G. Newsome, W.T. Berner, Dr. F.G. Maskery, Jas. P. Gage, Mr. and Mrs. Jos. Dickinson, Miss Maggie Rogers, a number in Thos. Taplain's family, Chas. Corlis, wife and daughter, Mrs. Christ Petersen, Pearly White, four of Mr. and Mrs. Jehu Bryant's children, two of them now at school at Iowa Falls, Mrs. Jas. Scarborough, Miss May Chappel, two of Chas. Bartlett's children, Mr. and Mrs. John Watts, Douglas Scarborough, Mrs. Geo. W. Scarborough.
The physicians of Sabula, Savanna, Miles, Preston and Clinton still differ as to the exact nature of the disease and we will pass that point "until the doctors agree," if they ever do. But this fact remains undisputed and unquestioned by any person in this vicinity - the malady originated and was spread broadcast at the Taplain-Gage wedding. Good authority states that it originated from pressed chicken or ham, while other good authority says that the germs may have originated in the oppressive foul atmosphere caused by the crowding of so many persons into the rooms. We are neither a scientist nor a physician, hence pass those causes without comment, but the statement that it originated at the wedding we base upon these facts: there were probably between 70 and 75 persons from Sabula present at the wedding. Of that number between 25 and 30 are now down with the disease, while among the remaining 925 residents of the city who were not at the wedding, there is not a single case of any kind. And according to the very best evidence obtainable, this is the exact condition that prevails throughout the country where the disease is prevalent. If a single family from an entire neighborhood was at the wedding, the disease is with them if it is anywhere in that locality, and no one else is afflicted. Although some of the patients have been down almost three weeks, there is not a single instance where the disease has spread to their nurses or anyone else who was not present in person at the wedding. It is argued, and truthfully so, that those who did not eat of any of the meats are sick which gives some color to the theory of the disease germs floating in the atmosphere in those crowded rooms.
There is a movement on foot to call a council of all the physicians who have had anything to do with the cases, to see if something like a unison of opinion and action cannot be arrived at and we sincerely trust that the movement may materialize into a reality.
The Gazette has been backward in taking up this matter and only does so now because it is the most terrible condition and calamity that has ever overshadowed this community and as a matter of public import that cannot treated lightly. Yet, bad as it is, it is not so bad as the wild rumors floating about would paint it. Trace any of the rumors to their source and you will find them highly exaggerated. It is the opinion of every physician with whom we have conversed that the disease is not contagious and there has not been a single instance in this locality of it spreading outside of those originally exposed. We hope to be able to give something more tangible next week. As matters now exist it takes the well part of the community to take care of the unwell. - 11 Oct. 1895, Maquoketa Excelsior, Maquoketa, Iowa.
It seems obvious that this “malady” was actually some form of food poisoning contracted at the Sept. 11, 1895 wedding feast for John Taplin and Anna Gage. Between thirty and forty people were sickened and at least seven died.
I have compiled a list of as many of those who were sickened in this event as I can determine.
1. George E. Bryant, of near Sterling, died 3 Oct 1895, age 28, son of Edwin & Mary Bryant, first husband of Lou (Watts), who later married Thomas Taplin.
2. George Scarborough
3. William Burton
4. Miss Sutton of Clinton, at the home of William Walker.
5. William Walker & dau. Jessie Walker and
6. Lucy Walker, dau of M/M William Walker, died Oct. 7, 1895, age 14.
7. W.G. Newsome
8. W.T. Berner
9. Dr. F.G. Maskery
10. Jas. P. Gage
11. M/M Joe Dickinson
12. Miss Maggie Rogers
13. A number in Thomas Taplain’s family.
14. Chas. Corlis, wife & daughter
15. Mrs. Christ Petersen
16. Pearly White
17. Four of M/M Jehu Bryant’s children, two of them at school in Iowa Falls.
18. Mrs. Jas. Scarborough
19. Miss May Chappel
20. Two of Chas. Bartlett’s children.
a. Susan, died Oct. 11, 1895, age 14.
b. Unknown Bartlett child.
21. M/M John Watts
22. Douglas Scarborough
23. Mrs. Geo W. Scarborough
24. Olga Watt, died in Barnsville, Ohio, aged 22, dau of M/M Stewart Watt.
25. Bessie (Sutton) Kimball, daughter of Phillip & Mary (Reid) Sutton, wife of Owen Kimball, died Oct. 29, 1895, age 26.
Bessie (Sutton), wife of Owen Kimball, died on 29 Oct 1895, six weeks after the wedding. “She died at her home three miles east of Miles, the seventh victim of the prevailing malady." Were there any more who died after Bessie?
I have been only been able to identify five of the seven who died. Can anyone tell me who the other two were?
The Dead:
1. George E. Bryant, of near Sterling, died Oct. 3, 1895, age 28, son of Edwin & Mary Bryant, first husband of Lou (Watts), who later married Thomas Taplin.
2. Lucy Walker, daughter of M/M William Walker, died Oct. 7, 1895, age 14.
3. Susan “Susie” Bartlett, died Oct. 11, 1895, age 14, daughter of Charles & Addie (Kimball) Bartlett.
4. Olga Watt, died in Barnsville, Ohio, aged 22, dau of M/M Stewart Watt
5. Bessie (Sutton) Kimball, daughter of Phillip & Mary (Reid) Sutton, wife of Owen Kimball, died Oct. 29, 1895, age 26.
© 2011 LuAnn Goeke
No comments:
Post a Comment