McComas - Samuel (Squire)
Source: Crawfordsville Review 24 Sept 1892
It was the good fortune of a REVIEW man to stumble upon one of our old citizens whom we Bought in a reminiscent mood one day this week. The old gentleman passed through the scourge in 1832 and, of course, all that followed Said he: "Away back in '32 cholera ravaged this country in a manner it never, did before and it is to be hoped never will again. At that time I was a mere lad living with my parents in Kentucky, near the Ohio river. People died around us like sheep. Most everybody was crazed with fear and I noticed that those who were scared worse were first to take the disease and die." "Is there any truth," we interrupted the speaker, "that many persons were buried alive at that time?" "Yes," responded the old gentleman, "while the reports as the number were exaggerated I am satisfied that many were buried alive. People thought if a corpse lay in a house for a few hours the whole neighborhood would take the disease. They imagined the body poisoned the atmosphere and consequently the dead were buried as soon as they were cold. One case in particular 1 have in my mind where a lady barely escaped the awful agony of being buried alive. She was a beautiful young girl. I can't now recall her name, but she afterward married a man by the name of J. W. Lindsay and moved to Waveland, this county. They raised a large family of children, some of whom are yet residents of this county. Well, this young girl was stricken with the malady and in a few hours was pronounced dead. Arrangements were quickly made for the burial and the body was soon in the coffin. All the family were in the room taking a farewell of the departed member when the corpse was suddenly seen to move The family were almost frightened] out of their wits and it was some time 'ere they could command sufficient presence of mind to summon a physician. By the time the doctor arrived the supposed corpse had regained consciousness and was taken from the coffin and placed in bed, In a few days she was up and around, and you know the rest. I tell you it was an awful narrow escape!" and the old man shuddered as the memory of the awful time rose before him.
During the recital another
venerable old gentleman in the person of Squire McComas had joined the
group and was an interested listener. When the first speaker had
concluded Mr. McComas said: "I was living in Kentucky when Cholera
visited this country in ISIS and 1 was amongst its first victims. I was
living down near Maysville. One day a fellow came riding through near my
house and startled us all by saying that Cholera was coming down that
section like fury and was within ten miles of us. Of course we were
badly scared but were helpless to do anything. A couple of days later
while working in the field I was seized with terrible cramps and thought
I would surely die before I could reach the house. 1 just thought I had
eaten too much green corn and the pain would soon cease. But it didn't
and instead grew worse. My good wife then made me some hot pepper sauce
which I drank. The pains continued to increase and 1 was almost frantic.
I happened to think of a box of calomel pills I had purchased of a
peddler the week before and after them I went. 1 took twelve of them at
one gulp. In about a half hour, as the pains grew more violent all the
time, I took thirteen more and you bet it wasn't more than fifteen rain
minutes before I got relief. When the doctor came he pronounced my
illness
Cholera, but it was too late then to get scared for the
worst was over" and the Squire chuckeled at his shrewdness in
out-witting his enemy .without the aid of a doctor. "Now,"' the reporter
asked, "as you two gentlemen have passed through the Cholera ordeal
what would you suggest as the best preventive for the disease. To this
they both quickly responded "Don't get scared. Nine out of ten who die
do it from fright," and they both looked wise while the reporter made
his exit