The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-10-14
THE DOCTORS STORY.
BY AN OLD CALIFORNIAN.

landed at Clark's Point, San Francisco,
with high hopes and low funds-the lew
est of funds, for the three round dollars
had just paid the gentleman's son, with
the classical education and the blue fan
mel shirt, for pulling me and my chest
ashore in his fiat-bottomed dingy, were
all that we're left of just ten times that
many, with which was ballasted when
I launched at New York upon my Ell
Dorsdoward venture. ''By all means
do not cucumber yourselves with lug
gage" urged our prudential advices
from the placers; and had obeyed the
injunction with exemplary htteralness
To get my baggage to the Parker House,
I engaged the commercial editor of
The Alta California, who was timeous-
ly on the..warf prospecting for items. He
was paid with the chest, which, consid
ering the price of fre-wood-forty dollars
a cord-was as much hire as that edit
orial laborer was worthy of. In less
than week, I was wholly disencumber-
ed of luggage, my spade having gone
for one dinner, and the pick for another.
had slept three nights on my shaving
case, and shaved with my bowie-knife
instead. All that remained was pilot
cloth pea-iacket, pair of corduroy
trowsers, and the bible, which, of course,
was of no use to any body but the own
er. At the rate of twenty-four dollars a
dozen for washing, and in view of the
tenderness of my kunckles. to say moth
ing of some hereditary prejudice against
the laundry as an occupation for gentle
mans son. re;;ciced when I had fairly
got my last check shirt off my mind.
All this time had been looking about
for something to do. My profession,
medicine, was an impossibility. L had
brought no dispensary with me, and the
last lot of quinine panancea in those
days for all the ills that Californian flesh
was heir to-had sold for four ounces
(sixty-four dollars) an ounce at auction.
By reason of rents-one hundred dollars
a month for dog house-an Office was
not less visionary to me than a palace.
Besides, my appetite was growing fear
fully, and my ditty-box was not good for
soup. In those days, old Californians
never darned or rsewed buttons on; count
ing the worth of time, it was cheaper to
buy new clothes, of which there was a
great glut in the market. Then the free
sand-hill, where had slept at first, was
fierce with feas. My skin was soarifed
between unsparing irritation and great
loss of blood, my health was failing. My
physician-thats strongly recon-
inaw blanket. So must stop looking
about for something to do, and setabout
doing something at once. To be sure,
Smith, Jones, or Brown, would have
been driving mules by this time, or
tending bar, or peddling jack knives for
another man, or working on a lighter;
but the reader must remember that /
was gentleman's son.
How to begin, then? There we're my
letters of introduction, neglected until
now for splendid idea of independence.
There were six of them; I would try
them all-and did. Five gentlemen,
friends of the family, were most happy
to see me. Five gentlemen congratulat-
ed me on arriving out so early; L had
fortune by the fore-lock. Five gentle
men considered this splendid coul try
great openings for young men of an
terprise and talent, especially doctors
half the population i'll, and fees enorm-
ous-two ounces a visit-medicines in
proportion dollar grain for quinine,
a dollar drop for audanum-wonder-
full, sir, fabulous really envied me
wished they were doctors themselves
of course, would send all their friends to
me; in about a week I would be over
run with patients-would be happy to
advise me as to Observation-Disclosures some
lovely waterlots-new towns at head of
navigation, only ten miles from the
ley of San Jose-that is. if I was of an
agricultural turn of mind-could raise
potatoes dollar pound, sqnashes and
beets according-must excuse them now
very busy getting up lumber for a
new hotel-under way next week-splen-
did house bridal chamber-all the del
icacies of the season-come and see
them-take care of myself, old fellow.
There still remained one letter, from
q venerable fellow citizen and friend of
my father, to his son in San Francisco
"a spirited young fellow, who, having
obtained commission in one of the
new regiments at the breaking out of
the Mexico war, had subsequently dis
tinguished himself in several engage
ments. At the close of the war he was
ordered to California, where, though
still holding military appointment, he
engaged in some successful speculations
on private account, and was said to have
brilt up for himself a considerable
''pile." One evening, in the Parker
House, I recognized this gentleman, as
much by the family likeness as by a
certain remarkable scar by which he had
been describedto to me. Approaching him
as he stood at the bar selecting cigar,
L introduced myself, at the same time
presenting my letter, the contents of
which were unknown to me; for his
father had Asked permission to seat it.
He received me with cordiality, and, on