Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-09-25
TIE DoCToRs' BILLS.
Speculatfons as to the Expenses of the
2resident's Illness 80

"a gossipy letter to the Troy Times,
written a few days before the presidents
death, thus talks about the payment of
the expenses connected with the presi-
dents sickness, ETC.: a
The talk yesterday afternoon at Mr.
Browns cottage concerned the question
ofwho was to pay the bills incurred dur,
ing the presidents illness. At the time
there were present several members of
the presidents staff, an army officer and
two newspaper correspondents. 1t was
mentioned that economy was one of the
presidents objects in dispensing with the
services of the three physicians and Mrs.
Edison. Il do not think" said the army
man present, whose name L do not feel
at liberty to give. as the conversation was
of half private nature, 'sthat economy
can be the real reason, I'M
less the president meant to
be economical of the nations
money; for most certainly he will not be
called upon to pay any of the bills As
president he is the chief officer of the
army. and as such entitled to surgical
and medical treatment at public expense.
1t is quite certain that he was shot as the
head of the nation, and the nation should
take care of him. If he had not been
president he would not have incurred
Guiteaus animoslty. There can be no
question as to the alacrity with which
congress would pass an appropriation bill
paving all the expenses OF this unhappy
affair But" said listener, ''does
not the president take the risk of such
dangers! If Postmaster General James
should be shot down tomorrow by dis
appointed applicant for a postoftice,
would the government be expected to
take care Of him. '.Most certainly
was the answer. s'The postmaster gen
eral and the president do not agree for so
much salary to allow themselves to be
used as targets during their terms of
Office. If a merchants laborer gets
hurt while handling heavy boxes, it
is not usual for the man 10 be turned
adrift and allowed to die. Yet
the man may have brought on the acci-
dent by his own carelessness or want of
skill In the presidents case the same
argument is stronger He incurred Gui-
teau's an1mosity by doing his duty and
refusing to consider the applications for
Office of man known to be vicious and
incompetent. The country will be only
too glad to pay the bill incurred
The amount of these bills was the next
topic discussed, and Secretary Brown, af-
ter figuring up for a moment, estimated
that the cost of the presidents illness
would not be far short of $250,000. The
doctors, he thought, with the exception
of Barnes and Woodward, who as army
surgeons are expected to attend the pres
ident as part Of their official duties,
should receive at least Sl00, GOO, and per-
L r. los ic
long one, as it is now likely to be. DR..
Reyburn has been in attendance sixty
eight days, which, at 800 a
day. would .entitle him to $6,-
500. DR.. Bliss will probably receive
S25 900. Drs Hamilton and Agnew's
bills will not, it is thought, be more than
SIS 900 apiece. unless the case should
keep them busy for months longer 1t
must be remembered that the profession
al fortunes of all these men are made by
their connection with this case, and there
is not a surgeon in the country who
would not attend the president day and
night for months for the mere honor and
reputation of the thing. ga singular
thing" said NJ. Brown, ''and one which
indicates the feeling of the people in the
matter, is that we experience the greatest
difficulty in getting bills from any one.
Even persons who render services which
are usually paid for at once, such as fur
nishing food, carriages, medicines, in
struments, etc., refuse to send in their
| bills, and do not know of a single bill
yet sent in for services or goods rendered
| to the president during his Illness
1t is generally thought that the plan to
| be followed when congress meets and the
president is completely cenyalescent, will
probably be to send circular to every
person who has rendered service to the
| president, requesting that bill be sent,
| and then an appropriation can be made
| for the whole sum. The president is very
scrupulous in wanting everything paid
| for, and wishes all the articles sent by
| tradesmen as presents to him at the White
house, either to be returned or bought
and paid for, if they are considered as
worth keeping 'sThe truth isl said
Mr.. Brown, speaking of this, ''that not
one of the articles out of the scores re-
| ceive every day is worth anything. On an
average get i've or six medical concsc-
tions warranted to cure the president,
whatever his condition There are the
| patent-furniture men, who send beds,
and chairs, and ventilators, and foot-rests
without end. Unless they are paid for in
| advance I refuse to receive them, for the
bills for expressagesare sometimesformid-
able. One lunatic sent a full set OF ar
ticles for sort of gymnasium at home
trapcze, swinging bars, springboard, etc.
Expecting the president to get well BY
practicing with his devices. "Here is .
queer article 1 received to -day," said Mr..
| Brown, pulling out sort Of an enormous
! rubber handkerchief, which the article
was intended for. "The man who sends
this writes that every man can be his
own washwoman by using the handker-
chief, for no other washing is needed ex-
cepting to throw it into the water and
wiring it out 1t keeps down the wash
bills, you see. The inventor says he
he hopes the president will use it, because
| it is the first one made after the patent
was granted If there was any danger
of the presidents stock of handkerchief
giving out we might take rubber hand
kerchief, but not before" n40 3
The Lutheran Visitor calls for Lutheran
ecumenical council. 1t believes that such
body win be perhaps one Of the greatest meet
/ ingsever held, and asserts that instead OF s'a
/ few millions of Calvansts, or Arminisus, or