The Portland daily press., 1881-09-19
Garfield.
The Presidents Doctors.
[Elbaron corr. mo- Tlmes.l

[Elbaron Corr. Troy Times.l
Since the depart ure Of Reyburn, Woodward
and Barnes, Secretary Brown has taken up
his quarters in the doctors cottage, having
large reception room on the ground floor and
bedroom off it. The work of fifty or more cor
respondents now at Long Branch is much ia
cilitated by the kindness of Mr.. Brown, whose
door is always open. aud who consents to tell
the news without sh owing fatigue, to count
less applicants. His room has become sort of
rendezvous for people who want to know the
latest, for there may be met Col. Rockwell and
Gen. Swain, when they are off duty, and DIR.
Bliss spends an hour or two there every morn
ing and every evening. DR. Hamilton has
room right off Mr.. Browns, and sits and chats
in the reception room for few minutes every
night before going to bed, prefacing every re-
mark about the President with, "Now, tell
you this on condition that it viii not be used in
print" OF all the surgeons connected with
the case Dr. Hamilton is the shyest of having
his name in the papers, and any remarks that
you may see in his name, have been built you
may be sure, out of very slender Ilaterials-a
nod or Eyes" or "no"
SIX DOCTORS DINING.
Talking Of DOCTORS had all six of them at
the table next to mine in the Elberon dining
room Tuesday and Wednesday last. Since
then three Of them have gone, and DR.. Bliss
haying been Joined by his wife, the pleasant
medical circle has been broken up. When the
six of them were at meals together the sight
was enough to strike terror to any patient. [
could not help observing that DR.. Agnew dis
jointed his chicken with more skill than or
binary mortals, and enjoyed the congenial
work of dissecting anything-even fowl.
The funny stories which DIR. Bliss related to
the company were the subiects of much laugh
ter, and were probably professional anecdotes
of nature to- make a sick man shudder or
well man lose his appetite-for which reason l
did not try to catch the drift of the stories, one
of the funniest being so far as learned from
a word or two, about an abcess which turned
black. The signatures of the different sur
geons on the register were the subject OF much
comment. DR.. Bliss signs in big scrawling
hand DR.. Hamilton in a small, scratchy, indis-
tinet writing, and DR. Agnew writes his name
like q writing master. The characters Of the
men correspond somewhat to their signatures.
THE MAN WHO TALKS.
Bliss is bluff, stout man with short iron
gray side whiskers; he is always ready to talk.
conplimented him the osher day upon his
invariable readiness to receive newspaper
men. "Well,' he said, sometimes in WASH
ington felt as if I should have to scold.
would tell the story Of the day to score OF
SO Oh reporters 1b tllS w uiUo 41ouoVs bnSlA ~
home to find dozen or more on the steps Of
my house, aud then find five or six more wait
ing in my reception room disguised as patients
1t was hard work to keep my temper. The
correspondents are not SO bad here though
three of them followed mo into the water this
morning when took my bath, aud piled me
III ri th ped jGa questions betRean every breaker.a
gave me his v ews upon that point at length
one night recently, the chief points Of his argu-
ment in favor of talking being that the bulle-,
tins have to be interpreted by some one, and
Sho can do it better than he? The majority OF
people would rather be told upon good author
ity that "the President is worse" tlan to read
a column of statistics as to pulse, temperature,
etc. and 1t must be said that without Bliss the
lot OF the newspaper correspondent would be
far from happy one. He is good for halfa
column of matter for whoever catches him.
One of the most reliable of the Washington
correspondents admits Bliss's good nature and
his skill as a surgeon, but contends that no
aith can be put in him. According to TINS
gentleman, DIR. Bliss has no hesitation in tel
ling one story to newspaper men and another
to doctors. He is said to be little AFRAID Oh
Blaine, and usually speaks more frankly to MIN
than to anybody, which may perhaps account
for the pessimist character Of Blaine's dis
patches to London. When the President was
very low three weeks ago. it was reported that
Dr. Hamilton discovered that his bowels were
in a frightful condition and were the real
cause of the alarming symptoms, and without
consulting with DIR. Bliss ran to the nearest
drug store and got some charcoal, with which
the patient was relieved This was contrary
to the laws of medical etiquette, for it was DR..
Hamilton's part to give his views to DR.. Bliss,
who would then do as he saw fit. The TACT
that any such incident took place was denied
point blank by DR.. Bliss, and yet it occurred as
related without any doubt. This is only one
Of many similar incidents
THE MAN WHO WILL NOT TALK.
Hamilton is slight old man, with round
shoulders. He is we'll past 60 years, and his
be..rd is nearly white. No man connected
with the case knows more about the Presl-
dents condition, but no man will say less. He
is modest and retiring, and courtesy itself TO
newspaper men, but he will not talk.
H. II.