The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1886-08-21
UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
4 Maine Doctor vaccinates -Canadisua ~
the Muzzle OF n Gun.
Lewiston (Me. } Journal /

the MuzzIe OF n Gun.
Lewiston (Me.) Journal
A Maine doctor, who weighs two hun.
dred pounds, and was stationed as an in
spector in the woods. near the border, re-
Gently told me in an interesting way some
OF the adventures-and adventures they
were, indeed-which he had during his of
fetal stay in the wilderness, during the
late small pox scare.
~ was SENT" said he, ''to Lowell's town
ship, through which the Canadian Pacific
railroad will pass. My station was near
Gordon's camp, where about eighty men
employed on the railroad were encamped.
The nearest railroad station was at Lake
Megantic, twenty -eight miles away. 1
built a log cabin and constructed a gate
across the road. No man went through
that gate without being vaccinated. had
to deal with a rough class of men, and had
some scrapes that would read like a dime
novel. My two assistants, a rifle, revolt
yer, Newfoundland dog and suit of
clothes with brass buttons, which / pro-
cured after I'd been there awhile, helped
me out. You see, nobody lived near. and
had no moral support. I had to rely
wholly on my display of physical force.
"Soon after we were established we
went down to Gordon's camp, and in one
day vaecinated every man of the eighty
five employed there. They rebelled against
1t, but we made no talk with them, going
through them like flock of sheep. Several
days afterward word came to me that q
crew was coming down from the camp to
"a nj horn
Some of the mems arms had swollen and
become exceedingly sore. went down to
the camp at once, and found a mutiny inn
pending. Many of the men were sick and
angry. Several of them were laid up and
suffering severely. explained the nature
of their trouble to them, and told them il
they would keep calm I would relieve
them Of their pain. With the help Of NOR
phine was able to prevent a rumpus. !
tell you it was an excited crowd. They
were afraid that all Of them would be
taken down.
"a burly Scotchman swore he would
pass my station without being vaccinated
one day. He was one of dozen desperate
fellows. had pitched battle with him
at last, and actually vaccinated him with
my foot on his windpipe! Meanwhile my
assistant kept Off the others with his gun.
We stuck the quill into every one of them.
soften the Canadians tried to get by me
by stealing around through the woods.
One man, in making such an attempt, was
lost in the night. We heard his cries and
started in search of him. With the help
of our Newfoundland, we were able to
rescue him, but we did not arrive at our
cabin till four o'clock in the morning, and
the fellow was nearly dead with cold and
fatigue. He would have persisted but the
doctors and the dog. A more scared man
than he was when we came upon him you
never saw.
"They adopted curious way to sneak
by the Moose river inspector one day.
-Four men concealed themselves in a load
Of hay and passed without being noticed.
They crawled out too soon. At the Forks
they were stopped and sent back to be
vaccinated. 81
81 was surprised TO see the prejudice
these fellows had against vaccination. It
existed among the Scotch and English az
well an among the French x z