Morning journal and courier., 1886-11-30
Nervous Great Men.

we Ihlngton Correspondence Chicago SeWSI
 Having occasion to visit a dentist the oth- CT day. I asked him if I was the most ner vous man he ever had in his cEairs
 ''Bless you, no,' replied the tooth-tinker. ''You are only about the average patient, and it would surprise you to see how some of the big men act when they come here to get their teeth fixed. General Sheridan, for example, is one of the worst men in den tist's chair you ever saw, ard General Logan tender as a baby and will shrink at the slightest touch on his nerves, while 1 sup pose there were never two braver men in battle than they. General Sherman too is about as bad and acts as if he were going to have fit whenever the drill is put into his teeth. He jumps and grunts, and groans and takes on worse than if he were having his leg cut off
 General Burnside, on the contrary was one of the most patient and enduring men I ever saw I have had him in my chair a number of times and have filled lot of his teeth He would sit quietly. without mak- ing @ moan or saying word, from the time that he took his seat until the job fin ished. He always seemed to be grateful that I had not caused him any more pain, and when would ask him, as I did sometimes: Does that hurt you, Generals? he would re- ply; 'Oh, no, not much; go on and let's get done with it; the sooner the job is over the better
 'tAndrew Johnson, when he was Vice President and while he was in the Senate, came to my office several times and was a very good patient, taking things philosophi- cally and making me very little trouble. l oncs filled four teeth for him at sitting and every one of them was in good condition The job lasted nearly five hours and must have hurt him dreadfully, but he never wjnced and did not seem to have any nerves at all.
 "Old Zach Chandler was another good pa tient. He would sit in the chair almost mo- tionless and would let me drill away at his teeth without any remonstrance or show of pain. But one time when 1 undertook to draw a tooth for him I thought the old m an would go crazy. 1t was tough old grinder and had been troubling him good deal, be- ing Liberated around the roots. 1 got good hold with the nippers and the first time 1 nearly lifted him out of the chair. But it did not come. I took hold again and lifted him the same as before I saw that his face was quite pale and asked him if he did not want to rest. He said: No, I would like to have it out at once.'~ But as the operation was evidently so painful, and he seemed to keep growing paler, suggested that he had better take ether. He declined, saying that he never took an ansesthetic in his life and never would. Turning around sharply he told me to go on and have 1t over without further delay. I got hold again and gave Jerk that drew the tooth from his head. He lay back in the chair entirely exhausted and closed his eyes. I thought for moment that he would faint and brought him glass of water, asking if it hurt him much Look ing up to me he said: Yes, it hurt like - EsThere is a naval officer in this city, whose name will not mention, who threads to have his teeth touched more than any man that ever saw The first time that he came here to have job done ne frightened me so that was on the point of telling him to go somewhere else for his dentistry It was not a difficult or painful operation; simply the filling of a small cavity in one of his front teeth, but when put the drill upon him l thought he would jump out of the chair
 He threw up his arms and knocking over the stand turned with volley of the hurt him that way again he would cut my head open. Then he settled back again and said: Now be careful; there is no sense in killing man in a little job like this.'
 ''I put the drill on him again and it had no more than touclRd his tooth when he sprang up with another eruption of bad Ian guage, denounced me butcher and said that he would not endure such treatment any longer remonstrated, told him that it was necessary to clear out the cavity so that the filling would adhere, and said that 1 would be as gentle as possible But it took me whole afternoon to finish that tooth, and I would not touch him again for any amount of money. This man was of the bravesG and most famous naval officers of the war Nothing in battle ever frightened him and 1 his deeds have large place in history. ''I find almost without exception that