Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-04-29
A Maine Doctors Adventure.
Lewiston (Me, Journal.

Maine doctor, who weighs two hun
dred pounds, and was stationed as an in
spector In the woods, near the border,
recently told me in an interesting way
some Of the northumberland adventures
they were indeed-which he had during
MS Official stay in the wilderness during
the late smallpox scare.
L was SENT" said he, ''to Lowells
township, through which the Canadian
Pacific railroad will pass. My station was
near Gordon's camp, where about so men.
employed on that railroad, were encamp-
ed. The nearest railroad station was at
Lake Megant1c, twenty-eight miles away
built log cabin and constructed gate
across the road. No man went through
that gate without being vaccinated. [ had
to deal with rough class of men, and had
some scrapes that would read like a dime
novel. My two assistants, a rifle, re-
Volver, Newfoundland dog, and suit of
clothes with brass buttons, which I pro-
cured after I'd been there awhile, helped
me out. You see nobody lived near, and
mad no moral support, 1 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 Vacclnated every man of the SIS en-
ployed there. They rebelled against it.
but we made no talk with them, going
through them like a flock of sheep. Sew
eral days afterward word came to me that
crew was coming from the camp to tear
down my cabin and send me home. Some
OF the mems arms had swollen and became
exceedingly sore. I went down to the
camp at once and found mutinv i'm
pending. Many of the men were sick and
angry. Several of them were laid up and
suffering severely. [ explained the ma
cure of their trouble to them, and told
them If they would keep calm 1 would re-
lleVe them of their pain. With the help
of morphine I was able to prevent the
rumpus. I tell you it was an excited
crowd. They were afraid that all of them
would be taken down.
"A hurley Scotchman swore he would
pass my station without being yaccinated
one day. He was one of a dozen desper-
ate fellows. L had pitched battle with
MIN at last, and actually vaccinated him
with my foot on his windpipe Mean
while, my assistant kept off the others
with his gun. We stuck the quill into
every one of them.
Often the Canadians tried to get by
me by stealing around throught the
"oouS' 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 o'clock in the
morning, and the fellow was nearly dead
with cold and fatigue. He would have
persisted but for 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 load
OF hay and passed without being noticed.
They crawled out too soon. At the Forks
they were stopped and sent back to be
yaccinnated.
Il was surprised to see the prejudice
these fellows had against vaccination. It
existed among the Scotch and English as
well as among the French"