Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-12-29
Old eentleman,s Musings.

Old Gentleman'S Musings.
The doctors" have become so mum
erous within the past ten years that it
is safe to say that one man out OF five,
TO be found in any gathering of citizens
may be properly addressed as doc.
tor" Let man yell ''Doc" on the
street, ia a crowd. aud dozen men
will be liable to look around. thinking
they have been addressed. The regu.
lar doctors are quite numerous while
the dentists are plenty. and veterinary
surgeons are not far behind and all
are doctors" Besides. all the boys
attending medical lectures are called
doctor" and druggists clerks come
under the same heading. Even the
boy that attends the soda fountain in a
drug store is called doctor by his
companions, while Doctors of Divinity
are BY no means rare, to say nothing
OF the gentlemen whose profession is
to give electric treatment or operate
on corns. All are doctors. The corn
doctor is honored us much as any OF
'enl. and causes pain to cease. aud he
trots in the sams class with the sur
geon or dentist. | am reminded
OF lot of fun | had with
some guests on my yacht, a few
years ago. had made the acauaint-
ance of little corn doctor. first pro-
fessionally, and then socially. He was
u splendid corn doctor, rare Joker,
aud first rate fellow. He had been
soldier. and a brave one. and carried
some scars, and a bullet or two for all
| know. for he was crippled up some.
and drew pension for wounds. In
conversation with him. for he lived not
far from me, found that he was q
sportsman, and liked duck shooting
above all things. His business kept
aim very close. so he could not 90
shooting. as he felt that he could not
afford the expense. | knew that
man who liked to shoot. and couldn
get a chance. must be miserable in the
crisp autumn days, when ducks arc
flying. so / invited him to go up to my
yatch rs a guest for few days, and
told him it wouldn't cost him cent
from the time he left Milwaukee till he
got back. He was tickled. and ar
ranged 10 90 with me the next week.
When the time arrived l found that
several other guests. who had standing
invitations to go with me at any time.
had concluded to go. also, and when
told the doc who was going, he wanted
to back out, as one Of the guests was
distinguished editor from the east |
told my little doctor that he must 90,
anyway. | said to him, II shall intro
duce you simply as Doctor Phillip. and
they don't need TO know but what you
are an army surgeon. You just keep
still about corns. and the guests will
never know the difference" The doc.
thought it over q minute and said,
''She goes. IL you say so. So we took
the train for Oshkosh, and introd uced
my guests. and before wo got to the
yacht DIR. Phillip was solid Muldoon
with them all, because he could toll
good stories. and he was lively com.
panion. The evening was spent on
the yacht in smoking and telling
stories. and my editor guest was so
much pleased with the doc that
gave them bed together. and they
talked till long into the night. The
editor told of sights he had seen
abroad, in his travels around the
world, and the doctor told Of ex-
periences in the army. among the
dead and dying. and the rest OF us
listened with much interest. until over
come by sleep, and when we awoke in
the morning the editor and the doctor
were still talking. = PecE's Sun.