Thomas County cat., 1890-06-05

| without the slightest suspicion of any
irregularity in their makeup. When
all was ready the young doctor bought
an old wagon with pair of broken
down horses which the meanest-prin-
cipled Union or Confederate force
would never have dreamed of confis-
eating, and then after clothing himself
in suit of clothes bought at second
hand store started out of the city.
Over one hundred miles was made,
with several narrow escapes, before the
| doctor again neared the river with his
old team. For the last day or two the
scouts and videttes had seemed to be
unusually suspicious, and the young
doctor concluded to give away or sell
his team after gaining the river.
When he arrived upon the bank he
followed the road still down the stream
until he came to the house or dug-out
of small farmer. Here he unloaded
his bark-covered tubes, and after tying
them together and attacking a.bunch
OF brush to them to make them look
like an ordinary bunch of drift he put
them in the river and let them float
off in the current, which they did, look
ing like a bunch of brush which had
foated from the shore. The old wagon
and horses were then driven to the
home of the farmer, traded off for q
boat and pair of oars, with three or
four days provisions, and an old blan-
ket thrown in as good measure.
The young smuggler fioated and
rowed away night after night, some
times ahead and often behind the
bunch of brush which hid away the all
important tubes of quinine. In the
daytime, whenever near the lines or
outposts of the Union forces, he would
remain hidden in some creek or small
stream with his boat and bunch of
driftwood in close proximity.
After three nights travel early one
morning, as he was quietly floating
and padding along about one hundred
yards from the shore, he was halted
for the fifth or sixth time and COM
manded to land. OF course he did so,
expecting to find himself questioned
by a Union vidette. Meantime the
quinine was calmly and smoothly float
ing along just ahead of him. But this
time the young doctor found himself
confronted with squad of Confeder-
ate cavalry, an outpost of General Jo-
seph Shelby's brigade. The Captain
in charge closely questioned him as to
his business and where he was going,
and not perfectly satisfied with his
answers, ordered him to mount horse
and ride to camp, about one mile be-
low. Young Guthrie knew that if he
was taken into a Confederate camp,
which was located below where he had
been arrested, his quinine was safe and
he quietly mounted, determined, how
ever, not to give hint of his real bust
ness until he was sure that he was with
friends.
The squad and their prisoner soon
reached the headquarters of the
colonel commanding, when the prison
er was turned over to the commanding
officer. When the young smuggler
found that he was really with friends
he produced his credentials and told
the commander the secret of his busi-
ness. A boat, or rather two or three
skiffs and small punts. We're soon found,
and the young fellow. accompanied by
several soldiers, padded along shore
upstream until they met the little
bunch of driftwood They soon towed
it ashore at the camp, where the long
tin tubes with their bark covering were
taken out of the water. The quinine
was found in perfect condition, and was
Immediately forwarded under a guard
to the nearest large post.
Young Guthrie was gived a letter
vouching for the safe arrival of large
supply Of the great drug. He was
sent to General Smiths command,
where, after high compliment for his
courage and ingenuity. he was well
paid and recommended to undertake
another trial of the same Sort Five
times he succeeded in getting through
the lines with large quantities of qui-
nine, but the sixth time he was cap
tured and sent to prison at Fort Della
ware, where he remained until the war
was over.
DR.. Guthrie is to-day one of the
most popular and eminent physicians
in this country, with an immense prac
tice. but seldom too busy to tell some
interesting story or "reminiscences of
the times which tested the nerve and
ingenuity of the bravest.