San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-09-26
STORY OF DIR. H0FF

About forty years ago, before the
Great Western railway, now the Grand
Trunk, was completed. while workmen
were busy turning the sOds, delving and
piling the virgin soil to receive the iron
rails and their upholding sleepers, where
on the noisy steam monsters which were
to supersede the slow going stage
coaches were to wend their smoky way,
there lived on the confines of a steep and
picturesque gorge over which surveyors
plans designed the railway to pass, a GER
tain individual whom we will call DIR.
HOff
1t was IA beautiful spot, the home of
this medico of long ago. Perched up on
the hillside. surrounded by forest trees,
save where the hand Of man had made a
clearing: backed by moss covered bowld-
erS. relics of day when noble lake,
which might be seen from an eminence,
had surged and tossed its uneasy, foam
fecked breast far beyond its present
boundaries in stormy weather, or slept
in painted azure reStfulness under sum-
mer suns. The home of DR.. Hotf was
indeed a spot calculated to draw forth
mans pest teeilhgs 10 great creator.
Far below, at the foot of the tree lined
gorge. a brook trinkled and murmured
over It's stony oed III the dense shade OF
the forest kings, here and there break
ing from their lcafv shadows to revel in
the sunlight which forced its way where
some great monarch had fallen either
shrouSh Ola age or the tury OF the storm
Tor the ak OF the Wooamah had not then
violated that exquisite corner OF crea-
uon'
lnere III Tue o"SNy sh"ie Ine brook
.IPtleu 'IOhS' trout an" lilIi'o" sport,
my "nn III, WI" nii"S q"elich5u
tnel[ 'hi[s, anu o"IHe" III us S"'uy
C!eP' rs WINE 'ile 'l'i'I't "et'I "VoiT through
NE FOREST 10 "fl'iN oI us coOl W'''eIs'
renee ana SIlelLce FeiSne" III I!le Oe""VI-
tIi gorge, Oh ti!e CoS7 oI ""iCH u"el'
Tie ooJeC' o. ''IlS s''"i'Ie She''H' peace
"ll"uS NoC creatures Nlle'lce' save Lor
ne song o' "'lus' axe "''' uio"y Vi Che
'ree|eS .iIousH '"- FOREST VI'eS' D"'
t-.',e ana mar "'"'.l ''' noC seen 20 nave
reIoheu III tne nome Vi the o"e!ier Oh
IIe verge VI Iha' gorge 50 o7''UI!4"' So
iue"llzeu oy nature
1t was hIoiNis sp'l!I "LLCu h"u I"NCu
~ abode III the dwelling on the summit.
Or. foh was passionate and quarrel
%ome' People shoON theT heads ana
poke with pity OF The sn&rcr OF his lot,
fAe delicate young bride be n1d brought
from far over the sea to bear the lonel-
ness ana hardship OF a HE IN new
country. She WAS far to see, this young
English lady OF gentle birth and rearing,
Ill Cited to rough 1t i'll company with the
passionate, nigh tempered man in whose
hands she had placed her life. To be
sure the settlers IN the vicinity We're glad
to obtain DR. Hoff's professional advice
and attendance. Doctors were not as
frequently met with N those days as in
IL, present ones In sparsrIy settled
conunv districts a doctor was a real
gudscnd: his life was 10 sinecure either.
There were lon. distances to 70 over
uuhrokpn, rough roads. Fees were very
snail. often hard to collect: professional
services were verv freUuently paid in
kind. not in money.
These facts Frequently angcrcd DR..
Hotf and raised mn his passionate tenn.
per.
If he worked ne wanted his fees. that
was quite natural He did not wait
with PATIENCE, like SO many of his pro.
frsSional conto,nporarips learned TO wait,
until harvesC-rt might he more than one
harvest-was in: until Tom Jones colt
WAS sold or John Smiths steers were a