The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-09-09
IN WOMAN'S BEHALF.
SHE EXTRACTS TEETH.
Story of a Chicago Woman Dentist---H
Trials and Success.

with the public and demonstrating that
there are few professions in which
women may not succeed, if they pre-
| pare themselves for their work and go
| at it zealously and conscientiOusly.
The pioneer was Mrs. NJ. Z. Abbott,
whose place of business is at the corner
of Cottage Grove avenue and Thirty
first street. and whose specially, as her
card states, is Grown and bridge
work" She also gives special atten-
ton to children's teeth.
A reporter, says the Chicago Inter
| Ocean. called to see her recently, and
found her willing to give her expert
ence for the encouragement of Others
who may be contemplating like de
parture from the beaten path. She has
two rooms, n reception and operating
room, and in the former sewinT-ma-
chine and white lawn gown, trimmed
with embroidery, in process of making.
proved that, whatever calling woman
NAV pursue, certain wOmanly habits
will cling to her through everything.
| The assistant admitted the visitor and
presently the dentist herself came in.
She is a woman of medium height, with
good, regular features, dark eyes and
hair and fair complexion.
| eyes, have had checkered career"
she admitted, as she pulled off her
| gloves and sat down. You see, since
| began there has been a tremendous
change in public opinion. The progress
| that has been made, within the past
ten years, passes belief"
| EgXVba,, v,-a,.a r-o,, aIuaafnJO"
/ 81 have had no college training.
! When ! began there was no college of
| dentistry in Chicago My husband was
! a dentist and l studied with him. l be-
/ gan shortly after | was married. We
/ lived on Oak street, not far from the
/ laEe, and were doing well at the time
/ OF the fire. That ruined us. We lost
/ everything, like hundreds of others,
and were among the refugees who went
/ to Milwaukee. Friends made mp
/ purse and helped us. | remained in
| Milwaukee little over year and then
l went to Cresco Howard county, Iowa.
/ had two children.
81 learned my profession thoroughly,
and made n speciality of the mechanical
part of it. 1t was really forced upon
me, for had my two little children and
had to do whatever work l might I'M
dertake, at home. This it was possible
for me to do in dentistry. l went to
! Cresco in the winter. 1t was intensely
! cold weather. as cold as it ever gets in
that part of the country. | had my
/ children with me and remained year
and half The business did not pay
me. and | realized that / would have to
! branch ont and open other offices in
neighboring towns. My friends, who
were greatly interested in my success,
and who are still my friends, also adj
vised this. Ny first venture was in
/ Preston, Mimi. 1t was thirty miles
| from Cresco, off the railroad, and the
/ Journey had to be made in an open
wagon. | had heard of the community
/ as one made up of intelligent, progress
sive people. | went in January in the
midst of a raging blizzard. holding my
/ baby close to me, under the blankets,
| to keep him from freezing. Louise was
left with friends She was then seven
years old. It was in midwinter and /
did not expect to remain more than
few days, nor did / expect very great
/ HIlduCldl ICSuAlo. IL oltA ~ 4oC was
/ busy almost from the first day, and, in
the three weeks l remained, earned
$500.
Il then continued TO open branch Of
! fees until | had six, all of which Wis
tied at stated seasons, and did we'll
do you extract teeth, too?"
"Oh, yes" she said with smile.
| ''Do you remember the first case of
this sort?''
Perfectly. That was in Cresco. My
husband came out into the back room
and said: Minnie, there is n man in
the office who wants his tooth pulled
and you must do it 1 had always re-
! fused to use the forceps because feared
that l did not possess the requisite
strength. This is mistake that most
women make. 1t is not mere strength
that is needed; it is science. The man
was big Norwegian-an unpromising
sutherland l looked around and took
up the forceps with good deal of mis-
| giving. But | realized that, sooner or
! later, | would have it to learn and
would have to make a beginning. got
hold of the tooth, gave it little wrench
and out it came-so easily that | looked
at it frightened, supposing that l had
broken it all to pieces. But there it
was, intact. / never failed in all my
practice, and have never broken a tooth
| in attempting to pull it. 1t is some
| thing that the most delicate woman can
do easily, if she knows how. My daugh-
ter came to me while l was in Preston
one of the coolest days of that win
ter She, too, made the trip in an open
wagon, wrapped up in buffalo robes.
She was tiny child-and could not be
! separated from me any longer"
And what about your practice
here?"
"Well, like everybody else, 1 was not
contented until came back. ! realized
that never should have gone away. l
had been gone away from 1878 to 1879.
Shortly after nv return l met Mr.. Geo.
/ Il. Carpenter. Music Hall was not yet
built, but was in contemplation. 1
went first to the corner of Michigan
avenue and Fourteenth street and hung
out my sign. He persuaded me to open
an office in Music Hall, which was TO be
opened in March. He said that friends
would help me and advised it from
business standpoint. had been look
ing elsewhere, but concluded to take
his advice, and did So On March 13.
accordingly, I?pened my office. With
the first week 1 did a business that
brought me in regularly from $3.50 to
$500 a month. The first-named sum
was as regular as the payment of so
much interest, and continued until my
health failed. When this occurred l