The San Francisco call., 1896-09-26
WYMAN AND HAMILTON
Marine Hospital Transfers That
Cause Much Gossip at
Washington.
Hints That the Surgeon General
Wants His Predecessor Out OF
His Way.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. 25.-Sur-
geon-General Wyman of the United States
Marine Hospital Service was seen by THE
CALL correspondent tonight and asked
why DR.. John B. Hamilton, now sta
toned at the Marine Hospital in Chicago,
had been ordered to relieve DR.. Godfrey,
now at San Francisco, and who has been
assigned to the Chicago hospital. DR..
Wyman said that it was usual in the
Marine Hospital Service, as in the army,
to make transfers periodically; that it had
been the custom to make these changes in
the Marine Hospital Service quadren-
nially.
"Dr. Hamilton" he said, "has been
stationed at Chicago for five years, and
has therefore been there one year longer
than expected. Changes are made every
four years for the good of the service. DIR.
Hamilton is changed with the other. He
goes TO a very desirable post"
An interesting bit of gossip is going the
rounds of Treasury Department circles.
They say that Surgeon-General Wyman
and DIR. Hamilton are at loggerheads and
have been for four or five years, and that
DR.. Wyman wishes to get his rival as far
away from Washington as possible. Five
years ago DR.. Hamilton was surgeon-gen-
eral of marine hospitals, but resigned to
| take a position as one of the faculty of
Rush Medical College, Chicago, and to
edit Chicago medical journal. DR.. Wy
man was appointed to succeed him.
| DIR. Hamilton soon tired of his new field
of operations, however, and through the
influence of powerful friends in Washing
ton endeavored to be reinstated IN his old
position as surgeon-general, to which Wy
man had been appointed. Senators Vest
| and Cockrell of Missouri were good friends
of Wyman and succeeded in retaining
him in Office.
DR.. Hamilton soon left Rush Medical
College and was reinstated IN the Marine
Hospital Service, with headquarters in
Chicago, and continued to publish his
paper; but, nevertheless, he has never
abandoned hope OF again being surgeon
| general. Friends of DR.. Hamilton now in
/ Washington declare that in sending
Hamilton to San Francisco to relieve DIR.
! Godfrey DR.. Wyman was animated by q
desire to get his rival as far away from
Washington as possible. This, however,
seems to be an injustice to Surgeon-Gen-
eral Wyman.
In his conversation with THE CALL cor
respondent he manifested no personal
animus toward DR.. Hamilton and spoke OF
him pleasantly. 1t is believed that Dr.
Wyman, in order not to subject himself to
the false accusation Of sending DR.. Hamil
ton away from Chicago because of personal
! malice, has allowed him to remain at that
post one year longer than is usual.
1t 10 said here that DR.. Hamilton may
resign rather than submit TO what he and
the Chicago people consider an indignity
II he should go TO San Francisco he would
have to give up the editorship of the Chi
cago Medical Journal, the income from
which is almost equal to his salary in the
United States Marine Hospital Service.
If DIR. Hamilton concludes to go to Sar
Francisco he will not leave until Septem
Der 80. He will be succeeded at Chicago
temporarily by DR.. P. NJ. Darlington, pas
assistant surgeon, who will remain in
Chicago until the arrival of DR.. Godfrey
who may be retained at San Francisco fol
several weeks in order to settle up matterI
OF personal character.
DR.. Godfrey is one of the oldest surgeon,
in the service. He has been at San Fran
cisco for four years, and previous to tha
was in charge of the New York City sta
tion.
DIR. Wyman regards him as a most ex
cellent officer. DIR. Wyman would like t.
accommodate DIR. Hamilton and thos,
Chicago people who are anxious for hi
return, but in order to do so would hav,
to violate a precedent of long standing
which might cause him trouble in futur
when pressure is brought to bear to secur
the retention of some other Marine Hos
pital surg con at a particular post.