Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-11-11
CIINTON'S MYSTERIOUS
...JUROR-DOCTOR....
H f fa H s EsgHR

E4fEt LLlL I4 I-o|-
49, 49,. &C far back as 1870 Clinton was
b'ef tho most important interior
one u If Missouri. It's people have al
'0n ns hpen hospitable to the stranger
way encouraging to newcomers"
snu uofnrp when D. T. II. Morrison,
lDelo a handsome and skilled in his pro-
! !Dien sought home in Clinton in the
. nn ~ 1870 and hung out his single,
u n ~ not pestered by the usual ques-
NC, If curious old women as to Wheth-
l,vI ~ not be was married, nor by the
.4on embarrassing inquiry of garru-
Wv. old men about his antecedents and
~s In fact, nobody bothered
r poctor Morrison with prying questions
- orr nature when he rented and
Sandsomely fitted up an office In the
nr;ncinal building of the town. Every
t t he met extended a warm welcome
~ him and hoped he would do well.
Eron the medical fraternity, headed by
noctor Britt, Joined in welcoming Doc
tOr Morrison to Clinton, and besides
msnifesting a natural interest to know
from what college he had obtained his
d,nloma none of the doctors in compe-
tton with whom he was bound sooner
or later to come annoyed him with
onpstions about his former home Or
how long he had been practicing.
From the very first there was an air
Of mystery about Doctor Morrison
which less gentle people than those Of
Clinton would have insisted upon pene-
trating. He was reserved in manner,
answered politely but in monosyllables
all questions asked Of him, showed
neither interest nor contempt for the
affairs of Others kept a light burning in
his office hours every night after even
the night owls Of the town had gone
to bed formed no comprehensive, yet
was agreeable and always approacha-
ble and in thousand other ways de-
ported himself in such a manner as
would have excited to the point Of fren-
y the curiosity of the ordinary coun-
try town. Some of the more cosby
Cintonites predicted when Doctor Nor
rson first hung out his single that he
wouldn't stay in the town long, for the
reason that nearly all of the doctors
then there except Doctor Britt "were
almost starving to death" One Of
them tentatively remarked this to Doc
tor Morrison one day, and the Doctor
only smiled and said something about
he supposed he would manage some
how to live
Weeks rolled into months, and still
not citizen Of Clinton or of Henry
County called Doctor Morrison to at
tend case Of sickness. Still he con-
tnued to live at the principal hotel and
to be the best dressed man in town. He
wore Prince Albert suit of black and
shlmmering silk stovepipe hat. He
PAID all of his bills promptly, and ask
ed nobody for the loan Of dollar. If
ne had an account at the bank there Is
no record of it. 1t is remembered that
ne bought four new suits a year, one
lor each season, though he always
dressed in solemn black, and that the
10y who cared for his horse and buggy
always got his pay promptly. He at
tended all the meetings of the town
anu district medical societies and dis
eoursed learnedly on the various phases
VI therapeutics. He was a regular at
tiuant at church, showing no denomi-
national bias and patronizing the fairs
Vi oil churches alike. His conduct was
~ genteel in all respects as to disarm
prslns curiosity, even if the people of
Vnn'on had possessed their full share
Vi tnat common human trait. His walk
anu TALK were too conventional to give
.se 10 unusual comment or to excite
uiiuue interest in him.
:. poetor Morrison was permitted to
i've Ills life in Clinton as he saw fit to
1--WE 1--WE IT, AS before remarked, nobody
'O'nered him with questions about his
f"S' of future. Not a soul in the town
A'ept himself knew where he came
Sa,u IN the course of year Major
A'Dion observed that Doctor Morrison
,ba Daseu TO get on every jury, except
c0 s grand jury, summoned in Henry
wv" n'y' He also noticed that every
N.Y., VI winch Doctor Morrison was a
o,e euoef returned verdicts that were de-
sn. eu oy the lawyers to be the most
sans aiSIlg IN the history of jurispru-
nno.S Inc Major remarked this to
o oo"., britz one day and that worthy
. nu' said he was going to make
go sUe' investigation of Morrison ito
~ ~ II anything was wrong" Both
hn,p 0f salmon and Doctor Britt were
~ :. men and didn't meet often. And
hota. Nappened that six months passed
rs,b .e 'ne two were again brought to-
e euner II where it was convenient to dis
WIS., '.e case of Doctor Morrison. Then,
II ha Major Salmon asked Doctor Britz
eard naa made any discovery with re.
sbo0,. ~ morrison the old doctor simply
ws' UA MS head in oracle fashion and
swss away without giving an an.
= queer old character was Judge Nc