The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-11-23
THE SHIPS SURGEON.
WHY HE RESIGNED AFTER MAKING
ONE ROUND TRIP.

When / first hung out my single, "
said prominent New York physician
TO group Of friends, among them re.
porter, II thought it would be easy to
drum up good paying practice. but I
soon realized my mistake Patients were
few. didn't earn $40 the first month,
and one day when | felt very discour
aged and was thinking of giving up the
study of the healing art for q more la.
crative commercial pursuit ! met q
friend The latter was the agent for q
line of transatlantic steamers, and on
telling him OF my poor success as ply
stefan he offered me position as sur
geon on one OF his ships | accepted the
berth, and on the evening Of the third
day at sea l had an experience with q
mailman, which shall never forget
1.-The weather was very stormy, and
as / in consequence had had but little
sleep the two previous nights felt ra.
Their drowsy and sat in a chair in my
stateroom doing Suddenly | was
awakened by tremendous lurching of
the vessel. Then heard loud knock
at my door, and a tall, strange and very
excited dark featured man hurriedly en-.
tered my cabin The mans actions were
so peculiar that l jumped to my feet
and reached for revolver which lay ON
my table, but l was too slow The
stranger had seized the weapon. ! then
asked the man gruff1y what he wanted
He did not reply for some time and
then, after locking the door and putting
the key and my pistol in his pocket,
said
I'm not SICK doctor I've come
here, exposing a long knife from the
sleeve of his coat by order of the cap.
tain to cut your throat.
For moment looked the stranger
in the face, and his wild. steady stare
soon convinced me that l had to deal
with mailman.
II am not coward, yet even now
the thought Of that moment makes me
shudder. There was in a remote part
of the ship alone with a mailman of
twice my physical strength, without
chance to escape or means to give alarm,
and, being unarmed, entirely at his
mercy. therefore decided that resist
ance would be of the least service to me
and that apparent acquiescenes would
be best. All this quickly flashed through
my mind, and accordingly feisning the
utmost Indifference could l said:
The captains orders must, of
course, he obeyed. But can you do the
deed quickly?'
"'Oh, yes, replied the mailman,
calmly surveying the knife which he
held in his hand. I'm butcher by
trade and can do the job easily with
this tool.
Here he paused to examine with his
thumb the edge of the knife, which
looked rather blunt, and as he did 30 an
idea struck me, and remarked:
Your knife does not seem to have a
very keen edge. The trachea is tough,
you know, and rather difficult to cut
with such blunt instrument
1.-The mailman now looked at me with
a curious expression, as if trying to read
my thoughts, and then, after examining
the knife more closely, seemed to think
my suggestion good one, for he said:
Yes, doctor, l think you are right.
A little sharpening will do no harm, so
If you don't mind waiting l will go to
the galley and get the cook to help me
put an edge on it with his grindstone
This was exactly what wanted, as,
feeling sure he would not lock the door
after him, thought my escape would i
be easy, but picture my dismay when on
his departure discovered that the door
was locked as securely as before.
"What was to do? l flung open the
portfolio and shouted with all my might
for assistance but the fury of the gale
was now so great that all my efforts to
make myself heard were of no avail
Then in a frenzy Of despair l looked
about for some weapon of defense, but
there was not so much as stick to be
found in my cabin. put my ear to the
keyhole, and, thinking heard footsteps
approaching. l impulsively threw of
my coat, went to the farthest end of the
room and, standing as defiantly as pos.
sible, resolved to fight to the last.
II remember then the door bursting
open and the entry of the mailman, not
alone, as L expected. but securely pin.
Toned and attended by two of the ships
The relief of she moment was 30 great
that it completely Frustrated me, and l
fell in faint to the floor.
when l came to my senses, learned
that the peculiar and excited manner of
the maniac, the large knife in his pos.
session and his anxiety to sharpen it
drew suspicion on him and induced the |
officer to secure and bring him to my |
cabin to ascertain his condition. Need
less to say pronounced the man insane,
and he was kept securely confined and |
watched day and night until the ship !
arrived in Liverpool, where he was |
handed over to the proper authorities |
l returned to New York on the same |
vessel, but never went to sea in the ca |
pacity of surgeon again. Washing.
ton Star.