The Wichita daily eagle., 1900-12-01
A Hoodoo Doc.

The Chicago real estate agent had been
| showing the Vermont capitalist some
| choice property on the West Side. On
one side Of the street was a long row
| Of houses that had been newly paint
ed, around which were well kept lawns.
But al the windows Of these houses were
| drawn closely and an air Of desolation
| surrounded them.
We viii let the beast rest while 7 tell
you the tragic story Of those uutenant-
ed houses began the real estate agent.
and when he had lit fresh cigar, pro-
ceeded: Some years ago-long before
the big ditch was finished that now sends
our pollution down the Mississippl-but
in harmless shape. ] assure youths part
OF Chicago was the most fatal TO health
of any district of this immense city.
Smallpox, measles. scarlet fever. dlpn-
sheria. and tubereular troubles could al
ways be found in nearly every block be-
tween Madison street and the river
Up to 1893 an undertaken named Patsy
Murphy did business on the South S de
but his profits were nothing to 1rag
about and therefore his bank account
was not large. At ali events it was too
small to permit his daughter Emiliue to
dress in that fashion compatible with her
beauty and her ambitions. Wherefore
Miss Murphy grew more restless and dis
satisfied as she got older.
Among the men who paid her atten-
ton and finally laid siege to her soft
but unjeweled hand was Dr.. Matt Be
thune. who a few days before Miss AIur-
ply attained her 18Th year had received
his diploma from an Ohio medical col
lege. But he was poor also. So Miss
Emiline reasoned it out that to marry
him would neither enhance her ward
robe nor elevate her station in society
Ins fvcr c1,o 44lT fT,7 re =
she followed him to the steps and con-
fessed there that she liked him better
than any other man she knew. She
told him more than that when she gave
him her hand TO say goodnight
You get a big practice, save your
money, and you and I may yet be the
principals in a ceremony in the big brown
church on the avenue she said.
Well, the future wasn't a promising
ope for young doctor who had no
social standing in u community where
most of the families employ buffers and
own automobiles So Bethune began
looking around for a better location. See
the little drug store on the corner there?
Well, just over il is DR.. Bethune's Of
fee, and right back Of that is his
sleeping-r0om. How he pays his rent I
do not know, for I hear he has not had
a case for many months.
And do you see the undertaker's sign
on that empty building on the other side
of the street? That was where Murphy
held forth for five years and prospered,"
continued the real estate agent. when
DR. Bethune left the South Side he To-
Gated at his present stand. He hadn't
been a resident many weeks before he
ran across Murphy and told him that II
he would move his shop near where he
was located he would make money by
the bushel, and Murphy moved. About
two months after he had opened his COM
mercial maws for the dead a. strange
little mougrel dog ran in his store one
morning and hid behind a coffin that lay
on the foor. Some bad boys in the neigh
borhood had been peltlng 1t with rocks.
So the frightened brute took refuge IN
the first place he saw was accessible.
Murphy went to the door, spoke harshly
to the boys, and then returned and pat
TED the trembling dog on the head When
it came time for Murphy to go home
for dinner he coaxed the dog to follow.
and, arriving at the house, he had the
servant feed it. Murphy named him
Blurcher and gave him to understand he
was his friend and that his home was his
also.
''Wen, 7 don't suppose there ever was
a dog that had sense like this Blucher