Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-05-09
THE DOCTORS RUSE.
HOW he GOT THE BEST OF HIS
RIVAL.

For a Time Things Looked Blue For
the Young Physician, but With TIN g
Aid OF a Friend He Turned the
Tide and Now In Prosperous.
When Sylysnus Craig graduated from
the Chicago Medical institute, he was
Canny and chose a small Illinois town
wherein to swing his shingle. No strug-
g..ug against bitter odds in big city for
him. He preferred country air and q
chance for his life. The fact that there
was only one other doctor in Blossomville
and he aged and decrepit promised q
smooth path to competence and glory.
That was before Sylvanus went to
Jacksonville. Three months later he held
his head and wondered how it happened.
Not solitary patient had responded to
his bright new sign, and old DR.. Gsttys
still drove busily around in his neat little
phaeton and held crowded Office hours at
tending to the invalids Of the town. DR..
Gettys had been the standard physician
of all Blossomvills's families for three
generations, and the families shifted at
the latest in medical achievement as rep
resented by young DR.. Craig and stuck
to their colors. As new young man he
was popular; as a physician he was
blandly ignored.
This, as Sylvanus had discovered, did
not pay bills. 1t was distinctly annoy
ing, as DR.. Gettys was certainly old
enough and rich enough to be willing to
give another man a chance. He had no
moral right in continuing to risk the
health of Blossomville by antique medi-
cines and remedies discarded by advanc-
ed practitioners two decades or more ago,
and the inhabitants of the town were
senseless enough not TO see they were
casting aside pearls and clinging to dross.
II was really very hard. If something
did not happen soon, Sylvanus decided
he would turn on the gas or go to digging
bitches.
A couple Of weeks later a travelling
man at the Main Street hotel, who had
just arrived, fell violently Ill. He writh-
ed as the scared bellboy responded to a
ring. ANY doctors in this bloomin holeW
queried the sufferer.
"Old DR.. Gettys and the new one, DR..
Craig, he's young" said the boy.
go for the old one! roared the trav-
cling man. mo young green fools around
me! I'm far too sickY'
LIT. Gellyb ABsteQcu 10 tH6 uOtel duu
did his best. The case was q difficult
one, and the patient after day or SO
grew steadily worse. He had the only
nurse the village afforded, and interest
In his illness grew abroad. DR.. Gettys
was In despair the fifth day, when the
sufferer steadily declined In health. He
grew secretly scared at his failure to
produce any effect on the ravages OF dis
ease, and that was why he did not feel
so bad as he might have done when the
sick man, who was addicted to violent
language, told him his candid opinion Of
his skill, peremptorily discharged him
and sent for young DR.. Craig.
Naturally, as this was his first oppor-
tunity to show Jacksonville what he
could do, DR.. Craig bent his best energies
on the situation. Well he knew not a
family in town was there which was not
awaiting the result Of his struggle with
death which DR.. Gettys had had to give
up.
In three days DR.. Craig had his pa
tient sitting up, and in two more the trav-
cling man had left town after publicly
eulogizing DR.. Craig In the Office Of the
Main Street hotel.
Blossomville capitulated. There was
a mighty swerve, and the tide Of the sick
and afflicted flowed toward the Office with
the new glittering sign. DR.. Gettys, left
stranded, retired on his income and made
a collection of BUTTERFLIES.
A year later DR.. Craig, prosperous and
radiant, ran up TO Chicago on business.
The first thing he did was to hunt up his
particular old college chum and wiring his
hand, with tears in his eyes. 1T worked,
old boy" he said.
The college chum grinnsd. 81 fancy
did do my part pretty WELL" he respond
ed modestly. 81 wasn't star In ANA
teur theatricals In my salad days for
nothing. Wasn't / dandy drummer,
and, oh, wasn't sick"
And then they celebrated properly
Chicago News.