The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-12
DIR. JOHN M. CASTOR DEAD
HE WAS n OF THE EARLY PIO-
NEERS OF THIS CITY.
In Early Life He Had Many Unusual
Experiences-His Career in
This City.

--
DR.. John NJ. CASTOR, one of the Oldest and
most prominent physicians of this city, died
yesterday morning at his home, 237 North
New Jersey street, after an illness of twelve
Gays, his death resulting from bronchial
pneumonia.
He was eighty-two years of age and was
horn at Newburg, Pa, removing at the age
of sixteen with his parents to this city.
His first year in Indiana was spent at
Knightstown. He was at that time a mere
STRIPPING and untitled for farm work, which
became so distasteful that one day he fol-
lowed an emigrant wagon as it passed the
farm, and came to Indianapolis, in 1884.
Indianapolis was a town of 1900. situated
almost entirely on Washington street.
Workmen were just completing the plas-
tering of the old Statehouse. He drifted
from indianapolis to a number of towns,
and finally landed at South Bend, i'll and
unknown, and there took up the study OF
medicine with DR.. George w. Rex, formerly
of Philadelphia, with whom he remained
two years, returning to this city and re-
newing his studies in the office of Drs.
Charles Parry and John III. Sanders, con-
tinuing it until 1916, when he went to New
York and became a student in the univer-
sity there. from which he graduated in 1913.
OPENED AN OFFICE HERE.
When he returned to Indianapolis he
opened an office for general practice in a
building located on the present site of the
Paul krauss store on Washington street.
About a year later he left and went 10
California, where he was for three years
engaged in mining and other pursuits. The
passage from New York TO San Francisco
cost him s41S. He spent between two and
three years digging for gold. In talking
of his California experiences he often SAID
that in washing his own clothes and dishes
and doing his own cooking and carrying
the dirt to wash he found IL as hard to dig
sold there as here. He finally went to Sac
ramento, where one of his fellow-pasSengerS
On the trip across the isthmus had been
made postmaster: He made the doctor his
delivery clerk. Fifteen thousan~ people had
settled in Sacramento and were living in
shanties, tents and other emergency abodeS.
This, singularly enough, was the fourth
time that chance connected DIR. CASTOR with
the postal service. DR.. Armstrong, with
whom he was associated as a boy, Incl
dentally was postmaster as Well as mer-
chant. DR.. Rex, by the grace of Martin Van
Euren, was postmaster at South Bend, and
DR.. GastOn's brother-in-law, DR.. Richard
Hall, was postmaster of Charlottesville,
near Knightstown, this State. In his post
OaANS az "a 0GN 49, ootC -
salary was 500 q month, with large addi-
tional pay for certain work pertaining to
mail delivery not required by law. DR..
CASTOR says his experience there taught
him that there is no conceivable name that
IL not duplicated. He cites as an instance
that two men. each named Cornelius
Schemmerhorne, stepped up TO the delivery
window in Sacramento at the same time
one day to claim mail.
RETURNED TO THIS CITY.
After two years in the postofice DR..
CASTOR came back to Indianapolis. He
lost two fortunes in Sacramento, one by q
fire, which destroyed valuable papers, and
the other by the dishonesty of an agent
whom he invested with power of attorney
to manage his property interests when he
came home. the agent seizing the oppor-
tunity to convert the property to his own
use. In 1857 DIR. CASTOR married Miss
Martha Rowen, of Poland, o. She at
tended the academy where President Nc
Kinley subsequently obtained his educa-
ton. and among her schoolmates was Mr..
McKinley's sister. DR.. and Mrs. CASTOR be-
gan housekeeping where they still live, and
among their immediate early ~neighbors
We're General Harrison. Hervey Bates.
Henry Ward Beecher, the F1etchers and
John r. Elder. General Harrison, in those
days, lived on the south side of Vermont
street, just east of New Jersey.
DIR. CASTOR practiced medicine until 1874,
when, about the time the henson Hotel
burned, and when the lights in that part
of the city were all out, he stumbled one
night over a stump in front of the pres
ent entrance of the Grand Opera House.
The fall broke his hip, and he was never
able to walk afterward. except with the
aid of crutches. He devoted his time
largely to a systematic and scientific pur-
suit OF knowledge. and it is said there
was no one in Indianapolis better informed
on general topics.
WAS ENTHUSIASTIC.
He was during his early years very en-
thusiastic i'm regard TO his chosen pro-
fession and is said to have been the first
physician in this city TO use chloroform
as an anesthetic. His first experience with
it was during his study at the University
of New York. He sent a bottle of it home
and recommended it TO the use of physi-
clans practicing here but they declined,
not being familiar with it and fearing dis
astrous results. His enthusiasm. after
his return from California and his injury,
was not as great as before. he having
returned with considerable money and not
having TO depend upon his profession for
a living. lie was one of the members OF
the Indiana Medical Society and until
Yesterday was one of four surviving men, !
bers who brought about its organization
The others surviving are DR.. r. II. Jane
son, DIR. Florrer and DR.. w. III. Wishard.
DIR. CASTOR was "A member of Christ Epis-
copaI Church almost from the time he came
to this city and for nineteen years was a
vestryman of the church. He was OF a
retiring disposition and was connected with
no office or public institution.
He leaves his wife and four children.
George Il. CASTOR. Mrs. John b. Sherwood.
Mrs. George ID. Kahlo, and Mrs. j. Rilus
Eastman. all OF this city. He also leaves
three grandchildren, al less than six years
OF age.
The funeral will be held Monday morning
at 10 o'clock from the family home. The
burial Will be ar Crown Hill.