The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-20
ASKED To RESIGN
COUNTY PHYSICIAN CHISHOLM OUT
AND DIR. JOHN G. KELLER IN.
SERVICES DIDN'T PLEASE.
RESOLUTION OF BOARD EXPLAINS
RESIGNATION.

Chisholm Mt 10 O'Clock and His
Resignation Filed by NOon-Ac-
cepted in the Afternoon and DIR.
Keller EIected-The COrrespOnd-
ence That Passed Between the
Pnrties-Dr. Chisholm offered 10
Make Question of Verncity Per-
sOnaI Matter with the Commits
siOners.
DR.. T. B. Chisholm, at the request of
the County Commissioners, resigned yes
terday morning the offioe of Jail and coun-
~ physician. The resignation was ac-
copied at a meeting of the commission
ers, held in the afternoon, and DR.. J. G.
Keller. county coroner, was elected to
fill the vacancy.
At 10 o'clock in the morning DIR. CHS
holm was sent the following letter and
resolution, requesting him to forward his
resignation, the letter being sent from
the Office of the County Commissioners
"Dr. T. b. Chisholm, Jail and County
Physician, City: Dear Sir-In obedience
TO the enclosed order of this court passed
at a special session held on the eighteenth
inst, it is my duty to request you to
forward your resignation as jail and
county physician, so as to reach this Of
flee not later than 4 o'clock this after
noon, Respectfully, Reuben Butler,
Clerk. c. c. c."
The order of the board, to which ref
erence is made in the letter of the clerk,
is as follows:
1T is hereby ordered that the clerk of
munication to DR. r. B. Chisholm, jail
and county physician. requesting him to
tender his resignation, to take effect at
once, his services not having proven sat
isfactory to this board"
This order had been passed at the meet
ing of the board held Tuesday afternoon,
TO which reference was made in yester-
days Morning News. The Morning News
stated that there had been an animated
discussion between the commissioners
and Dr. Chisholm and there were rumors
that the disagreement had been even
more serious. The County Commissioners
refused then to discuss the question or to
reveal what had happened at the meeting
and not until the morning did any devel-
opments occur.
Then they came fast enough. The re-
quest of the County Commissioners for
DR.. Chisholm's resignation was promptly
followed by the receipt of the resignation
itself and within a few hours by the
acceptance of the resignation and the
election of DR.. Keller to fill the vacancy.
The Commissioners, though they gave
out the order they had passed and the
correspondence between the board and
DR. Chisholm, would not discuss the sub
ject, further than to say that there had
arisen irreconcilsble differences between
the board and its county physician, and
a fbaiss ~ala ff.r,.- xxrftl
each other had been deemed best for the
interests of all concerned.
Ii is said that there were warm times
at Tuesdays meeting when DR.. Chisholm
and the commissioners discussed their
differences. DR.. Chisholm was offended
by the manner in which the commission
ers contrasted his report on the small
pox situation, which had been made 70
them, and mis- letter ON the same subject
10 DR.. Drummer, health officer of the
city. He told the commissioners that ii
they thought ne had at any time misrep-
resented the facts and would say SO, he
would be willing to make 1t a personal
matter with any or an of them. Indeed,
DIR. Chisholm manifested rather an anx-
iety to do that very thing.
Last night DIR. Chisholm told a Morning
News reporter that he had not felt at any
time that the pending controversy be-
tween the commissioners and the sani-
tary board of the city was in any sense
his fight. and he had tried to keep out of
it. He had known DR.. Drummer from the
latter's childhood, and felt that every
thing he had told him or written him on
the subject had been in confidence. He
was surprised that DR.. Drummer should
have given his letter to the public and
so brought on his disagreement with the
county commissioners and the unpleasant
consequences that had ensued.
DR.. Chisholm would make no statement
as to his resignation and the request
that had been made upon him for II by
the commissioners. other than that he
had been jail and county physician for
seventeen years, and during that entire
period had never had any complaint made
against him as TO his manner of doing
his duty.
II have lived in Savannah all my
life" he said, land my people before me,
and ! certainly do not feel that on an
occasion like this it is necessary for me
to defend any action / have taken or any
course l have pursued. The people of
Savannah know me well enough to I'M
derstand l have not done more or less
than what l thought TO be my duty. l
regret the whole occurrence, of course.
and think that the best thing TO do is
TO let the whole matter drop"
DR.. Chisholms resignation to the Coun-
~ Commissioners was a document short
and sweet enough. He wrote:
ITO the Honorable Board OF County
Commissioners. Gentlemen: Accept this
as my resignation as county and jail ply
sician. Thanking your honorable body for
past favors. Respectfully, T. B. Chisholm,
M D."
The office of county physician pays 81,
900 year. but it's duties are not regarded
as particularly exacting, and at times
like, for instance, when there are small
pox patients to be treated. there are per-
quisites and additional emoluments. which
probably double the annual salary of the
physician.
In accordance with the custom of the
board, DIR Keller has been elected TO serve
at its will and his, the contract being
severable at the pleasure of either party.
DIR. Keller will perform the duties of the
Office in connection with those OF coro-
ner.
DR.. Keller stated that ne is thoroughly
posted on the smallpox situation in this
county. and that he will Immediately take
what he considers the proper steps 10
handle the disease. The newly elected
physician says that the countys cases
will be properly looked after, and that
every effort viii he made to stamp out
the disease. DR.. Keller was quarantine
officer for two years. and was at one
dime acting assistant surgeon In the Ma.
rine Hospital service OF the United
States government.