The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-12-27
New Year at
Blue Ridge

y
young doctor chap who came up tc
Blue Ridge just at the time that camp
was the liveliest, to which might add
that though the days of the Ridge was
few in the land, as the book says
while it did last there was no camp on
the Pacific slope from Puget Sound to
the Rio Grande that could furnish as
much fun in week as transpired in
Blue Ridge every tventy-four hours.
But the sport didn't need no medi-
cine. 1t was not, as you might say, a
sickly neigborhood, which 1t seems
peculiar to remark, seeing as how we
had the most likely looking graveyard,
considering the population, as you
would find in all the Sierras. But the
gents as populated the graveyard was
mostly a lively and healthy lot up to
and Inclusive Of the moment Of their
demise.
That's what the boys was speaking
OF when the doctor came into camp.
Long Bill remarked to me that the
boys who was hurt ought to make an
effort to last until the doctor could ar
rive, which would give him legal
claim on any dust they might leave.
He was just the kind of a chap for the
camp if so it had been that there was
any trade for him, for he was quiet,
nervy, had more book learning than
the editor and was cheerful and Oblig-
ing, especially obliging, for he preached
beautiful sermon over the late dealer
at the faro bank, though the said dealer
had died of his wounds before the Doc
arrived.
Some said as how we ought to send
down in the valley where they were all
shaking eternally with malaria and i'm
port bunch of the shakers for Doc to
practice on and pay him so much tor
the cleanup. He laughed when we
proposed this and said it would be run-
professional, because he knew the par
ty as had the practice in the valley
Then we proposed that thereafter,
any party dying Of his wounds before
the Doc could arrive, the said partys
effects should be levied upon for a fee
to be paid to Doc:
All the boys agreed to that and we
got SO worked up over the prospect
that disagreement resulted that very
night, in which a Wells Fargo shotgun
messenger blew all the Latin parts out
of friend with a ten gauge duck gun,
which the same, for purposes of stage
robbers,Was Of a sawed character. The
party as was shot was mostly missing
between his hips and his chest, the re-
mains being only twO-third but we
joyfully sent for Doc just the same.
well, he came, and when he saw the
state of the case he said as he wasn't
an undertaken he couldn't be of any
service.
Then we told him of the new rule
and offered him the pile of the de-
ceased. which was in a canvas sack
behind the bar. He wouldn't take it,
net even sample for assay, and the
disappointment of the boys was sad to
see. especially the shotgun MESSENGER.
whose intentions had done honor to his
heart and aim
1T was a few days before New Years
that the editor showed us a piece in
San Fransisc paper,which was kind
of local notice, stating that our Doc
was going to be married to a lady in
that city. The. set us thinking, and
we thought harder than ever when the
Doc tells us that he was going to leave
us on New Years day to take up hus
practice in San Francisco. We held a
meeting and discussed the state of af-
fairs, having pretty good idea of how
the land lay financially with Doc, be-
cause his money was on deposit with
the express agent and he was chair
man Of our meeting.
Well, at that meeting we laid out a
plan that worked as slick as a dia-
mond drill. On the day before New
Years Doc was sent for by Long Bill,
who told him his old rheumatic was
working again like forty stamp
quartz mill. Doc. prescribed, and when
Bill asked what was the ante Doc said
1t would be IS. Bill said he'd hand it
to him when he told him good-by at
the stage office next day. Then sent
for Doc and that old buffet wound in
my leg was on strike again, took my
prescription and promised to pay next
day.
4 don't suppose any doctor in the
world ever had so busy a day as ours
did that day. 1t seemed like every man
in camp was sick. There was trouble
about noon because the boys ran out OF
names of diseases, but I went up to
Docs office and copied out a lot of
names Of sicknesses-I dealt out to them
to make choice from and played the
whole deck, which seemed to puzzle
Doc somewhat.
well, the next day we met and
marched around to see the stage about
starting time, and there was Doc,
looking little worried, but he looked
lot more surprised when he saw all
his patients so callish.
I'VE gave him a sendoff and an en-
velope. ...
Did you ask what WAS in the en-
velope,? disremember the odd dollars
but it was enough over 5000 to leave
him that clear after he had paid. Ibis
expenses down to the bay -NewrYorh
Journal. -. 49,. : ...>s;:s