Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-04-17
A foRTY-NINeR DENTIST.
outdoor once. High Prices aud Mug
gets For EflIinu.

kcts f'pr FILLING.
A smooth bowider for n chair. high
towering walls Of impregnable granite
for walls and the blue sky for a roof
were the unique conditions surround
Ing what was probably the FIRST dental
othce in California. The dentist was
DIR. ;. Nj. Harris, then known as "Lit.
tie Doc today mayor of Grass Valley,
Nevada county.
This odd dental Office was founded
In the day when men rocked cradles
with more cherished burdens than new
born babes; when caravans of people
hocked into California I'm search of
gold; when the founders OF this great
state took up their habitation In a
wild and desolate country.
When you arrived at DR.. Harris Of
hce, there was noticeable absence OF
the plush covered chair and other ac-
couterments which usually mark the
dentists Office. There was no drill run
by foot power, no bulb to wash out the
cavity. For chair the smooth bowlder
on which DR.. Harris sat when rocking
his cradle answered this requisite. For
q drill short pieces OF wire We're used.
and when a cavity was ready for fill
ing and needed cleansing with water
the patient was handed a tin dinner
and the stream furnished the water.
The charge for this work was rather
In advance of present day fees, but
there was never trouble over a pay
ment after an aching member was ex-
tracted. One-half ounce OF gold-the
equivalent of $S-was the fee for ex-
traction, and for filling double that
amount.
When a patient arrived. there were
few formalities to go through. as I'm
most cases neither knew the other. II
the case was one of extraction, the
dentist would go TO his camp and get a
pair or forceps-the only article be-
longing to the dentists kit which he
then owned-and extract the tooth:
but, on the other hand, If filling was
the requirement, the process was OF a
more slow and tedious nature. The
patient having a cavity to All would
usually make an appointment for SUM-
day, as good part OF day was neces-
sary for the operation.
The doctor would go TO his campfire.
which was situated about fifty feet
from his cradle, and temper his instru-
ments. Here small bowlder answered
very well for forge. When the tools
were got into shape. work was begun
on the patient
Small piecesoi wire from six to eight
inches I'm length and fiattened out con-
stituted the excavators. Constant rub
bling OF smooth rock, Just as a knife
Is sharpened on a milestone, kept them
sharp. Filings were made from gold
nuggets scraped with poeketknife in
to small shavings. then amalgamatcd
with mercury. Silver coin was also
used at times, although silver was a
very scarce article in that day. A
heavy piece OF wire served as plugger
to insert the filling. When this filling
crystallized, II made a very lasting one.
Every day while DR.. Harris worked
his claim he had one or more patients.
For the reason that he came to Cali
fornia to hunt gold and not to ill teeth
he did not encourage business. AS the
country settled around him the pioneer
dentist turned his practice over to 9TH
ers who came in later, and when no
left that section he did not leave them
without dentist. = San Francisco
Chronicle.