Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-12-30
New Years at DlueRIdge

New York Journal: speaking OF New
Years. said the Neradian. II always call
20 mind this time OF year the blowoff We
boys give a young doctor chap who came
UP to Blue Ridge just az the time thar
camp WAS the ~ivclist, to which | might
add that though the days or the Ridge
was few fn the land, az the book aays.
while 1t ala last there WAS no camp ON
the Pacific slope from Puget sound to the
Rio Grande that could furnish as much
fun IN q week as tragSpired In Bite Ridge
every ~twenty-four hours.
But the sport didn't need no medicine.
IL was not, as you might say, a sickiy
nelghborhood, which II seems peculiar 10
remark, seeing an how w had the most
likely looking graveyard. considering tho
population, as YOU would find IN all the
Sierfas. But the gents as populated the
graveyard was mostly q lively and healthy
lot up to and inclusive Or 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 tho
boys VINO was hurt ought TO make an Ell
fort TO last until the doctor could arrive.
which would give him a legal claim ON any
dust they might leave, fe was just the
kind OF a chap for the camp if so II had
been that there was any trade for him.
~ AtN NtfNAs tfNt $500 - 49,
learning than the editor and Was cheerful
and obiiging, especially obiiging. for ne
preached a beautiful sermon over the Late
dealer at the faro bank. though the said
1 dealer had died OF his wounds before Doc
arrived.
Some said as how we ought to send
down in the valley where they were all
shaking externally with malaria and inn
port a bunch of the shakers for Doc 20
practice on and pay him so much for the
cleanup. He laughed whsn we proposed
this and said Ii would be unprofessional,
because he knew the party az had tSs
practice Ia the valley.
Then we proposed, that thereafter. any
party dying OF his POUNDS before the Doc
could arrive, the said party's efforts
should be levied upon for q fee 20 be paid
70 Doc.
"All the boys agreed 70: that. and we
got so worked up over the prospect that
a disagreement resulted that very night.
in which a Wells-Fargo shotgun mes
senger blew all the Latin parts out OF a
friend with a ten gauge duck gun. which
the same, for purposes or sage robbers.
was OF a sawed OFF character. The party
as was shot was mostly missing befween
his hips and his chest. the remains be-
Ing only two-thirds, but we 3oyfuily GENT
for Doc Just the same.
We'll. 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 or the deceased.
which was In a canvas sack behind tina
bar. Tfe wouIdn't take IL, NOT even q
sample for assay, and the disappointment
Of the boys was sad 70 see, especially the
shotgun messenger, whose Intentions had
done honor 10 his heart and aim,
ut was A few days before New Years
that the editor showed Us a piece in a
San Francisco paper. which was a kind
OF local notice. stating that our Doc was
going TO be married TO a lady m that
city. That sets Ms thinking, and we
thought harder than ever when the Doc
tells us tina ne was going 10 leave ns ON
New Years day 10 take up his practice In
| san Francisco. We held a meeting and
discussed the state OF affairs. having =
pretty good idea Of how the land lay
financially with Doc, because his money
was on deposit with the express agent and
he was chairman OF our lneeting.
well. at that meeting we laid out a
plan that worked as slick as 3 diamond
drill. On the day before New Years Doc
was sent for by Long f3it, who told him
his old rheumatic was working ngain like
q forty stamp quartz mill Doe prescribed.
and when Bill asked what was the ante
Doc said Ii would be s.. Eli said he'd
hand It to him when he bid him goodhy
at the stage office next day. Then 1 sent
for Doc and said that old bullet wound iH
my leg was on strike again. took nay
prescription and promised 10 pay next
day.
Il don suppose any doctor m the worlG
ever had az busy a day as oars did that
day. II seemed like every man in camp
was sick. There was trouble about noon
because the boys rar. out OF names OF dis
eases. but ! went up 10 Docs Office and
copied out 4 lot OF names from ono Of his
books, and then W. kept things booming.
Some OF the younger boys got stuck ON the
names OF sicknesses ! dealt out to- Thorn
TO make a choice frcm and played tho
whole deck. which seemed to puzzle Doc
somewhat.
"WelI. the next day wc npes and marched
around tc the stage about starting time,
ard there was Doc. iooking a little wor-
ried. hut he looked a lot more surprised
when he saw all his patients so calish.
We gave him q sendoH and az en-
yelope.
Did you ask what was In the cnveI-
ope? I ~disremember the odd dollars, but
II was enough over $500 TO leave him
that clear after ne had paid his expenae.
4 down 10 the hay