The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-07-28
A COCK TO AESCULAPlUS.

kind that loves a noise and a stir,
she is known abroad. We find that
her leading business men have name
for solid integrity. clear-eyed acnmen
and thorough-going industry that
commands respect and invites conf
dence. Alert, enterprising and sound
ly conservative, they have placed the
town on Il splendid commercial and
Industrial footing.
At the bar we have lawyers and not
pettifoggers. If time ever hangs
heavy on the hands of our worthy
counselIors-at-law,i it is doubtless be-
cause they have the habit-rather a
bad one for themselves, perhaps-of
settling their cases and dispatching
business in "a manner that speedily
clears the docket.
AS for our preachers, we may not
measure their cloth, but will only re-
call the apprehensions of an old citl-
zen, who WAS led by the past ex-
perience of the Henderson churches,
to fear that theirpreachers were "too
good to last
But we must be allowed to say we
are proud OF our doctors. A finer
set OF men never got license to saw
bones and peddle pills. We like them
as men and we have unbounded con-
fidence in them as physicians. They
adOrn their great profession and
they are an honor to the town. We
doubt if there is another town in the
State so favored in this respect.
Honor to whom honor is due. A
resident of Henderson who, by pro-
fessiOnal knowledge OF medicine and
IL wide acquaintance with the towns
CT the State, is thoroughly qualified to
speak, recently remarked that there
was probably not another town in
North Carolina that could boast Of
such an array of medical talent. 1t
can be truly said that in every de-
partment of their profession they
| stand in the front rank. They keep
in close touch with the schools and
are thoroughly informed on the latest
discoveries and developments in their
profession. They know their own
business, and they do not have to be
told to attend to it. They are in
love with their work They do not
| practice medicine to live, but live to
practice medicine. That is why they
are so successful, doubtless; and why
their opinion is respected and their
diagnosis usually confirmed by Kelly,
Payne and George Ben Johnson,
when they send their patients on to-
these big guns of the cities. They
know a fever when they see it, and
can tell sick man from a hypOchon-
driac.
And they are not only fine doctors
but they are fine men. We set store
by their friendship as we value their
prescriptions. We have witnessed
their rugged fidelity to duty through
summers heat and winters frost.
We have noted their patience, their
gentleness OF touch, their readiness
to spend and bespent to relieve pain.
And we could tell stories, if we
would, of charity OF these sometimes
unappreciated knights of the pill box:
dark stories, some of them, of mid.
night visits through rain and sleet to
bare and squalid quarters, where the
only fee for leaving Il warm bed and
losing needed sleep. was the knowl.
edge Ofpain relieved and the gratitude
that shone from poverty -pinched
faces; stories ofcharity long extended
and stealthily concealed, aims of time
and skill and strength freely given
not on the street corners, but where
it would never be known: the tales OF
receipted bills and unpresented bills
and bills that were halved and quar-.
tered by these money-loving doctors
tales that would stir mems hearts, il
the doctors would only let us tel
Them
Yes, we say again, we are proud o.
our doctors, and we appreciate them
and honor them-though they may
not always believe it, and would be
too modest to say SO if they did. We
heartily commend the words of Soc
rates, the last spark to leap from
that old pagan torch OF wisdom as
| it flickered out: ''Crito, we owe q
cock to Aesculapius. Pay the debt
and do not neglect it