The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1909-03-28

torium to the very doors. Upon the plat
form in front stii1y the entire medical
staff, from the four famous consulting sur
geons down the junior house sur
geon. At respectful distance from the latter
seated the supervising nurse and at 4 still greater
and disrespcctiul distance loungcd de6anty John
SchaefTcr inventor of braces for crippled children
the words OF the enthusiastic house surgeon, The
original orthopedic of New York and the great
est crank iii America
Two hours had already elapsed. and soft sigh of
content from the audience greeted the conclusion OF
another report The Surgeon-n-chief arose, glancng
apprchenslvey at the bulky manuscript held oSten-
tahously in John Schaeffers hands Nevertheless, lie
smiled defcrenullly. And will listen 10 the
report Of he bowed oourcouSy-'our brace-makc1.
John Schacffer's chair crcaked suddenly and omi-
nouslY, and seemed fairly oust HIM 10 the center
of the platform. He waved his manuscript excisedly
in the astonshed surgeons face.
"Braee-makerl' ~ he snarled Il am a brace-makcrl
Hahl Scissors grinder | supposed Machinst! Com
mon mcdaniel Dots what | am You ting dot?
Bah" He snapped his fingers and wheeled upon the
medical staff
"Foolsl Dondcrheadsl YOU NIT your know-not
ing heads and hands-who bunglc all dot [ do-who
cannot do what do, you tink am br-braee maker2
Sol Den tell you vot you arel' and John Schaeffer
gave his opinion at length.
The audience, stupc6ed at first, showed sudden
signs Of disturbance AS Mrs. Henry Godfogle
Chairman OF the Committee on Linen and House Pur-
chases caught the significance OF certain German oath
the benevolent lines Of her face shfcned into those
of severe disapproyal. and with a heavy rustic Of
silks she and swept from the room
Miss Sarah Sterling Watts, Chairman of the Com
nittec on Free Beds, beat ALSO swift and minoiug
retreat her chin pointed high in the air. Others not
acquainted with the German tongue but realizing IN
tuitiyely that the meeting had suddenly become no
place for ladies' developed expressions of mild purity
and waked out with determined tread.
Ono OF the famous surgeons held his hand discreetly
over his mouth TO hide smile; the young house
surgeon looked white and scared
They all listened with rapt attention till John Schacf-
fer finished They saw him fling his manuscript to
- b,c bspl a,y him kirlr
his chair off the platform IN token of his departure
forcvermorc from annual meetings. saw his huge, un-
ea,ny figure disappear violently through side door
recovered carefully the crumpled manuscript 'lhs
may prove valuable. gentlemen said he; and so it
did After reading it month later before the
Academy OF Medicine he added emphateally' This
remarkable treatise stamps John Sehaeffer for what
he is and should be known genius and skilled anat-
omist; man without degree and with little recog-
nton but one, nevertheless. who has done more for
orthopcdic surgery than any man, living or dead
After the incident OF the annual meeting John
Sohaeffcr rarely seen in the hospital wards.
When he did appear ii to correct and goat over
the mistake of a surgeon or nurse.
From morning until night he toiled away in his
laboratory, a weird in the hospital basement,
Its walls lined with plaster casts OF distorted
legs and arms, exhibiting apparently every species OF
human malformation. With its grizzled snaIlng IN
mate the looked for all the world declared an
imaginative assistant like tho lair of man-eating
lion Me boss" he averred "has heart whatever:
for his brain, il you opened his skull, you'd ind
it already conforming to the shape OF brace,
Every evening after work John Sehaeter went to
nearby German restaurant and then directly up
foot-laihe and a large chest filed with tools and
bits OF brass steel and leather Here were his means
of relaxation and his chosen environment Vot L
know. | know" II was his custom to state Dcre Is
And then one day there flashed upon this dark,
grim, obstinate glaring ray OF light Entering
his laboratory late morning he seized brown
paper pattern from his desk and eyed 1t herccly
Hal" he exulted, Some fool at work again, ch?'
He turned to his assistant
'Efcr see a crooked back like dot? Do you t'ink
derc iss such crooked back? BAH We're from dit
Ward Four" the assistant replied laconicaiy.
fool CHI" The assistant grinncd broadly and then
promptly regretted his indscret'on The German turned
upon him angrily.
Wat you doing amending braces, or mnding my
business? Den do itl" he roared and with the am
biguous injunction he slammed the door and hailed
an elevator up quick" he he ordered I d., ,,.n,o.i.
"Vot back fits di,7" he demanded. We're iss he3
Who made i,7 Now catch somebody eh'|
That's for Johnny Conners, right behind YOU
Don't you know our Sailor Johnny"
Iohn Schaefcr wheeled about and faced a little
white bed. from the pillow OF which chubby baby
face and two large brown eyes regarded HIM calmly.
As the nurse swept down the covers She revealed a
tiny form incascd from chin to ankle in rigid casts
and braces
John SchaeFer saw only the braces. Casts he did
not believe in And human body 10 his mind
simply something that went into brace, and should
fit il with mechanical precision
Using only his big. gDarled thumb he turned the
child roughly on Its face. and laid the pattern
hastily along the spine There cruel. sharp
hump Just under the shoulder blades; and nearly
as one could judge the pattern exactly fitted 1t.
DR. Frank-here he comes now-he put that brace
until new could be made" explained the
"Ohl he did. ch? Veil, take it of !"
When the bare spine revealed he placed the
pattern over it and squinted along the line OF union
II fitted perfectly We'll, said Schaefer testify. Il haf
meier yet seen such back He his thumb heavily
down the crooked bone
mualcd groan arose from the pillows. Easy
mate" cautioned faint voice