The coast beacon., 1912-12-28
A FIGHTING DOCTOR
How One Young Physician Lit
orally Fought His Way Into
Fame and Practice.
BY JOHN pHlLlP oRrA.

When a medical student has re-
ceived his diploma and is turned
adrift to succeed or fail 1t is the crisis
OF his life. Not one in ten can figure
out how he is going to support himself
until he can get foothold. When he
has selected his town and his office
and his home he must wait for pa
tients, and weeks and months may go
BY before his prescriptions begin to be
handed in to the drug store.
When DR.. Charles Chisholm made
his advent at Lansing he found seven
M. DIS for population of $500. That
was 500 each. In the course o fla year.
as doctors figure. ten people out Of
every 500 win need the service of a
physician. That is the average, out
side of epidemics. Taking the doctors
figures again, the charge to the ten pa
tients will not average over SIS each.
That means an income of $3.50 per
year, and an outgo of $780, Out Of
seven doctors in town with the popu-
lation given, two will make fair In
come. The other i've viii simply hang
on and wish they had learned the car
penter's trade.
Doctor Chisholm had this all figured
out and yet he decided to take
chances and hope for luck. Another
man might have been kept waiting for
months, He was taking his first drive
into the country to get the lay Of the
land. when luck came galloping up.
Miss Nellie Mayfield, daughter of the
owner Of the big shoe factory, was ta-
king a walk in the suburbs with her
little dog at her heels when she sud
denly found herself face to face with
an eyil-faced yagabond. 1t was her
screams as he laid hands on her purse
that reached the young DOCTORS ear
from around a bend in the road and
caused him to apply the whip to his
somewhat lethargic horse.
The shindy did not last more than
two minutes. The doctor leaped from
mis- buggy and knocked the fellow
down, but that wasn't the finish. When
the vagabond scrambled up he drew
knife and made a slash that
scratched the doctors shoulder. Down
he went again. and this time he got
the full dose. His knife was left be-
hind, and he had seven different limps
as he disappeared into the bushes.
When the victor turned to the girl
she was a quarter of a mile down the
road and still running. Young Chis-
holm drove home without a word to
anyone of the affair, but within a day
he was being congratulated.
Among those who called was Mr..
Mayfield. He was a man of few words.
"They say he had knife and used
It," he said as he held out his hand.
1T was only a scratch" was the
reply
Have you set up here as doc
tori"
"Yes."
Think you can make go of itf"
Il shall try hard"
Good"
There were three bullies in Lansing.
Jake Wolf, the driver OF a brewery
wagon. was bully because he loved
to fight A week after the doctors ad-
venture. and right In front of his of
fee, Jake's wagon collided with the We
hicle Of Mr.. Davis, the banker, and
tore OF wheel. It was Jake's bad
driving that caused the accident, but
he jumped down for a scrap.
, Quit that!1 commanded the doctor
as he stood In his door.
IF you want to mix in come along!"
Doctor Chisholm threw of his coat
and stepped out. His was a strong
prescription. In five minutes he had
the bully licked for the first time in
his life.
You are the new doctor?" queried
the banker as they shook hands.
Yes"
How are you making out7"
I've licked two men so far!"
'Then you'll get along. Any time
you want hundred dollars on your
note come and see me-"
1t went all over town that the new
doctor had given Jake Wolf his dose,
and there were more compliments. Mr..
Mayfield stepped within the door of
the Office to nod and say:
Keep right on! You are doing
welll"
Thanks"
Jack Brown, the stone mason, had
the habit of going on a spree every
two weeks. When about half-drunk he
would start in to make Rome howl. 1t
came his day. and as he passed the
doctors office he entered to wreck
things. The only thing wrecked was
the stone mason He got such a
humping that the Temperance union |
had to let him sign the pledge in |
three places before he was satisfied. A
score Of men dropped in to shake |
hands with Doctor Chisholm, and Mr.
Mayfield met him at the post office |
and linked arms with him and said:
Come along to dinner with me. II
like tighter
But ! am no man to pick a quar-
rel, was the reply.
mo? You just happen to be ON the
spot when the row starts. Well, come