The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-29
OLD DOCTOR BILL
Clay Center People Recall Luz
Their McCarty's Father.
He Made Fortune Selling
Medicine in Kansas.

l
Center people remember Luther Nc
Carly when he moved there with his
parents in 1896. He was five years of
tage. He was born in Nebraska west
| of Lincoln.
1t was not Luther, but old A p
McCarty. the father. that the people
of Clay Center remember, for he was
one of the most picturesque citizens
of the town.
The old man first tried to make
| living at selling trees for a Law
renee nursery company, but he soon
tired of that and started to calling
himself "Comanche Bill" the Old In
dian Doctor, and to sell medicine as
a side line. He would sell fruit trees
through the country during the week
and medicine on the street corners at
Clay Center on Saturday afternoons.
He soon found that the latter was
more profitable, so he went into that
business exclusively
Old Man McCarty was known
throughout Central Kansas as Co
manche Bill but now he is known as
White Eagle of the White Feather
Medicine company.
Made Strong Bitter Medicine.
AT that time McCarty's medicine
cost him 16 cents a dozen bottles. He
sold it for a dollar a bottle. Once he
and asked for a pound of bitter herb.
what kind do you want?' asked
the druggist.
Anything, so that it is strong and
bitter" was the reply.
And so the strongest and most bit
ter herb in the store was bought by
him and from that he made as many
bottles of medicine as it would flavor.
"Comanche BilT' McCarty had sew
eral methods of selling his Indian
herb cures in those days. Some
times his persuasive tongue did the
work, at other times he caught suck
erS.
1t was for employing the latter
method to dispose of his celebrated
remedies" that he left Council Grove
in d hurry.
He Sold i'm Council Grove.
"Comanche Bill'' entered the town
one hot summer evening and his
strong voice and artfu1 tongue soon
had crowd around his medicine
wagon.
In the crowd were stationed three
scouts" who, after the medicine man
had warmed up on his subject, pushed
their way through the crowd to buy
bottles of medicine.
Then the orator announced that he
was not there to sell the medicine but
simply to advertise it, and to the
three purchasers who promised to tell
their neighbors of the curative pow
ers of his wonderful remedy, he would
hand back their dollar with the bot
and in addition, he would wrap up
d five dollar bill in the package
The first man got a five dollar bill
and he waved it aloft in the light of
the Pickering gasoline torches as he
forced his way back from the wagon
Then there was a deluge of dollars
as the old Indian Doctor made his
harvest and passed out the bottles of
the remedy. But there were no more
bills. When the crowd was through
buying medicine, DR.. Comanche Bill
whipped up his horses and drove out
of town.
Still Owns Kansas Property
And they could do nothing to him
for that He made his victims think
they were getting something for moth
ing and they were simply trapped by
their own avarice.
The McCartys left Clay Center in
1902, or at least Luther did. 1t is
said that Old Comanche had threat
ened to send him to the reform school
DR.. McCarty, now White Eagle,
lives at Piqua, Ohio, at present, but
he still owns property at Clay Cen
ter His houses there are painted
yellow Everything that old Comanche
Bill had was painted that color Old
Man McCarty has no Indian blood in
his veins, according to Clay Center
folks. He is Scotch-Irish.