River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-01-23

must be aWfuIy Important. ne look
ed so worried. don't think ever saw
him worried before"
"IlI go at once" Stuart said
He strobe rapidly across town to-
ward the Bowery, through Fourth
street. wondering what could have hap
pened TO break the accustomed good
humor of the doctor.
The doctor had long since retired
from the practice of medicine as a
profession and only used it now as his
means of ministering to the wants or
his neighbors. His neighbors were
large tribe. however. scattered all the
way from the cellars and dives of Wa
ter street to the Shanties and goat
ranges of the upper Harlem. Stuart
had never met a man so full of con-
tagious health He was a born physi-
clan. There was healing in the touch
OF his big hand Healing light stream
ed from his brown eyes. and his iron
gray beard sparkled with it. His
presence in a sickroom seemed to fill
it with waves of life. and his influence
over the patients to whom he minis
tered was little short of hypnotic.
Stuart found the doctor standing at
the door Of his factory. shaking hands
and chatting with his employees as
they emerged from the building at the
close of a days work. plain old
fashioned brick structure just off the
Bowery was this factory, and across
the front ran a weatherbeaten sign
which had not been changed for more
than fifty years: Henry Woodman.
Manufacturing Chemist"
The doctors father had established
the business ffty-two years ago, and
| the son. who bore his fathers name,
had succeeded to its management on
his death. which occurred just after
the return of the younger man with
his victorious regiment from their last
campaign with Grant before Peters
burg and Appomattox.
He took Stuart's hand in his big
crushing grip and handed him letter.
which he opened and read hastily:
No go Gramercy Park
! To DR. Henry Woodman:
Dear Sir-I must have an answer to the
| proposition of the American Chemical
company before noon tomorrow. After
| that hour the matter will be definitely
! closed. JNO. c. CALHOUN BIVENS.
| April 2. 1898
Still looking at the letter he asked:
"What does it mean?"
IAN uItimatum from the chemical
trust. I'll explain to you when you've
seen something of my work tonight.
| The first hour | want you to put in
with me at the dispensary."
Stuart's eye rested on the embossed
heading of the letter, mo. 60 Gramer-
cy park" and he slowly crushed the
! paper 1t was the Primrose house,
Mans home. Her mother had sue
| ceeded
Bivens, the new sensation in high
finance, she had established as her star
| boarder in Stuart's absence; Bivens.
his schOolmate at college; Bivens, the
little razorback scion of poor white
trash from the south who had sudden
| ly become a millionaire!
His blood boiled with rage. AS he
turned and followed the doctor he
laughed with sudden fierce determine
ton.
The dispensary was Woodman's hob
by. The old fashioned drug store stood
on a corner Of the Bowery, and in the
rear extension, which opened on the
side street he had established what be
laughingly called his life line," free
/ dispensary where any man needing
medicine or a doctors advice could
| have it without charge if unable to
| pay.
For two hours Stuart saw him min
| lister with patience and skill to the
| friendleSS and the poor; for each a
| cheerful word and the warm grasp of
his big hand with the prescription
| The young lawyer watched with curl
Gus interest the quickened step with
which each one left. The medicine had
begun to work before the prescription
was filed.
When the last applicant had gone
Stuart turned to the doctor:
And what is the proposition which
the distinguished young head of the
chemical trust has made yOu?'
THAT sell my business to them at
their own valuation and come into the
trust or get off the earth.
"And you wish my adviceT
Eyes"
What figure did he nameY
"More than it's cash value"
''Then you will accept. Of course?"
81 would if there were not some
things that can't be reckoned in terms
of dollars and cents. If | take stock
in the American Chemical company |
am a party to their methods. an heir to
their frauds
Yet isn't the old regime of the small
manufacturer and the retailer doom
ed? Isn't combination the new order
of modern life? Will it pay you to
fight losing battle? Bivens is Dot a
man of broad culture, but he is very
smooth young gentleman
Hes contemplate little scamp
snapped the Older man. when | took
him into my drug store six years ago
he didn't have a change of clothes.
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