The Ocala evening star., 1915-02-09

downs and many times it looked like
the downs had it, but such men as
Munroe, Woodrow, McIver, Ben Rhein-,
auer, Walter and Van Hood, Izlar,
Dozier, Smith and Newsom and
Linder, MacKay, the late lamented
Bittinger, Chace and others have new
er given up, and now it is too big, too
well established and too well known
to ever let the downs have the floor
again, but there is work to do; much
work and there are willing hands
ready for it.
The Women's Auxiliary board is
now a power behind the work, and the
ladies are doing great share to-
ward it's success. They have equipped
and are maintaining the. charity ward
and Mrs. Woodrow, the president, is
doing efficient work and giving loyal
support to the association.
One of the physician fathers of the
hospital loves to tell of one of the first
serious cases handled in the old "Star
Hospital, ,"-one of those by the way
where the Stars force helped to oper-
ate. A man was brought to town by
his neighbors in a spring wagon in a
pitiable condition. He was bachelor,
living alone on his newly settled place,
his nearest neighbor more that mile
away. He was building a tank frame
work one day and fell to the ground,
80 or more feet, one of his leg bones
snapped into and the broken bone
drove through the flesh far into the
earth. He crawled on his hands and
knees, possibly mile for help and it
was next day before he reached the
hospital. Wire grass, dirt, bark and
sand was ground into flesh and bone.
He was operated on, and the boys
used to go up and cheer him up, for
in those days we were half nurse and
boss of the institution, and used to
give the patients food and "other
stimulants" when the doctors were out
and old Aunt Garry was in charge and
dared not tell the "whitefolks" nay.
We can remember how this man
suffered and fingered. So much bone
had been cut away and the break was
so bad that metal pin had been in
serted to aid the work of nature in
mending the broken ends. Finally,
after many months he was discharged
with a sound leg but shorter one.
The man had no money-none even to
pay for the food-but he had better
attention and more skilful surgery
possibly than money could buy, with
out the hearts of his physicians were
in the work. He went home and of
course for a long time was not of
much use to himself. In his idle
moments he whitfield with a pocket
knife marvellous piece of carving and
presented to the doctors who had
cured him. The Star reporter can
remember that they were prouder of
it than of a generous check, and he
used to come to see them when he
could.
Time passed on, and four years roll
ed round and the worst "down" in the
history of the hospital struck that in
stitution and the management were
about all in. The word went out that
the institution would have to close
its doors next morning for lack of
funds and there, was sincere grief
among the board of management and
the loyal band of physicians. Imagine
their joy, when at noon, came check
from this erstwhile patient for every
dollar that he owed the institution and
it was saved and set on its feet and
has been there ever since.
+ This mans name is Bagnall, and he
is yet citizen of Marion county and
visits Ocala frequently.
But many, very many, in the long
years of its history, we are sorry to
say, have not regarded so deeply their