Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-10-11
EXTRACTS FROM. THE AUTO
BIOGRAPHY OF
ZANE GREY SWISSHELM
First Newspaper Woman OF
Minnesota.
A Remarkable Woman Of Ante
bellum 0ayo-1016-1o66
c II A p r ER LII.
Find Work.


Find Work.
That evening wrote to the New
York Tribune, relating the incident
of the man asking for cooling drinks,
and saying that IL people furnished
the material, l would devote my time
to distributing their gifts. Next morn.
ing l got two dozen lemons, pressed
the juice into jar, put in sugar, took
q glass and spoon and, so soon as WIS.,
itors were admitted. began giving
lemonade to those men who seemed
to have most need. Going to the wat
er tank for every glass Of water made
1t slow work, but l improved my
walks by talking to the men, hearing
their wants and adding to their stock
Of hope and cheerfulness, and was
glad to see that the nurses did not
seem to object to my presence, even
though Campbell was the one only
hospital in the city from which female
nurses were vigorously excluded.
So noted had it become for the mas
euline pride of it's management, that
l had been warned not to stay past
the length Of an ordinary visit, lest
l should be roughly told to 60 away;
and my surprise was equal to my
pleasure, when a man came and said:
'Would it not be easier for you If
you had a pitcher?"
l said it would, but that lived too
far away to bring one.
"Oh! l will bring you pitcher!
Why did you not ask for one?"
II did not want to trouble you, for
they told me you did not like to have
women here"
He laughed, and said: II guess
We'll all be glad enough to have you!
Not many Of your sort. First thing
they all do is to begin to make trou-
BILE, and it always takes two men to
wait on one Of them"
He brought the pitcher, and felt
that l was getting on In the world.
Still was very humble and careful
to win the favor of "the Kings Cham
berlain"-those potencies, the nurses,
woman-hater, DR.. Baxter, surgeon in
charge, whose name was a terror to
women who intruded themselves into
military hospitals.
AS l passed, with ny pitcher, I saw
one man delcrious, and expectorating
protusely, matter green as grass
could be-knew this was hospital gan.
creme, and remembered all DR.. Palm
er had told ne years before, OF his
experience in Paris hospitals, and the
antidotes to that and scurvy poison
indeed, the results Of many converse
tons, with f1rst-class physicians, and
Of some reading on the subject OF
camp diseases, came to me; and
knew just what was wanted here, but
saw no sign that the want was likely
to be supplied. For this man it was
too late, but l could lot see that any
thing was being done to prevent the
spread of this fearful scourge.
Passing from that ward into thu
one adjoining, came suddenly upo1
two nurses dressing a thigh stump
while the patient filled the air will
half-suppressed shrieks and groans
l had never before seen a stump, bu
remembered DR.. Jackson's lecture ov
or the watermelon al desert, on am
putation, for the benefit Of Charles
Sumner: and electricity never bro
light quicker than there came to m,
the memory of all no had said abou
the proper arrangement Of the mus
cles over the end of the bone; ant
added to this, came q perfect kn0w]
edge Of the relations Of those man
gled muscles to the general form o
the body. l saw that the nurse WIZ
held the stump tortured the man b!
d1sregarding natural law, and setting
down pitcher and glass on the floor
l stepped up, knelt, slipped my hand
under the remains Of that stron,
thigh, and said to the man who helt
It:
Nov. slip out your hands! easy
easy! therel
The instant it rested on my hand
the groans ceased, end l said:
Is that better?"
"Oh, my God! yes!"
"Well, then, l will always hold
when it Is dressed"
But you will not be here!"
Il will GOMEZ"
; "That would be too much trouble!
II have nothing else to do, and viii
, think it no troubled"
The nurse, who old the dressing
was very gentle, and there was n
more pain; but l saw that the othe
leg was am. utated below the knee
and this was double reason why b
,, should be tenderly cared for. So
took the nurse aside, and asked whel
the wounds we're to be dressed again
He said in the morning, and prom
ised to wait until came to help. Mex
morning l was so much afraid Of be
ing late that would not wait for tn
street cars to begin running, but walk
ed. The guard objected to admitting
me, as it was not time for visitors
but explained and he let me pass.
must not 70 through the wards q
that hour, so went around and cam
in by the door near which he lay
> What was my surprise to find tina
not only were his wounds dressed
but that all his clothing and bed ha
been changed, and everything abou
> him made as white and neat an
square as If he were a corpse, whicl
he more resembled than q living mar
Oh, what tribute of agony he hal
> paid to the demon Of appearance! w
all pay heavy taxes to other people
eyes; but on none Is the levy quit
80 onerous as on the patients Of
model hospital! l saw that he breath
ed and slept, and knew his time wa
short: but sought the head nurse
and asked why he had not waited 70
me; he hesitated, stammered, blushe
and said:
why, the tact is. sister, he has II
other wound that 1t would not b
pleasant for you to see."
do you mean that that man has
groin wound in addition to all else