Evening star., 1918-08-09
CHAPTER XIX.

CHAPTER XIX.
How I Became the Kaiser's Dentist
Next door to my boyhood home. in
Piqua, Ohio. there lived a German
named Diffenbacher. He was rather
a grouchy individual and none Of us
had ever very much to do with him.
Nevertheless, when. in 1899. I was
preparing to leave home. and the Of
fee of DR.. E. S. Fuller. where 1 had
been working and studying. to take
up the dental course at Lake Forest
University. Chicago. ILL.,. this man
Diffenbacher came to say goodbye.
and a gemark he made at the time
has always impressed me as having
had q most uncanny significance In
view of later Developments. although.
Of course, I realize 1t must have been
purely a coincidence.
. IT hear you are going away to study
dentistry" he declared. in rather
broken English.
Eyes, that's So. I replied.
Old Germans Prophecy.
well, I wish you luck. DR.. Evans,
Paris. he was dentist to Napoleon III.
He was an American, too. I proph-
esy that one day you will be dentist
to the kaiser"
I didn't pay much attention to his
suggestion at the time. but 1t came
two later. when. in conversation with
DR.. Truman W. Brophy. the dean Of
the Chicago Dental College, he said
he saw great opportunities for Amer
lean dentists in Germany and advised
me to take up the study Of German.
Whether 1t was with these things
in mind or not do not now recall.
but it is a fact that while I was still
a dental student I organized a class
in German at the Hull House and four
other students and myself plugged
away at the language for three or
four months.
During my first vacation, while at
college. ] went to New York to get
more practical experience in dentis-
try, and became assistant to DR.. M.
L. Rhein. and it was through this
connection that the opportunity to
practice abroad subsequently came to
me.
I graduated from college in 1902,
and established myself in Chicago.
About a year and q half later I re-
ceived an invitation from DIR. Rhein
to to to New York to meet DR.. Alonzo
H. Sylvester, an American dentist
in Berlin, and who num-
bered the kaiser among his patients.
He had come to America to select an
because his failing health
made it impossible for him to give
his practice the attention it de-
manded.
It is needless to say the receipt of
bacher's remark back to me with re-
newed force, but even then did not
realize how accurate his prophecy
was to prove.
DIR. Sylvester had been in New York
three weeks interviewing q number
to I'LL the position. The possibilities
he held out to me were most allur-
ing, but Germany seemed very far
away. and I allowed him to return to
Germany without a definite accept
anae of hiAproposition from me. Some
days later. however. decided to ac-
cept it, and cabled him accordingly.
Went to Germany in 1908.
I sailed on September Is. 1908. ar
irving in Berlin on the gath.
DR.. Sylvester. I found had been the
kaisers dentist for more than
years. having treated him
ever since he was a boy. At that
time. dentistry in Germany had not
yet attained the dignity of q profess
the German dentist of
that period was hardly beyond the
barber class-and American dentists
were in general favor throughout
The success of American dentists
abroad dates back to the time of Ma
poleon II. when DR.. Thomas w.
earned a wonderful reputation for
himself professionally, but played
most important part in European
politics. It was through his advice
and influence that the French re-
manned neutral during our civil war.
and when the second French empire
collapsed the Empress Eugene made
her escape through the gates Of Paris
in a carriage with DR.. Evans, dis
guised as his assistant.
DR.. Evans accumulated a fortune of
several millions of dollars through
real estate Investments
which had been suggested to him
from time to time by the emperor in
Of their friendship.
An "Independent" Dentist.
while DR.. Sylvester was less of a
factor in the politics of Germany than
DIR. Evans had been in those of
France, he was very highly regarded
professionally by the kaiser and the
royal family. He told me that some
years before he had been summoned
to the palace to attend the kaiser's