The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-04-05
Dir. Merrill Now In Washington u. {.


Through the effort now being
carried on to write a history of Show
hogan interesting letters from former
residents are frequently received, and
turned over 20 the Reporter. One of
these has lately been received from
DR. Nilliam Truman Merrill who for
some three years practiced his pro-
fession in this village After speak
ing of his early life having been born
al Deer Isle and of his graduation
from college and of receiving his NJ. D.
degree from both Dartmouth College
and the Medical school OF Maine he
says:
So much for getting ready to do bus
mess and you will note that | was 30
years old when | placed my first sign
on an Office in Lawrence. Mass. in
July 1890. Business did not seem
to come my way, strange 10 say, quite
as rapidly as | expected and in May
1891 began work in Patten. Maine.
Life in Patton was real work in those
days, and | kept at it until May 1897
when | moved to Skowhegan.
In the meantime September 1891 |
was married to Miranda, daughter of
John W. and Mary r. Caldwell, Sher-
man. Maine and a daughter Lucille,
was born in January 1895.
very well remember the good
advice DR. S. f. Patten gave me before
| decided to move TO Skowhegan, viz:
"If you can successfully compete with
these doctors you will be all right,
for, he said they are pretty clever
set of doctors" The old doctor was
correct. The other doctors in Show
hogan at that time were Drs. Das-
combo, Taggert. John Merrill, Mari,
Cora Johnson, and Ralph Pulsifer.
DR.. Mari soon left town and DR.. John
Wadsworth came just to keep the
number good, then little later DR..
Stinchheld opened an Office and DR..
Will Pulsifer took the place Of Ralph,
who had moved away.
Why did go to Skowhegan when it
was already well supplied with the
medical profession? I'll tell you. !
did not care for all country for ! had
six years of that in Patten. The
town of Skowhegan appealed to me
and | thought I'd like to live there,
so to Skowhegan | went. and In
absolutely sure that if | had attended
to my own business, as it came, and
kept out of local politics, I'd be living
in that same town today.
However, I did have some good luck
in my three years of life in that good
town. my family increased just thirty
three and one third per cent by the
addition of SON Otherwise I just
about broke even. until May 1900
when doolishlyl moved back to
Patten. remained there six wears, then
to West Auburn for six years and in
1918 moved to Dorchester. Mass, next
year back | came to Powdoinham.
In 1915 | began work in Industrial
Medicine with the Aberthaw Con-
struction Co on big dam at Ripoga-
nus, and Jan. 1916 was promoted
Just not the word to Il similar posi-
ton with Winchester Repeating Arms
Co al New Haven, Conn If there
has ever been time in ny profess
sional life when ! lacked for work and
responsibility it surely WIS not during
the three years in charge ot that in
dustry of 10000 people My next
move was TO the Boston State Hospi-
tai. not as a patient. but As an assist
ant physician where gained a smat-
tering of Psychiatry and which part-
ally fitted me for the work ! am now
doing in the Veterans Bureau here in
Washington, y. c.
1t may be of interest To some to
know that the son. Chauncy Dean
graduated at Dartmouth College in