Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-20
PRESIDENT MEETS
OLD WEST DOCTOR
D. K. Dickinson Recounts
Memories of GoId-RuSh
Days at Lodge.
Nv a sian Correspondent Of The Star.

By STAN Correspondent OF Inc o'aF'
STATE GAME LODGE, Black Hills,
s. Oak, July 20.-The most interest
ing and romantic character VINO mas
presented himself at the summer
white House since the arrival OF
President Coolidge, is DIR. D. X. DICK
inson, now a resident of Los Angeles,
Calf, but for many years one OF the
heading physicians in this section.
The life story of this Si-year-old
veteran of the hills reads like story
hook He was one of the early ar
rivals following the discovery OF gold,
and for nearly 40 years he was
practicing physician in the hills
ranchman, as we'll as being the pFlh'
cipal physician at the worldfamouS
Homestake Gold Mine. at Lead
Soldier With Confederates.
Besides living through those rough
and unframed days when Deadwood
and Lead and other nearby mining
communities wera more or less law
less. this veteran was soldier IN the
Confederate Army during the last
wear of the Civil War. He was init
mately acquainted with the James
bows in Missouri before they became
such renowned bandits; he was pal
of Cen. George Custer during the
Hills and was with him the night be-
fore he left on the expedition that
ended in the massacre of his little
command at Little Big Horn. Wyo.
He suggested to Gen. Phil Sheridan
the site in South Dakota upon winch
he later erected Fort Meade; he knew
Gen. Pershing when he was young |
lieutenant at Fort Meade, and he |
knew Gen. Miles and Gen. Wood dur |
ing the DAYS they were chasing In |
dams over the Western country.
Dr. Dickinson owned ranch close |
TO the one on which the late Presl- |
dent Roosevelt did his cowpunchlng
in North Dakota, and tho became
close friends. He frequently talked
with that famous Sioux, Sitting Bull,
and was acquainted with other lndian
chiefs, including Rain Cloud and
Crazy Horse.
Doctor Commands Troop.
It was While serving as physician to
a Cavalry outfit engaged in running
down that crafty old Indian chief,
Geronimo, that he and Maj. Gen.
Leonard Wood, governor general OF
the Philippines, became warm friends.
Gen. Wood was at that time an Army
contract physician.
During his narration Of the Geron'
imo campaign, while at the game
lodge yesterday afternoon, DR.. DICK
inson told how DR.. Wood. as the gen.
eral was known in the outfit then, dis
tinguished himself by his bravery fol-
lowing an attack by the Indians from
ambush down in Arizona. Every Of
ficer in the Cavalry troop engaged in
this particular fight was killed. Dr.
Woods assumption Of the command
and his display of courage saved the
little body Of troopers from being
wiped out.
DR.. Dickinson said that this heriosm
and display of military fitness soon re-
suited in DIR. Wood being COM
missioned an officer in the Regular
Army. DR.. Dickinson said that the
gold lure brought men of all types
fiocking to the Black Hills. Dead
wood, which had been flung together
very hurriedly during those hectic I
physician, a wild, hell-roaring, mining
town, as he expressed it. During the
first few years of the gold rush, /
shooting and fist fights were Caily /
happenings, but the better element |
finally got the upper hand, and what
had been long reign Of disorder was
turned into fairly law-abiding town.
Knew Famous Westerners.
He was sitting In his Office, which
was above the saloon in which Wild
Bill Hickok was shot that August
night in '76 by a desperate character
named Jack Mccall. He said he hur.
ried to the room below when he heard
the shots, but Wild Bill was dead by
the time he reached him. He said
that this famous Western character
was easily the most popular man in
Deadwood at the time of his assasSi-
nation, not only because of his fame
as gunman and his daring as a
peace officer, but because Of his gen.
tlemanly traits and gentleness.
DR.. Dickinson knew Calamity Jane,
Deadwood Dick, who is still living in
Deadwood: Smoky Thomas, now a
storekeeper in Rapid City; Charlie
Utter. Jack Crawford and California u
Joe Miller and all of the other char
acters of the gold rush days in Dead.
wood and, Lead.
During his long period at a physi.
clan in this country DR.. Dickinson
brought more than 1900 babies into
the world, and while he was reminisc-
ing at the State Game Lodge yester-
day he said he was prouder of this
than anything else associated with his
and colorful life in the
hills.
Returns Each Summer.
Dr. Dickinson said that when he
retired from active life about 10 years
ago he moved to California, but each
Summer he and his wife motor to the
hills and spend several weeks meeting
old friends and the Doctors children.
as he refers to those thousands whom
he brought into the world, and to re-
visit old haunts and scenes Of their
early life in this section.
President Coolidge is going to Dead.
wood August 4, to attend the Days
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