The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-01-28
DOCTOR COVERS
WIDE TERRITORY
Ozark Mountain Physician,
80 Years Old, Travels
on Horseback.

Kansas City, MO.-At eighty years
Of age, riding horseback about the for
est trails Of the high-ridged Ozarks in
the Current river country Of Ripley
county, Missouri, day or night, rain
or shine, in heat or penetrating cold,
pleasant weather or stormy, facing
hardship and privation, his object to
bring relief to the stricken, ease to
the suffering, health to the sick, and
life to little children, is the epic of
DR.. Taylor G. Estes, who for almost
sixty years has patrOled his district
Of rural Missouri.
But years haven't left Doctor Estes
untouched. Although never tall, he
has as yet resisted that tendency Of
age to shrink and shrivel upon itself.
His hair is long and white, faded; yet
his brOws are bushy and tend to a bit
Of color, while his luxuriant mustache
is still tinged brown. Clear blue eyes
CLEAN at you.
Native Of Indiana.
Doctor Estes was born in Hendrix
county, Indiana, son Of William D.
Estes Of Virginia. He received his
general education in the public schools
Of his day and his medical training at
a Chicago medical school. His first
practicing was in Cumberland county,
Illinois, where he remained until the
second year after the close Of the
Civil war. Then he went to Pulaski
county, Missouri, for a short time and
finally found his select spot in the Cur
rent river country % years ago. He
has raised two families" to use his
own words, and Of Is children born
IL still are alive.
Doctor Estes has been not only
physician and confidential adviser to
thousands Of families, but also in the
busiest years Of his practice in Pulas-
ki county was ordained minister and
evangelist.
Covers Much Territory.
Doctor Estes territory extends IN a
radius of sixteen or more miles in each
direction. OF course, he is not the
only physician In the territory and he
does not have the obligation Of going
extreme distances to succor the sick
Yet his average trip, he estimates, Il
u miles over the mountain tops
Fifty miles is the longest single triI
he remembers to have made. In hi'
previous practice in Pulaski county
where there were fewer doctors, his
range was 20 miles In each direction
Doctor Estes has worn out many
hnwCou IN hfc 0orooW HOH n0onv N
can't remember. A horse does not las
long carrying a man at all hours owe
the ridges Of the Ozarks. In Pulaski
county and in the earlier years of hi
residence on the Current river, 1t tool
a stable Of six excellent saddle horse
to keep him mounted for all his calls
Nowadays, however, he keeps but one
Held In High Esteem.
In his blue denim shirt, collar Opel
at the neck, jeans pants held up b,
galluses, buckskin shoes, Doctor Este
does not look the scientist and phys
clan which he is; yet he never faile
to have and hold the confidence of hi
community, throughout which and i
neighbOring fields he holds high repJ
tatiOn.
Recalling the days Of the World wa
and the epidemic of influenza, he toll
Of hardships and struggles to keep u
with the disease through his territOr!
"AlmOst everybody in this sectiO
Of the country had it." he declared
"SOme homes had as many as 81
cases at nee. The big trouble was I
get them to keep windows and door
open. The biggest strain, Of cOurs
was getting about to all the cases an
watching them through the crisis"
His pay? Doctor Estes seldom
never is paid at the time he makes Il
long, twelve-mile, six-hOur hOrsebaC
ride to attend a patient. Most like,
such pay as comes will reach him loI
afterwards and as likely as not,
will not be in cash. The biggest Or
portion Of patients In such a distri
as this, until recent improvement
came to It, cannot afford to pay
physician for saving a life, for it
all they can do to sustain the life tn
has been snatched from blaeknes
Those who have surplus crops pay
hay and corn, in wood and forage, {
'7~easiOnally in a chicken OF a bit
game.