The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1948-08-12
HORSE AND
BUGGY DAYS
by
Ida 10 Martin


County, between the War for indie
pendence and the Civil War, when
the future of this section was taking
form, there lived a man who literally
gave his life for the community.
This man, a doctor, and very good
one, could have been rich and fam
Gus, but he chose to give his serv-
ices in what was then a frontier of
civilization, where the pay would
be small, and often no pay at all,
that is in terms of dollars. For al
though this man served in from
tier, he had real friends; was loved
by great numbers of people through
out far-reaching territory; was al
ways one of the happiest persons
alive, and Intellectually and spirit
ually was one of the richest of all
men
This was Doctor Frederick Dorsey.
Here indeed was a remarkable man,
said to have possessed a remark
able combination of eccentricities
and virtues" He was always at the
call of his people, far and near; was
always full of cheer, and impartlng
this cheer to others; religious man,
a pillar of his church; yet Withal,
an ardent fan of horse-racing and
cock-fighting. His excellence in his
practice of medicine, together with
his stupendous memory and love for
story telling, rendered him almost
an institution"
Although he spent most of his
time in this world on the back of his
horse, travelling to lonely cabins to
attend the i'll, he had as intimate
friends the outstanding names of
this County; the Spriggs, Rochester,
Hart, Clay, Fitzhughs, Ringgolds,
Tilghmans, MaSonS, LaWrences,
Hughes, Carols, and Buchanans.
When a boy, he rode to the west
ern limit of civilization, to ELIZA
BEETHOVEN" and stayed to see the
prairies of the Valley brought I'M
der cultivation; pack horses replaced
by wagons and stage coaches; a
winding footpath, by the National
Pike, and the name of the town
change to Hagerstown.
DR.. Dorsey studied medicine with
the celebrated DR.. Richard Pindell
and began his practice with him.
Although he had not graduated from
any medical school, the Philadelphia
Medical Society gave him an honor
airy membership around 1900, and in
1924, in view of his work, the I'm
iversity conferred upon him the de-
gree of Doctor of Medicine.
BY this time he had an enormous
practice, covering an almost unbe-
hevably large territory on horse
back daily. He would often ride so
to 80 miles in twenty-four hours,
visiting and prescribing for as many
as one hundred and eighty patients.
Just before his mothers death he
rode daily to her place six miles be-
low Frederick, and during this time
he also attended a patient at Cham
bersburg. For 81 years, DR.. Dorsey
made these trips on the back of one
faithful horse, named Charlie.
nY- norco1y xIyoc ~ I'll ~
ciety, and was equal to every &C.
casion. Often in one day he would
attend death or conduct a funeral,
assist in the temporal affairs of his
church, go to a race or cock-fight,
and dance at wedding in the eve
ming. He would go from the dinner
table of a fashionable and refined
home to a corn-husking, feeling
equally welcome and just as much
at home at both places Once he
was late for gay wedding, as his
duties often kept him overtime.
The waiting company cheered as he
finally appeared; but some of the
cheering changed when the people
saw over his head and hat a long
black scarf, forgotten in his haste
to get from a funeral to the wedding.
Of course there were those present
who were filled with the horrors of
superstitious fears.
At another time he went from an
infant christening to a wedding.
The company was unusually dull and
dry. The doctor reached into his
pocket for his handkerchief and pull
ed out an infants cap. Some of the
guests blushed, others hid their
faces, but of course it was cause for
great merriment for the most. The
doctor tried hard to blush, but I
don't imagine he fooled anyone with
his accident"
DR.. Dorsey would ride 20 or 30
miles before breakfast to see horse
race. On one such trip he stopped
for bite at Montpelier, where he
CHANGED to meet the Rev. Mr. Ryan,
!. ~. DIT