THE SEMLWEEKLV TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA
TV
COLONEL WATTERSON, JOURNALIST
N
HIM SOME SPECIAL HONORS. H SMi- K&riMMff
MOST OF THE WORLD'S GREAT Kfifcl -. . ' WfflSil I
UNIVERSITIES AND SCIENTIFIC " JHMKf
S SOCIETIES HAVE BESTOWED IrapBlik ' -liHw
f05P7AL S0tf CANAL SMPZOyttS
By EDWARD B. CLARK.
AJ. QEN. WILLIAM CRAWFORD
Gorgas, chlof ot tho medical crops
tho United Statca army, is by
many men accounted tho greatest,
soldlor of them nil. He has met
and ovorcomo dlseaso on many
flolda, and disease In accounted,
oven In war time, tho greatest
enemy of tho human race. When
one writes of this modest-appoar-lng
man, who novor apeaks volun
tarily of his own nchlovomontn on tho sickness
stricken ileld, ho la writing ot one of tho most
famous mon ot any nation. Ho does not bolong
to Washington, nor yot to tho United Stntos, but
to tho world,
Horo la a ddctor and a soldier whoso record
stands unique In order to honor him congross
In a way upset Its traditions and changed a lino
of legislative action which for years ran ono
unvarying course. Last, spring tho congress of
tho United Statoa paid Qouoral Gorgas tho high
est compllraont that it Is within its power to pay.
It gavo him tho thanks of tho congress of tho
United Statos; It promoted him to tho grado of
major gonoral, and it so changod established
custom as to onablo him to romnln at tho head
of tho raodlcal crops of tho array for sotno
months after tho four years allotted for such
.ad'rvlco shall Iiavo expired.
l In other words, through tho action of congross.
.uioiiorl Gorgas, Instead of bolng surgeon gonoral
ot tho nrmy for tho term of only four years, will
hold that offlco until 4io retires from nctlvo work
.at tho ago ot Blxty-four yonrB.
t Tho thanks of congross, promotion to tho runk
at major gonoral nnd tho provision which would
onablo tho Incumbont to remain surgeon gonoral
lor a longor porlod than tho usually allotted tlmo
ramo to this doctor, as tho resolutions of con
gross show, bocauBo of his groat work In routing
disease from tho Panama Canal zone and in mak
ing A former plnguo spot ono ot tho most health
.ful districts In tho world.
( It lfl virtually Impossible to got tho records ot
all tho great aclontlBts of tho world for purposes
ot immediate comparison, but It soomo to bo
-safe to say that no other man has boon so hon
ored by educational Institutions nnd by learned
societies ns has William Crawford Gorgas. Ho
rocolvod his modost A. D. from tho University
ot tho South at Sowanco, Tonn., in tho year
1875, and his M. I). from nollcvuo Hospital Med
ical collego In Now York city four yonrs later.
From that tlmo to this honors havo boon piled
upon him, and ho has borne them all with n mod
osty that resembles tncoknos3. It Is held by
many that doctor of bcIoiico Is the highest honor
which any Institution ot learning can confor
upon a man. Sovcn great universities, Including
Oxford, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Drown and
Princeton hnvo conferred tho doctor of sclonco
degree upon this Amerlcnn army doctor.
To hltn havo pomo LL. D'a from JohiiB Hop
kins, and from many other univorsitlos. By tho
docreo of Yalo, Georgetown and Washington uni
versities ho Is a doctor ot laws. Ho has mcdalB
from BoclctlcB, from medical associations and
from national ncadomlcs ot Bclonco "for dis
tinguished achievement In tho interest ot man
kind." Ho has tho Seaman medal from tho
Amorlean Musoum of Safety, and ho hos tho
Mary Klndsioy modal from tho Liverpool (Eng
land) School of Tropical Medlclno. Ho Is a mom
l)or. olthor nctlvo or honorary, of virtually ovory
great sclontlllc aocloty In tho world. Tho hon
ors havo Bought him out. Ho has gono on with
Ills work seeking nothing oxcopt that which will
benefit bin toliow man.
j Jcnr-rpl Gorgas was born In Mobile, Ala., Os-
DA3LY MOS02ro
DGGMG SAWrAWJfWfoMCAfALZfflfr
tobor 3, 1854; was educated at thi Unlvorslty ot
tho South at Sowaneo, Tonn., whoro ho studied
from 18C9 to 1875, graduating with tho degroo
of bachelor of arts. He graduated in medlclno
at tho Ilollovuo Hospital Medical collego In 1879.
Ho served on tho house staff ot tho Bollovuo
hospital from 1879 to 1880; ontorcd tho United
States army in 1880, nnd served in Florida and
on tho western frontier until tho Spanish-American
war broko out in 1898. Ho went to Cuba
with tho expedition which captured Santiago.
After tho fall of Santiago Gonoral Gorgas con
tracted typhoid fovor, and was sont back to tho
United States. Ho went with tho expeditionary
forco which occupied Havana in Decomber, 189S,
whoro ho remained as health olllcor until tho fall
of 1902. During his Incumbency na honlth olllcor
of tho city of Havana tho army medical board
made a discovery with regard to yellow fovor
and found thnt It was convoyed by tho Stegomyia
mosquito. Ab health olllcor, with his sub
ordinates ho dovlsed plana and measures whereby
thtB discovery was put Into practical service.
As a roault of Uicbo measures Havnna was
freed from yollow fovor entirely In about eight
montha, although tho disease had been thoro
continuously for tho previous ItiO years. For
this work ho was promoted by apodal act of
congress from tho grado of major to that of
colonol.
For ten years Doctor Gorgas was stationed In
tho Pnnnma Canal zone, us tho chief health of
ficer ot tho Isthmian canal commission. Ho was
ordorcd to Panama In March, 1901, and threo
yonrs thereafter Theodoro RoobovoII mndo him a
member of tho commission. He was chosen for
tho Panama work because of his record. Ho
muda Pannma ono of tho healthiest places m
tho world nnd, moro than this, ho mndo tho liv
ing conditions of the laborer on tho isthmus as
sanitary, as comfortablo and aa desirable as tho
conditions surrounding tho laborer anywhere In
tho world.
Two years ago when Gonoral GorgaB term ot
sorvlco on tho Isthmus was drawing to n closo
bocnuso of tho near npproach of tho day ot com
pletion of tho waterway, your correspondent vis
ited the Cnnnl zouo. Whllo there ho was takou,
with some friends, to vlait a hospital on an Is
land oft tho coast. This hospital had boon built
by tho French. When Gonornl Gorcas wont to
tho Isthmus ho took tho building, put It into
perfect Bnnltary condition and made it n placo
of reception for convalescontB. Tho hoapltnl
never was full, bocauao thoro wasn't enough
slcknesa In tho zono to produco convalescents
enough nt nny tlmo to tnx tho hospital facilities.
Tho fact that this particular building never was
crowdod, and that It was a small building at best,
perhaps furnishes ono ot tho boat proofs possible
ot tho commanding medical work which was
dono In u placo gonurnlly accounted as ono ut
tho most unhealthy on tho faco of tho globo.
During tho visit to Pnnama a statomont was
mado to your eorreapoudent by General Gorgas
which was notlilng short ot startling In Its na
ture. Ilo said: "If the governments ot Vene
zuela and Ecuador would spend a few thousand
dollars to stamp out yollow fovor thero never
would bo another case of tho dlseaso known to
tho world."
For some reason or other tho South American
countries In which tho yollow fever still exists
will not spend tho money necessary to stamp It
out. So it la that so long as tho disease exists
thore it la possible for somo man, perhaps a
sailor, to he bitten by a fever-laden mosquito
Just before ho sails for another port and to carry
with him tho poison. It la held by tho high think
era that tho countries of South America whore
yollow fover exists should bo forced to Btamp
out tho dlseaso In order that tho rest of tho
world may bo safe for all tlmo from tho menace
of tho dread "yellow jack."
Somo tlmo ago, during a process of dredging,
a low spot on tho zono wns turned Into n marsh,
and almost Instantly tho malaria mosquito be
gan to breed thero abundantly. Literally mil
Hons of tho insects appeared. Now, thoro was no
danger, that they would spread malaria among
tho zono people, because the lnscctii had to be
come charged with tho poison llrat; but, of course,
It was necessary to determine how far tho crea
tures could travel, and this Is tho way thoy
found out:
An able-bodied and perfectly willing native
was put Into n mosquito net tent, whoro ho sat
and acted as bait. Ho was paid a certain amount
ot gold for lila baiting work and ho, with others
who afterward were employed, said It was easy
money.
When tho tent had a million or moro mosqui
toes In It tho native came out and tho entrance
was closed. Then tho scientists sprayed the
tent and Its confined mosquitoes with coloring
matter. Tho spray was ao lino that It did not
drown or oven drench tho lnaocta, but thoy ro
celvod some coloring mntter on their wings and
bodies. ,
Other tents wero pitched and In each was sta
tloned a human bait. Theso tents wero at cor
tain dlstanui'8 apart. All' tho mosquitoes In tlu
llrst tent woro released and thoy wero traced
by color from tont to tent until nono woro found.
fu that way thoy found out how far tho malaria
rover mosquito would travnl.
Surgeon Gonoral Gorgas makes li headquar
ters In Washington, but ho Is a soldier constant
ly subject to orders nnd also to tho dictates ot
Ills own judgmont. Any day ho may bo obliged
to go straight to tho front, not to moot tho hu
man enemy, but tho dlseaso enomy. His Is the
responsibility for tho health ot tho soldiers In
Texas, In the Canal zono, In Hawaii and In the
Philippine Islands. It Is his to meet, physician
like and soldierlike, any emergoncy which may
arise, Tlo Ib ono ot tho gontlcst men known to
tho servlco and ho Is also ono ot tho bravest.
Not long ago tho country was In
formed thnt Col. Honry Watterson and
Mrs. Watterson wero celebrating tho
golden nnnlvorsary of their wedding,
nnd folk wero rather amazed to learn
that tho vigorous editor of tho Louis
ville Courlor-Journnl had advanced bo
far on tho pathway of life.
Lono survivor of that group of
giant journalists that included Greoloy,
Dana, Mcdill, Raymond, tho oldor
James Gordon Bennett and Murnt
Halstcad, "Maroo Honry" is now seven-ty-flvo
years old. But dosplto his
years ho still "thinks young," says cm
admirer, oven as ho still so readily
writes in sonorous and beautiful Eng
lish, editorials either vitriolic or re
flecting a poetic nature, for tempera
mentally ho Is elasticity personiilod.
Ho knows how to enjoy a glass of
good ryo or rlpo burgundy, ho knows
how to piny poker (and then
somo!) and fow bottor lovo a Joko.
If heat Is life, then tho colonel ought to llvo to tho ago of hundreds, for
he radiates heat wherover ho goes and good dry heat, too. In tho Courier
Journal building, the composing room is on tho ground floor, just back of
tho counting room, whoro Henry has his desk, and a swinging door connects
tho two. Ono of his foibles is always to hand his copy to tho foreman and
another Is never to havo this architectural arrangement of doubtful utility
disturbed, so, regularly every week, ho dashes hurriedly against the door
Just as tho foreman docs tho samo thing from tho other sido. Thero aro
mutual recriminations and objurgations, and Watterson goes back to his
desk charged with that electricity reminiscent of Androw Jackson and' John
Randolph of Roanoke which has produced, at various times, goma which
everybody has chuckled over.
MIGRANT BOY TO SENATE
Knuto Nelson, senior senator from
Minnesota, seventy-three years old on
February 2, has had a distinguished
career which really began ono July
day moro than slxty-flvo years ago,
when ho, a little Norwegian boy, land
ed nt Castle Garden.
"I was six years old," ho said,
"and my mother was a widow. Wo
wero $15 In debt, and If tho Immigra
tion laws had boon thon what they
aro now we would not havo got In
but we did, and went at onco to Chi
cago, whero my mother's brother lived.
"Of course, wo wero poor wo all
had to work hard. My mother lived
out as a housekeepor with somo pco
plo on tho North sido, and I went to
llvo with a family on tho West sido.
Ono of my duties was to drive tho
cows to pasturo in tho morning and
go after them at night, out over tho
'old plank road.'
"Wo lived In Chicago about a year
and n half, and then in tho fall of 1850 my mother married and we moved
to Wisconsin."
Senator Nelson was a privato and noncommissioned officer in tho Fourth
Wisconsin regiment during tho Civil war, and was wounded and taken
prisoner at Port Hudson, La., in Juno of 1863. At tho close of tho war ho
taught school and read law.
In July, 1871, ho moved to Minnesota and began tho caroer which has
raado him one of tho great factors in stato and national politics.
LAWYER FOR CHINAMEN
When a Philadelphia Chinaman
gets into trouble or wants to go to
law, ho hies himsolf to tho law office
of a woman, Miss A. Florence Yorger.
Miss Yorger has built up a large prac
tice that mainly concerns big Inter
ests, but sho still finds tlmo to attend
to tho troubles of Chinamen. Sho bo
camo tho confldanto of Chinamen
shortly after sho began her practice,
and since then sho has counseled and
advised many Mongolians.
It was just by accident that Miss
Yerger became tho legal represonta
tlvo of the Chinamen of Philadelphia.
It was not because sho was a woman
or becauso sho mado any effort to got
tho Chinatown practlco, but becauso
sho had n property in West Philadel
phia and rented It to a Chinese laun
dryman. Ho started to go to her In
his troubles and brought his hundred
and ono cousins, and it was not long
boforo tho cnllers bocamo very numer
ous. When nsked about her Chlneso practlco, Miss Yorger said:
'Pooplo havo a wrong opinion of tho Chinaman. If you treat him
squarely ho will gtvo you tho samo treatment. Thoy aro pictured as sly and
cunning, but I havo not found that so In buslnoss dealings."
E. J. KING'S CUPOLA FRIEND
"When Edward J. King, tho new
mombor of congress from Galesburg,
111., was about eight years old, ho went
with his fathor to Galva, 111. His fa
ther was selling washing machines
about tho country. Thoy lived at a
llttlo hotel in Galva. On this hotel
wnB a cupola whero tho King boy and
another boy used to play. It was a
rather dangerous climb, but tho two
would go thore, view tho surrounding
landscape and talk ot tho things thoy
would do when they grow up.
Then King moved with his fathor
to other parts ami forgot all about tho
llttlo chap who had played with him
In tho cupola. Ilo oven forgot tho
boy's nnmo. All ho romembered was
that ho usually woro a bluo sailor suit.
Forty years elapsed and King was
running for congress. Ono afternoon
ho was holding a conforonco with
Frank Franz, editor of a paper at
Onolda, 111., and chairman of tho Knox
county Republican central committeo, which was handling King's campaign
in that county. King spoko of having onco lived at Galva and mentioned
that ho used to play In tho hotel cupola with a llttlo boy In a bluo sailor suit.
Kranz grow interested and asked for moro particulars.
It camo out that ho was tho llttlo boy In tho bluo salior suit