New Ulm Weekly Review

Stately Correspondence,
Stately, Sept. 20, 1880

Dear Review.

Though our town has thus far escaped the dreaded diphtheria, we have thus early one fever case to report. Mr. Edward Conger, of De Soto, Iowa, is our guest, having been married on Wednesday last, to our eldest daughter Fiora; and is now down with the fever. From many circumstances in life it has been thought by some that this world was sadly out of joint, but in some respects it seems happily adjusted. For instance: we have religions suited to almost every shade of thought and habit in life, and in medicine, as we have "many men of many minds," so we have many doctors of many kinds. When one of us gets sick our first business is to determine to what class we belong and call a physician accordingly.

Springfield is just eight miles away and is supplied with three doctors one of whom, doctor Wellner, is said by his friends, to be full-fledged in every respect. The other two are, by him, classed as "nobodies". To-day my son was sent to Springfield for a doctor to attend Mr. Conger. We first called on Mr. Wellner the "full-fledged" but the doctor could not come without the money in advance, or security for it. "It would do for some of those lounging about whose time was worth nothing"-he could not afford it. My son next called on "Nobody" McCarney, and he could "afford" to hire a livery team and come at once. He was called directly from here to attend my nephew, who is reported to have his eye put out. So you see we can all have a doctor--paupers and all.

While Mr. Conger is a man of sober and frugal habits, yet he has only lived in De Soto about twenty-five years, is only a R. R. agent there; has only served the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific R. R. Co., about twelve years, and his salary is now only $70.00 per month, of course, he has not laid up anything, and though he is a "Free Mason' it would never do for …full fledged" Wellner to attend such a case, if he took such cases-well he "can't afford it," that's all! I hope, those two "nobodies"will enter into an arrangement so that both of them will not be out of town at once, so that any one whose income does not exceed $70; per month need not die unattended. What say you, Messrs. Nobodies!

D. M. HAGGARD.