Published by the
Cumberland Gap Hotel and Park Co.
Harrogate, Tenn.
j8g2

doctors

Published by the
Cumberland Gap Hotel and Park Co.
Harrogate, Tenn.
l8()2

Copyright, 1892, by
Allan McLanb Hamilton.

No.

odrcn(s';^LCC\\ fl A Gd^^

i^'T^^^ celebration of the discovery of America was
over, and all that existed to remind one of the
merry-making of a confused week were the
torn and stained banners, the bedraggled decorations, and the
memories of crowds, noise, smoke, and bubbling patriotism.
The last Italian cavalier in the procession had hung up his uni
form for another year, and returned to the neglected chestnut-stand;
the tired New Jersey bicyclist had finished oiling his steely steed in
the bam, and the Board of Aldermen were getting in their bills.
The great show of 1892 had been a success in every way, and had
done the people exceeding good, so that they were not — excepting a
few who had gone to the Lenas Lyceum dinner — in need of medi
cine, or in the mood for doctors.
In view of this condition of affairs, it was but natural that the
members of a hard-working profession should take their " day off" —
and so they did. Nearly a fortnight before a number of invitations
like the following had been sent :
My dear Doctor: I have secured a special train, and invited a
few medical friends to go down to Cumberland Gap for the purpose
of a short outing in the Tennessee mountains. The train will leave
on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 15, reaching Harrogate the next night,
and returning to arrive in New -York the following Friday.
I sincerely hope you can go, and beg that you will reply at your
earliest convenience. Yours very truly.

It was but natural that physic should be thrown to the dogs, and
on the afternoon of Saturday, October 15, a goodly crowd of medi
cal gentlemen boarded the hotel-car " Celtic " at Jersey City. There
was no intention upon the part of the secretary of the Cumber-

A DOCTOR S PILGRIMAGE.

land Gap Park Company, Mr. Doe,^a peaceable alderman of
Elizabeth, New Jersey, — who was directed to provide a car, to
get one whose name suggested free fights or hilarious conviviality,
for he knew that the gentlemen accepting the president's invitation
were among the most quiet and dignified of their kind, although
their environment was not always the best. At least two of the
party came from New Haven, where Yale College has the entire
monopoly of the town in " rushing," and the privilege of making
every and all kinds of noise which seems to be inseparable from
higher education, while another was at the head of a most exem
plary and well-ordered institution at Flushing for the care of per
sons who, as a rule, do not know enough to keep quiet. But if
there had been any doubt as to the character of the party, it was
settled by the advent of the gentleman whom we will call " The
Reminiscent One," and the staid young medical man with an Irish
name, who might have daily kissed the blarney stone, so sweet were
his disposition and manners.
And now we are ofi". The engine, feeling the important load it is
drawing, snorts impatiently, and the engineer, possessed with the
idea that a lot of doctors are after
him, pulls open the throttle, and
the train ofthe " Royal Blue Line"
must have appeared to the wonder
ing eyes of the patient cows who
clipped and chewed the sparse
fall herbage in the New Jersey
fields, as a flash of lightning.
A Pullman hotel-car has every
convenience, and this one was es
pecially adapted to the needs of its
medical occupants, for a drawing-
room had been converted into a
pharmacy, which, however, was
rarely used, and though this device
had been thought a necessity as
the train ran through at least three prohibition States, and there
was a danger of some of the party being summarily removed from
the cars heavily ironed, fortunately no accident occurred, as at din
ner the doctors to a man drank each other's health in flowing goblets

"A Pullman Hotel-Car has Every
Convenience."

A doctor's pilgrimage. 7
of milk and mineral water with impunity. The cares of practice
and college duties had kept at home, much to the regret of the
host, several who had accepted ; yet in one way this acted to the ad
vantage of others whose physical peculiarities prevented them from
entering and enjoying as they should the upper berths. One of
these gentlemen was found writing a telegram of reassurance to his
friends at home, and he afterward enjoyed the sleep that only a
Knickerbocker can. This provision of a lower berth for each per
son lessened the chances of conviction the next morning, for at least
two of the party indulged in unrestricted and sonorous musical ex
ercises during the night, which every one repudiated.

^'pHE morning of the sixteenth was clear and beautiful, and we
\L^ awoke to find that a new-comer had boarded the train at
Washington at midnight, an hour which fortunately enabled him to
escape the horde of patients who, of course, were quite ignorant of
his departure, and to leave the national seat of government in a
demoralized state by reason of the loss of one of its most important
medical heads. Our breakfast was eaten as we passed through the
picturesque Shenandoah Valley, made famous by some of the most
spirited fighting during the war, and by the gallant Sheridan. But
little remains to indicate that blue-coated cavalrymen charged down
this beautiful valley ; but an aged negro, who recited a pathetic story
of his separation from
an old mother, whom
he subsequently met
in a most unexpected
and dramatic manner
in Ohio many years
after, pointed out the
corner of the shabby
depot at Radford,
where the shells from
Averill's battery had
removed a large quan
tity of brick-work.
At Buena Vista,
which we passed early
in the morning, began
a series of deserted
" boom " towns — relics of the excitement of two years ago. These
are scattered along the line of the railroad, and it is no unusual
sight to find the hillsides and valleys laid out with regular streets,
many of which are overgrown with grass, while lamp-posts rear

Fate oi a Spy — 1863.

A DOCTOR'S pilgrimage. 9
themselves out of the rank vegetation. Substantial brick stores with
boarded windows, tenantless hotels, a jail for criminals, who even
tually found nothing to steal, and deserted land-offices, whose oc
cupants have long since gone to other regions, leaving these lonely
places like jackals who have finally picked clean the shiny bones
of their prey, are features of the country. These towns extend
nearly two hundred miles south, and only a few have survived the
depression which is largely due to the Baring failure and the les
sened demand for Southern iron.
Roanoke is the largest of those that have outlived the boom, and
presents a scene of busy prosperity ; while at Salem and Radford,
perhaps, in a few years when the present reaction is over, we shall
again hear in the land the voice of the auctioneer selling " comer
lots."

^^BOUT eleven o'clock we crossed the superb iron bridge at
/CV East Radford, which is nearly two miles long, and com
menced our mountain ascent, first skirting the exquisite New
River, beneath palisades nearly as high as those on the Hudson,
and then a vista of ever-changing glory — the autumn foliage
being at its best — was spread before us. The air of the region is
so clear that the most delicate tints were constantly opened up on
every side, and contrasts of color never seen in the North delighted
the artistic sense of all.
Upon the side of the road was the broad New River, which has
apparently a most eccentric habit of running uphill until it empties
into the Ohio. Its tortuous course is marked by rifts and parallel
strata of rocks, and everywhere are to be found numerous beautiful
islands, which, in some respects, resemble those of the St. Lawrence.
Along the route the train halts at odd little villages, ancient South-
em watering-places, some of which are pre-revolutionary, and at
TazeweU, the home of the original Colonel Carter, the traveler wfll
find the finest stock and the richest crops in America, as well as
much of the traditional old-time Southern hospitality. Colonel
Carter, not Hopkinson Smith's creation, but a much more quaint
person, is a familiar character who is as genial and kind-hearted as
a child, but a veritable Tartarin in purpose and impulse, and his
extraordinary actions supply all the local stories.
Richlands and Graham are on the line of the route, and show
the efforts of good, honest, enterprising work which has been done
by the young men, who come mostly from Phfladelphia, and who
have in some instances trebled the value of the capital supplied to
them for disbursement. Great iron-furnaces, rolling- and saw-mills
are everywhere to be seen; and at Bluefield, which is destined to
become one ofthe greatest coal centers ofthe country, we find that
the liberal policy of the Norfolk and Western road has done much
to promote its growth. The people all have a wideawake look,
and are decent and self-respecting.

A doctor's pilgrimage. II
Westward the road takes its way — towns become smaller, and
the scenery more wild and rugged. Our party have adjourned to
the back platform, and view with wonder and dehght the glorious
mountains, and marvel at the engineering skill which has been
shown in the building of great tunnels and trestles. As we advance
into the interior the scenery becomes still wilder, and the people at
the railroad stations acquire a type which is peculiar and unmis
takable. Until eighteen months ago none of them had seen a
raflroad, and when a daily train stopped, it was a most important
occasion, people coming miles from the interior, men and women,
as is the custom, riding on the same horses ; and for some months
after, they would travel from one station to another, perfectly con
tent to walk the ten or fifteen miles back to the place from whence
they had boarded the train for the sake of the experience.
Through the great Virginia and Kentucky valleys traversed by
the Clinch Valley extension, and for fifty miles north and south, we
find a most interesting phase of civflization, for in several regions
until recently feuds had been indulged in, accounts of which at the
time found their way into the sensational press. " Hatfields and
McCoys," and " Turners and Howards," settled all disputes in a
summary way, but, luckfly, either owing to the fact of the building
of the railroad, or that extermination must come some day or other,
an end has been reached.
Many amusing though grim
stories are told in which the
carelessness in regard to hu
man life figures most conspic
uously. With such a large company
it was quite natural that all
elements should be repre
sented, and after the first "^ ""^^ aH
,. , " They Lived ever in Their Science."
settling-down we were con
stantly surprised by some manifestation of genius, and it ap
peared at an early date that our car contained at least two bota
nists. One was a gentleman whose researches in a neighboring
State in regard to the flora of Main street, Bridgeport, and whose
papers upon the native Myristica Ligneosa have attracted universal
attention. The other is the author of " Truflfles and Their Habits,"

12 A doctor's pilgrimage.
and " Vegetative Hebetude." The enthusiasm of these members
of the party was a delightful surprise; they lived ever in their
science, and wandered over the fields with intertwined arms, dis
cussing new flora, and sat up until long after midnight comparing
their finds. Fortunately their excursions from stations were not
protracted after the locomotive had taken water and blown its
whistle of recall, so our journey's end was at last reached and

The, " Four Seasons " Hotel.

every member turned up safely at Harrogate, where we arrived at
nine o'clock Sunday night and found the genial manager of the
" Four Seasons " Hotel, Mr. Clair, awaiting us. Ten minutes later
we reached the hotel, whose cheery portals were filled with welcom
ing friends, and we made what in circus parlance might be termed
our '¦'¦grande entree."
The spectacle of fifteen doctors descending upon the place did
not cause the consternation which might have been supposed, for
the force of the blow had been broken by the previous arrival of
Dr. J. Fletcher Ingalls, of Chicago, and Drs. Thruston and Coleman
Rogers, of LouisviUe, with two legal friends who had prepared
every one for the worst. In lieu of baggage Rogers had brought a
ghastly-looking box suggestive of dynamite, but upon closer in
spection it was found to contain one of the most' important liquid
productions of Kentucky, so for a time the dangerous effects of fa
tigue from a twenty-eight hours' journey were averted.

"The Ascent ofthe Pinnacle Occupied an Hour."

'^'T'HE first day was spent in the inspection of the Hotel and
\iy Sanatorium, and the park generally, and in the afternoon an
excursion to Pinnacle Mountain was inaugurated by Mr. Clair.
Two large wagons were pressed into service, as well as all the
available saddle-horses, and the cavalcade, which, in point of pic
turesqueness, eclipsed anything that had been seen in New -York
the week before, wended its way to the top of the glorious moun
tain which "rears its proud head " 2700 feet above the hotel.
The Pinnacle, which is the original mountain from which Daniel
Boone viewed Kentucky, is approached by a rather steep and bad
road, which passes directly through the historic Cumberland Gap,
where the meeting-point of the States of Kentucky, Tennessee, and
Virginia is marked by a white stone. In view of the outrages
which in past years have been committed here, one of a dark color
should have been chosen, for this contiguity of the States made the
place at one time very popular with a certain class of transgressors
who found it very easy to evade the sheriff by the shortest kind of
a promenade, which consisted in stepping from one State into the
other.

14 A doctor's pilgrimage.

"At length all Clambered to a Point almost in the Clouds."
The ascent of the Pinnacle occupied an hour, and was attended
by a series of adventures which were innocent enough, notwith
standing the fact that several of the most competent surgeons in
America were at hand to set broken bones. As the party ascended,
a series of magnificent views burst upon them, but the first mishap
occurred when the patient horses, either as a result of the
stories told by the occupants of the stage, or from a sense of their
own shortcomings, suddenly stopped, and though vain attempts
were made to start the wagon, the load, with one exception, took
to the road and finished the journey on foot. At length all clam
bered to a point almost in the clouds, from which a view could be
obtained comprising the Great Smoky Mountains forty miles dis
tant, and points in five States. A mild breeze stirred the multi
colored leaves of the grove of chestnuts which tops the mountain,
and caused a liberal scattering of the modest brown nut as if to
rebuke the raconteurs of the party. The earthworks and rifle-pits
occupied by the Northern and Southern troops during the late war
were passed on the way down, and the party returned to the " Four
Seasons " in time for the banquet. By accident most of the bag
gage had been left at Roanoke, two hundred miles back, and a
feeling of discomfiture was everywhere manifest upon this chUHng
announcement. Several gentlemen who had left impromptu speeches
in their trunks were specially annoyed, and various makeshifts
were resorted to for the purpose of presenting a creditable appear
ance. One of the largest men in the party had four No. i8 coUars,
and there was a medical bridegroom at the hotel who proffered a
dress-suit, but the suggestion of some one that this ceremonial

A doctor's pilgrimage.

IS

costume be divided up was voted down, and the original owner
was left in undisputed possession, and came to the feast arrayed
like Solomon in afl his glory, but it is doubtful if he enjoyed his
dinner more than his less fortunate brethren.

Tlie Sanatorium.
However, we forgot all these little annoyances, and at eight
o'clock sat down to the table, having first assembled in the great
drawing-room. The "Four Seasons" orchestra was stationed in
the fernery, and during the dinner made a delightful accompani
ment to the merry conversation of the hungry doctors whose appe
tites had been sharpened by the keen mountain air.

Mr. Clair had provided the following menu :

Bantiuet.
tendered by the directors to THEIR MEDICAL FRIENDS.
Huitres sur Coquilles. ©^tl tePtJg^.
Tortue Verte au Clair. ^mOGtillaslO..

Boudins h la Villaret en Caisses.

Saumon au Coquilles Homard, Sauee Riohe.
Pontimes HoUandaise.

Filet de Boeuf 6 la Daumont. RoJ'siC&UX.
Flageolets Maitre d'Hotel.

Alies de Poulet, Duglere. G\lQm^SifUe.
Fetlts Pols A la Finaneiere.

Petits Pains de Gitaier en Damier.

Sorbet Cumberland.

Perdreaux sur Canape.

^our=jo^m.

Glaces Fantaisie. Petits Fours. Biscuits de Savoil.
Jelly Souffle au Tokay. Gateaux Assortis.
Florentins. Plfeees Monties.
Fruits. Caf6. Cigars. Liqueurs.
"FOUR SEASONS" HOTEL.
OCTOBER 17, 1892.

A doctor's pilgrimage.

17

At the table were :

Dr. A. McL. Hamilton

Dr. Thruston *
Dr. Francis Bacon *
Mr. Osborn »
Dr. Kimball *
Dr. C. A. Lindsley *
Dr. J. W. Wright *
Dr. Coleman Rogers *
Mr. C. D. Phelps *
Dr. N. S. Lincoln »
Dr. Fletcher Ingalls *

*Dr.
• Dr.
* Dr.
* Dr.
* Dr.
*Dr.* Dr.
* Mr.
* Dr.
* Mr.

L. A. Sayre
Barstow
G. De F. Smith
S. F. Morris
S. O. Vanderpoel
Maynard
Andrew H. Smith
Louis Hamilton
J. W. Brannan
Humphrey

Mr. Bartlett

After the dinner, which had been a matter of great solicitude
and the day-dream of the chef and his assistants for nearly a week.
Dr. Sayre arose and said :
Gentlemen .
'•^/T is with sincere regret that I have just learned from Dr. Ham-
^jl ilton that he is going to leave us in the morning, which is
compulsory on account of business arrangements, and so that he
can take the steamer for Europe next Thursday. We shall all miss
his agreeable society very much, both here and on our retum trip,
and we cannot allow him to depart without first expressing our
sense of deep obligation to him for the great pleasure he has given
us, and I think it but right that we should publicly recognize the
great service that he has done to suffering humanity throughout the
country in originating and carrying out this magnificent enterprise.
To me it is a revelation, a marvelous revelation. I have occa
sionally noticed some slight mention of it in the newspapers, but

1 8 A doctor's pilgrimage.
never dreamed of anything at all like the magnitude and grandeur
of what we all now see.
The gorgeous scenery as we wound through the curves around
the mountains, with their brilliant tints of foliage, was more bright
and varied than I have ever seen in our Northern mountains, and
gave a zest and a joy to the trip that I have never experienced in
any other in my life.
And then the most mysterious thing came; for after winding
through these mountains in the darkness of the night, for about an
hour catching an occasional glimpse of what seemed like a large
city, in the dim distance was the " Four Seasons " Hotel, which, as we
drew nearer, looked like a magnificent palace surrounded with col
umns, and brilliant with glimmering electric lights, and presenting
such an unexpectedly beautiful sight that I was astounded. Then,
for the first time, I heard that this was our place of destination. At
one moment it was out of sight, and as we turned another curve I
was surprised to see a large building, and another bend of the road
brought us in view of still another. I was told that one was the
Sanatorium and the other Harrogate Inn.
You can imagine the effect upon a mind never dreaming of com
ing in contact with such a brilliant scene, and having it thrust upon
one in an instant. It was the most surprising effect that I have
ever experienced in my life.
Then we arrived here, coming up a road of the most perfect
grade, giving views of this beautiful palace from all its different
angles, a most gorgeous sight with its 1600 electric lights, which
seemed to multiply as we approached ; and as we entered the grand
hallway, with a band of music playing, it was certainly something
nearer like fairy-land than anything I had ever seen.
The courteous host, Mr. Clair, the manager of the house, received
us with such genial kindness as to make every one feel instantly at
home, and almost as if our party owned the entire establishment.
I was carried up in an elevator by a neatly uniformed darkey
guide to the next floor, crossing a hall large enough for a ballroom
to my parlor, which is larger than any of the private parlors in any
of the Saratoga hotels I have visited, luxuriously furnished, and
opening into a splendid bedroom, with a bathroom beside it that is
actually larger than some of the bedrooms in any one of the most
fashionable hotels in New-York. The linen, furniture, in fact all

A doctor's pilgrimage. 19
the appointments of the house are as perfect as can possibly be.
And the table, of which we have already seen so many good exam
ples, has certainly never been surpassed at any place.
I have wandered through this house even to its kitchen apart
ments. Its fumishing is far superior to that of any house I have
ever seen.
One of the most important parts of the affair is the Sanatorium,
which, though near, is so separated from this grand, magnificent
palace of a hotel and its gaieties, as to be entirely secluded from
it, and have no interference from its noise, thus giving the required
rest to the patients.
One new and important feature is a road winding up the hillside,
from which there is an entrance to each floor, so that patients may
be carried direct to their rooms without the use of an elevator.
The construction of the building is most excellent, with its airy
halls — all the rooms having windows. There are no dark recesses,
no room without a beautiful external vista, giving all an expansive
view of these most magnificent mountains. The nurses' apartments
attached to each room give an elegance and luxury that I have
never seen equaled. At the end of each floor a circular portico,
inclosed in glass for a sun-bath during cold winter weather, makes
a very delightful retreat for recreation. On the lower floor tiiere is
a gymnasium that is equal to one of Zander's best-appointed, with
all the paraphernalia requisite for giving the proper massage and
manipulation to the muscles of the body, and also every variety of
bath, and a fine swimming-pool thirty feet square.
But I was most impressed by the cooking and kitchen arrange
ments of the Sanatorium, where they mak,e their own ice to pre
serve meats, etc., and everything is done in the most skilful man
ner ; for I think the great secret in restoring broken-down systems
due to mental anxiety, and the strain and wear incident to our ner
vous, rushing mode of life, is to supply exhausted nature with a
proper amount of palatable, nutritious, and easily assimilated food,
so that she can restore vitality.
Altogether, it seems to me to be the most perfect place for rest,
recreation, and recuperation that can possibly be imagined; I
think, therefore, that Dr. Hamilton, by his foresight and sagacity
in selecting this beautiful, salubrious climate, with its magnificent
mountain scenery, in which to establish a Sanatorium, is entitled to
3

20 A doctor's pilgrimage.
great credit, and he certainly deserves much praise for the enter
prise and energy with which it has been accomplished, and it ought
to be a most triumphant success, as it will, as soon as it is prop
erly appreciated as a resting-place between the extreme north and
south; and from meteorological reports it also has the advantage
of an equable and pleasant climate the year around.
I, therefore, wish you all to join with me in giving our sincere
and hearty thanks to Dr. Hamilton for the great pleasure he has
given us, and for the great good he has done to the community and
the profession, and wish him every success in his enterprise.

The chairman. Dr. Hamilton, then replied as follows :
Gentlemen :
S^ffT is difficult for me to say anything that could adequately
^1 express my deep gratitude to you for what Dr. Sayre, as
your spokesman, has said, or to impress you with my sincere plea
sure in having )'^ou about me to-night. Your presence and ap
proval of what you have seen is all the encouragement the most
exacting person could ask, and I assure you that the hard work I
have done in the past two years in addition to my professional
duties in perfecting this enterprise has been amply rewarded by
your indorsement.
Several years ago, Mr. John Baillie, of London, with Sir Morell
Mackenzie and myself, conceived the idea of establishing in Amer
ica an international health resort upon a scale of great magnifi
cence. The place chosen was Ocala, Florida, a most beautiful spot,
and negotiations were undertaken to capitalize the scheme. But
owing to the appearance of yellow fever in Florida, and the death
of one of these gentlemen, the project was abandoned, and it was
not untfl some time afterward that my attention was directed to
eastem Tennessee by some one who had wandered over these hills,
and been invigorated by the delicious air.
Cumberland Gap was visited and found to be, all things con
sidered, the most healthful region, in my opinion, in America.
Pulmonary disease was almost unheard of, and the dry and moder
ate elevation of the district was believed to be admirably suited to
invalids of all kinds. Then began the laborious work of getting

A doctor's pilgrimage. 21
the better class of physicians interested in its development, and
this was a difficult matter, as heretofore most sanitaria had anything
but a high scientific standing. The scheme, however, appealed to
the medical profession so directly that a number of my good friends,
both here and in London, agreed to form a Medical Advisory
Board. Then money had to be raised, and ultimately nearly
$2,000,000 were contributed to make Cumberland Gap Park and
Harrogate what they now are. The directors, believing that the
true policy was to spare no expense to secure perfection, imme
diately engaged the services of two of the best-known sanitarians
to lay out the grounds, inspect the plans, and suggest to the archi
tect, Mr. W. B. Bigelow, of New-York, all possible sanitary improve
ments and adjuncts. It is unnecessary for me to speak to you of
the eminence of Dr. J. S. Billings, Surg. U. S. A., LL. D., and Colonel
Geo. E. Waring, M. I. C. E., for it was these gentlemen who have
given us the benefit of all their experience.
Nearly' six miles of macadamized roads were built over the
mountains, and about the buildings, and a complete sewerage
system and water- works were established ; and then two magnifi
cent buildings were erected, the " Four Seasons " Hotel and the
Sanatorium, the former being one of the largest hotels in the
world, with a frontage of 750 feet, which is equal to the length of
three and a half blocks in New- York city. You have traversed the
miles of corridor, and been through the buflding, so I need say
little in the way of description, except to emphasize the fact that it
is practically a small town in itself, having its own ice and electric-
light plants, its printing-office, and every labor-saving appliance.
You have visited the Sanatorium, have inspected its architectural
features, ventilation, baths, sterilizing chambers, solaria, and gym
nasium, and to-morrow I hope you will be able to visit the spring
house, and the sulphur and iron springs.
My associates and myself have provided this place as a dis
tinctly American health resort. We have done our best, and have
spared no expense or pains to provide everything that could be
bought or devised by skilful artisans throughout the country. We
have felt that there was no reason for Americans to wander aim
lessly all over Europe for health, whfle at their very doors they
could find springs equal to any, doctors who were their country
men, and comforts that were, as they say in France, fin de siecle.

22 A doctor's pilgrimage.
It is true we have no Royalty to cast that glamor over the amuse
ments or cause the feminine flutter that attends the Prince of
Wales's visits to Homburg — and so far we have not imported any
German princes or Italian counts, but they doubtless can be pro
vided if a demand is created.
We have the advice of the best obtainable board of physicians,
the best sanitary advisers, and the best architects, and we have the
utmost confidence in our manager, Mr. Clair, whose popularity
needs no comment.
We have built this place in the most accessible part of America,
in a State which is celebrated for its healthfulness, adjoining two
others whose history and traditions are the most romantic in
America. One of these States is noted for its superb horses — its
brave men and beautiful women — its blue grass and blue blood —
and I shall call upon Dr. Coleman Rogers, of Louisville, to respond
to the toast of " Kentucky."

Mr. Chairman:
^f^EFORE we assembled on this pleasant occasion, my good old
J^ friend Dr. Sayre, a veteran himself in matters of this kind,
hinted to me that he was going to call upon me to respond to a
toast to our distinguished host. Dr. Hamilton, who, to judge by
what we have seen here, excels as much in the r61e of an amphi-
tryon as he does in his chosen calling ; and we know what he is in
that. I implored Dr. Sayre to pass me severely by, assuring him
that in post-prandial and other oratory I was sadly deficient. But
with downright meanness and malice prepense. Dr. Sayre has car
ried out his threat by having Dr. Hamilton caU on me, and forced
me to say something. Lord knows the theme is inspiring enough,
only I doubt my ability to do justice to it. If I was painfully con
scious before of being sadly lacking in the suaviter in modo et for-
titir in re, which, being freely translated, means the " gift of gab,"
how must I feel now in the presence of such a symposium as this,
facing as I do all these learned Thebans at the festive board?
However much I may feel, I cannot express it. If I could give
utterance to my thoughts and express a tithe of the satisfaction this
visit has afforded me, of the delight which wfll be perennial with

A DOCTOR S PILGRIMAGE. 23
me, and in fitting terms tell how grateful we all are to the dispenser
of all this pleasure during our sojourn in this charming place, our
kind friend and confrere Dr. Hamilton, I would do so, but words
fafl me. The task is too great. For myself and for all of us, I in
dorse to the full all that Dr. Sayre has said.
When we came down on this visit to Dr. Hamilton's bantling, or
rather, I may say, to his twin bandings, — viz., the " Four Seasons "
Hotel and Sanatorium, — we expected a glorious time, for we knew
that Dr. Hamilton never did anything by halves. But in our fond
est dreams of pleasure we were not prepared for what has been un
folded to us during the past three joyous days. Ever since our
arrival here, it has been nothing but a series of surprises. Our eyes
have been staring in wonderment at every turn. Of course we ex
pected to see a well-kept and well-appointed hotel, and a Sanato
rium suited to its purposes, but away down here in the rugged hflls
and amid the wilds of Tennessee, and in sight of that gap and that
old wilderness road through which Daniel Boone and his little
band wended their way to old Kentucky, we were not prepared to
find the palaces of Aladdin which met our gaze. Were there ever
such elegance and comfort as we find here, such conveniences to
meet every want, such politeness from the highest to the lowest, such
a boniface as Mr. Clair ? — all these on the inside ; and on the out
side such air; and can the far-famed Yosemite surpass what we
have witnessed in grandeur of scenery ! We cannot gfld refined
gold, nor paint the Hly. Our vocabulary falls short when we at
tempt to give even the faintest conception of the beauties to be
found in this magnificent spot. The sick and the wefl need go no
farther than Harrogate for rest and recreation. The people of the
South need flock no longer to White Sulphur, to Aiken, to Ashe-
vifle, to Jacksonville. This hereafter should be their Mecca. This
enterprise deserves success, and wfll most certainly attain it. The
beauties of Harrogate cannot long be hidden, even if we, one and
all of us, do not herald them forth to our friends everywhere.
When we go back home and relate what we have seen here, the
half of it won't be believed, but let the doubting Thomases come
down and see for themselves. All honor then be given Dr. Ham
ilton and his associates fortheir foresight and public spirit in father
ing and carrying out a scheme which has given this country such
an hotel, and such a sanatorium, with such surroundings.

24 A doctor's pilgrimage.
But as if our genial host had already not done enough to complete
the pleasure of our sojourn here, and in addition show the possibili
ties of this hotel, as a crowning glory to the whole, as a kind of
stirrup-cup on the eve of our departure, see what he has spread
before us to-night ! God be praised that we are partakers of his
largess, for surely our Lucullus outshines himself to-night. Can
we realize the fact that away down here, far from the madding
crowd, just on the outskirts of civilization, in the mountains of Ten
nessee, he gives us a feast which from start to finish, ab ovo usque ad
mala, Delmonico in all his glory cannot excel. The keen regret
at leaving the " Four Seasons " Hotel is softened by the reflection
that it wfll not be long before we will revisit it, and again enjoy its
comforts. Success to it and to all connected with it, say we, one
and all.
The Chairman. — Upon my right is a gentleman who comes
from a part of the country and a city celebrated as one of the most
advanced seats of learning in America. I mean New England and
New Haven, and the name of Bacon is so closely identified with
education in the East, that any utterance of its clever represen
tative will be listened to with pleasant anticipation, and I therefore
propose the health of Dr. Francis Bacon and New England.
Dr. Bacon then responded in a witty speech, in which he referred
to his approval of all that had been done, and alluded to the rhe
torical talent of his fellow-townsman Dr. Lindsley, the secretary of
the State Board of Health of Connecticut, who was present, and
referred to a most eloquent address this gentleman had made quite
recently at a dinner given by an association of undertakers. Dr.
Bacon hoped that Dr. Lindsley might be induced to repeat his
speech.* * Owing to the inability of the editor to get Dr. Bacon's speech, this gentle
man's graceful remarks cannot be produced in their entirety, but parts of a letter
since received are published with his permission :
32 High Street, New Haven,
Nov. 17th, 1892.
My dear Dr. Hamilton: I have been waiting to hear of your return to express
to you my most appreciative thanks for your splendid hospitality, which gave to
our party a week of such peculiar and exceptional pleasure. The week you se
lected was, whether by happy chance or sagacious forecast, the very crown of our

A doctor's pilgrimage. 25

Mr. Chairman and Fellow Guests:
ifVpi Y friend Dr. Bacon puts me under great embarrassment by
jjrU-*' caUing me to my feet as a "fluent speaker" and a man
"of undaunted courage before any audience."
I know he means well, but, aside from the domain of surgery, he
is frequently subject to draw false conclusions from insufficient data.
In the present instance he confessedly inferred afl that he said about
me from the fact that I had recently delivered an address before a
State convention of funeral directors. Since he has called my at
tention to it, I think I can understand that it may be that a man
peerless American autumn, and the only drawback to our complete enjoyment
of it was the malign decree of destiny that bore you away untimely before it was
finished. I have not even the vaguest remembrance of what I said at the banquet — ex
cept a general impression that it was quite inadequate to the occasion. What I
should have said is that after recovering from the first astonishment at the sight
of the sumptuous " Four Seasons " Hotel with its surroundings, standing as an
oasis of high civilization in the midst of the wilderness of mountains, I was im
pressed, not so much with the generous splendor of all its appointments, — for
that is a quality purchasable by any one who can make the necessary great out
lay of capital, — as with the admirable taste and judgment which are everywhere
visible in the perfect fitness, both of the hotel and Sanatorium, to their respective
purposes. The latter especially won my admiration by offering not only every comfort
that an exigent chronic invalid would desire to surround himself with, but also
in its varied and elaborate bath-arrangements of all kinds, its ample solaria, its
electrical, gymnastic, and inhalation apparatus, the most complete assemblage of
remedial appliances that I have ever seen beneath one roof, either in this country
or in Europe.
When the value and extent of the resources of this establishment become gen
erally known, they are sure to be in very wide request both by physicians and
patients. The admirable climatic qualities of the great upland region in which the hotel
and Sanatorium have been so wisely placed, have long been recognized by clima-
tologists, and are now becoming a matter of popular knowledge.
The brilliant dry atmosphere enhances the loveliness of the noble mountain
landscape, and gives it an indescribable charm to one coming from the stormy
north Atlantic seaboard or the chill humidity of the great lakes.
I have a grateful remembrance of the effect of the climate in my own case, for
after three days' sojourn in it, I left behind me for good an odious bronchial irri
tation, which had harassed me for a month, and which I had fully expected to
fight for the rest of the autumn and winter.
Though I cannot, as you have requested, recall what I said at your delightful
banquet, and though, by that fact, I am sure I said nothing worth recalling, yet
you will believe me, dear Dr. Hamilton, that it was from no lack of appreciation
of how great natural advantages have been seized and developed, and a sagacious
plan nobly carried out in the building of this splendid establishment, to which,
not only for its own deserts but for the public good, I wish an abundant success.
Yours sincerely, Fr's Bacon.

26 A doctor's pilgrimage.
who has practised surgery for forty years as extensively as Dr.
Bacon has throughout Connecticut may have very good reasons
for thinking it requires a bold man to meet a State convention of
funeral directors. But, however surgeons may grow timid in the
presence of undertakers, we physicians, in the practice of medicine,
acquire no such fear of them, and it never occurred to me until Dr.
Bacon mentioned it that I should be credited with any degree of
heroism in meeting them. Indeed, I think it a trivial matter to
face a company of men who never pursue a man until he is dead,
as compared with the bravery necessary to suddenly stand all un
prepared, as I do now, before an audience like the present — of
the brightest intellects of the medical and legal professions.
I know my friend Dr. Bacon always means well in all he says,
but his illogical reflections lead him again to the absurd, when he
suggests that I should rehearse that funereal address on the present
festive occasion.
While, therefore, I cannot feel grateful to my friend for the man
ner of my introduction, yet I may thank him for the opportunity it
gives me to express my sense of gratitude to our host for the deep
delight and pleasure which I have constantly enjoyed as one of his
guests — a feeling in which I know you all participate. But there
is another feeling, stronger, more profound, and lasting than the
mere sense of personal gratification, which I find growing within
me during my brief sojourn amid these charming surroundings. It
comes from a consciousness that a higher and nobler purpose than
that of affording the means of mere physical pleasure is sought to
be accomplished by the liberal-minded men who have undertaken
this grand enterprise.
The best benefactors of the human race are not those only who
seek out individual instances of suffering and want, and by personal
attention and pecuniary aid give temporary relief. There are also
benefactors and true philanthropists in the highest sense, who, with
a broader grasp of the subject of humanity, plan and devise means
of benefiting large numbers of their fellow-beings.
There are many directions in which philanthropy may find fruit
ful exercise, but there are no fields of labor in behalf of humanity
where well-directed effort is more noble, more effective, or more
far-reaching in good results than when devoted to the improvement
of the public health.

A DOCTOR'S PILGRIMAGE. 27
Such effort is not limited to public health boards, with their too
frequently unscientific and crude methods. It is always private en
terprise which leads or points the way in all great undertakings, in
all untrodden paths.
Cumberland Gap Park presents a striking instance of such en
terprise. Its broad-minded and liberal-hearted projectors have
evidently an unbounded faith in the work they have undertaken.
They have recognized and appreciated the unsurpassed and su
perb conditions which nature has provided in this locality, and they
have undertaken to make available for the sick and the feeble the
exhaustless treasures of the health-giving, life-invigorating agencies
so bountifully found here.
The establishment of sanitaria in many places in this country
and Europe marks the progress of medical science. They indicate
a stage in its evolution of exceeding interest and importance.
So long as mankind is heir to ills so numerous, the physician, as
the curer of disease, will not be without occupation. I always had
and I always shall entertain a high respect for him as a most im
portant factor in promoting the happiness of his fellow-creatures.
But in the future — yes, in the present, even — his vocation is mark
edly modified. As the care-taker of health, he is not now, as for
merly, a mere giver of drugs, and administerer of doses ; but he
must be a preventer as well as curer of disease. He has both
gained and lost faith in the apothecary's stock. With a more ac
curate knowledge of the action and effects of medicines, he has
learned better their power, and also their frequent impotency.
Without wholly deserting the shelves of the druggist, he often seeks
other means of relief for his patients. And so he has come to know
that there are more powerful remedies than pflls and potions — that
salubrious surroundings, pure air, a dry soil, an equable tempera
ture, and other natural climatic conditions are in many instances
more revivifying and tonic in their effects, more remedial and re
storative than anything among the stores of the botanist or among
the products of the chemist's laboratory.
As I gazed this morning from my window, and saw the rising
sun first gilding the tops of the distant mountains, and then in its
glorious splendor illuminating the broad valley of the Cumberland,
and as I inhaled the balmy air, fragrant with the delicious odors of

28 A doctor's pilgrimage.
the surrounding forests, I felt that I was inspiring health and vigor
distifled from nature's own laboratories.
Cumberland Gap Park opens to the world a region from which
the world has heretofore been excluded, a region in which the god
dess Hygeia has uninterrupted sovereignty.
It is not a mere summer resort; it is not a winter resort only;
but it is a resort equally salutary all the year round, and to the
natural advantages and attractions has been added this magnifi
cent and palatial hostelry, of capacity for over 500 guests, and
with every attention in detafl, to the most scientific sanitary
construction. Not only that, but we have been shown to-day, by our distin
guished host, another edifice, the Sanatorium, so called, for the
reception and treatment of health-seekers who need seclusion from
the excitement and bustle of hotel life, and such further aids to
recovery as are only available by special provision. The Sana
torium is not too far away, nor yet too near. As a hospital, it may
justly be said there is not another in America better appointed
with all the appliances that science and art can suggest for the
benefit of invalids.
Its stately and imposing appearance externally is a trustworthy
guarantee of the pleasant comforts of the interior.
I predict for Cumberland Gap Park, for the " Four Seasons,"
and for the Sanatorium a future popularity unsurpassed by any
simflar institutions in this country.
The Chairman. — When we left New- York I invited a gentle
man, who has a mind of his own though he is brought in contact
with a great many topsyturvy ones during the year, to leave his
work and accompany us. It was no affront to you, gentlemen,
and no reflection to introduce an alienist, for there is no one here
who has even a " fixed delusion " regarding his profession. Dr.
Barstow, however, is many things else. He is not only what
one of my flighty patients, who is a " lady magazine " journalist,
would call " an elegant conversationalist," but an authority upon
sanitaria, for he is at the head of one of the best-appointed in the
country, and you all know what his claims are as a botanist ; so I
hope he will lay down his weed and let us hear from him.

A doctor's pilgrimage.

Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen .
'/I /ILJ HEN I accepted the invitation of our hospitable friend,
VJiVl/%' Dr. Hamflton, I had little idea, and I am sure none of
us could anticipate, what a reception awaited us at Harrogate, and
what a dreamland we were about to visit. The lights of Aladdin's
palace could not be more dazzling than the view of the " Four
Seasons " Hotel, as it burst upon our vision last night on our arri
val — and to-day we have been shown the inner glories of this
temple, and we have visited the Sanatorium, which to the profes
sional eye eclipses even the hotel in the appropriateness of its con
struction and in its marvelous beauty of finish. I thought I already
knew something of sanitaria and rest cures — but it has been re
served for to-day to see what perfection it is possible to attain in
this direction.
Unique in many of its features is this beautiful sanatorium which
our host has originated. The ingenious placing of the building so
that each of its three stories can be reached by a carriage drive, is
of itself a novel and admirable feature. The internal structure and
arrangement of the building are apparently perfect. Everything
seems provided for, the baths in every variety, the gymnasium with
its complete apparatus, the massage-rooms, the electric-rooms, the
halls, the bedrooms, the dining-rooms, the kitchens, all fumished
with every appliance for the luxurious comfort of patients as well
as for their appropriate treatment. Nothing seems to have been
omitted or forgotten.
But above all and around all and within reach of all is this
glorious atmosphere of Cumberland Gap (whose strength-giving
quality we have already tested in climbing to " the Pinnacle " to
day) — this soft but bracing air, which is of itself food and rest and
refreshment. '
Surely, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, we have come to an ideal
place. And now, as we thank our gracious host and his coadju
tors for their hospitality and kindness, let us also pay a generous
tribute to the genius and skill which have conceived and completed
this magnificent scheme; and let us all strive as best we may to
promote the future success of the " Four Seasons " Hotel and
Sanatorium of Cumberland Gap,

30 A doctor s pilgrimage.
Dr. Vanderpoel's speech.
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen :
'^^^HEN our party left New-York on Saturday evening, and
xlAiJp^ started on our joumey south, we were all prepared to
find something in the way of an hotel and sanatorium quite out of
the ordinary ; but I believe you wfll all agree with me, gentlemen,
when I say that what we did find, in reaUty far exceeded in gran
deur, extent, and completeness of equipment any preconceived ideas
we may have formed on the subject. To my mind, the principle
upon which this health resort is started — namely, of separating the
invalids proper from those guests who are simply in pursuit of plea
sure and recreation, and still having them so adjacent that inter
course between the two classes is possible and convenient, if
desired — is, I say, the true one; for every one who has had any
experience in health resorts knows fuU well how distressing, and
oftentimes depressing, it is for nervous guests to be constantly, more
or less, thrown in intimate contact with the invalid. The atmosphere
becomes, so to speak, contaminated with the idea of sickness, and
many a one is frequently deterred from going to such a place by
just such annoyances. But here this problem has evidently been
weU thought over and admirably carried out, by the erection of a
sanatorium second to none in extent, stabflity of construction, or
applicabflity to the purpose for which it was erected, either in this
country or in Europe, as its possibUities of cure and the care of
those iU embrace in their scope almost fhe entire range of medical
therapeutics. For consider what we saw this morning when we
made our tour of inspection, — in the first place a buflding most im
posing extemaUy, and most charmingly located, and, as one of the
gentlemen expressed it in referring to the view, presenting a stretch
of landscape in itself quite sufficient to make one well ; and, sec
ondly, an interior so admirably arranged to meet the wants and re
quirements of the sick, with its complete electro-therapeutic outfit,
its magnificent Russian and Turkish baths, with the facilities for
douches and massage, in conjunction with which is to be found the
well-appointed gymnasium for those able to avafl themselves of it un
der the physician's direction. Then, too, the comfortable, snug, and
weU-ventflated rooms provided for the patients, each thoroughly

a doctor's pilgrimage. 31
furnished with its fireplace, and, in fact, with everything that can be
required to add to the creature comforts of the inmates. When we
consider this, and also that this establishment is placed in the hands
of a most competent and able physician, the thought must occur to
one and all of us that this is precisely the spot to send that large
class of neurotic patients who require not only the proper atmo
spheric influences and surroundings incident to change, but also
that their treatment may be inteUigently directed by a physician
who is thoroughly equipped with an armamentarium suitable to cope
with their malady, and that they may not fall, as is now too fre
quently the case, into the hands of the charlatan. When we con
sider all this, I repeat, where can another such place be found?
To me the opportunity of seeing this institution has been one not only
of great pleasure but also of profit, inasmuch as I now feel prepared
to refer patients of the class mentioned, intelligently, and also
others requiring change, to a spot where they may recuperate un
der the most delightful surroundings. And I feel confident that,
were the knowledge of these facts known to the profession at large,
this institution would be soon filled to its full capacity. I cannot
close without tendering to the managers of this enterprise, and to
Dr. Hamilton in particular, my congratulations on the spirit of enter
prise that conceived this idea, and also that they then had the cour
age of their convictions, as is shown in their placing such a vast
amount of money in the venture. That they will meet with a full
measure of deserved success is my firm conviction.

Dr. S. F. Morris of New- York, being called upon, said :
Mr. Chairman :
•^^^HEN I met you at the ferry, on giving me instructions as
^uAU^ to finding the car, you said " the lower berths were re
served for the old men." It was with some trepidation that I asked
the location of my berth. Great was my satisfaction, when an up
per berth was assigned me, to feel that I stfll was a young man.
Later on, however, I was surprised and disappointed to find that I
had been allotted a lower berth, and thus relegated to the band of

32 A DOCTORS pilgrimage.
old men. The abrupt change did not disturb my night's rest, and
in the morning all disappointment was forgotten in the enjoyment
of the beautiful country through which we were traveling. That
evening, when suddenly the " Four Seasons," with its myriads of .
electric lights, came into view, the effect was like a scene from fairy
land ; then was I not only surprised, but astonished. Subsequently,
when I saw your magnificent hotel, with its beautiful appointments
complete in all respects, and your Sanatorium so well arranged and
equipped with all that was latest and best, especially its bathing
arrangements and its electrical appliances, my wonder grew. In
the location you have selected, in the grounds as well as the bufld
ings, you have an almost ideal place, and I think I am but uttering
the feelings of my companions when I say to you and your associ
ates in this great undertaking, that if good wishes and kind words
can make it a success it will be most successful.
The Chairman. — We have here to-night two distinguished
members of the large and influential famfly of Smiths, and I shall
call upon Dr. Andrew H., who, though he has worked under pres
sure to alleviate the sufferings of the many patients who flock to
him, has, so far, not suffered from any of the consequences of any
kind of " ringing in the ears.'' We shall be pleased to hear from
Dr. Smith.

Dr. Smith's speech.
Mr. Chairman :
CHOUGH there are only two of us here to-night, I believe
that if one of the occasional conventions of the Smith family
we read. of in the newspapers was to be held in this place, the
" Four Seasons " Hotel would be large enough to hold all the dele
gates without any crowding whatever. I have been more than
surprised at the provisions that have been made, and the unex
pected magnificence of the buildings. Perhaps I am better quali
fied to speak of sanitaria than others here, for a few years ago I
made a systematic tour of the health resorts east of the Mississippi,
and I am certain that there is nothing to be compared with the

A doctor's pilgrimage. 33
Hotel of the " Four Seasons," and the Sanatorium connected there
with, in the completeness of the appointments for the comfort of
invahds. I am peculiarly impressed by the perfect adaptation of
the Sanatorium to the wants of the sick; by the arrangements of the
baths, gymnasium, Swedish movements, solaria, and the fact that
each floor opens out on to the grounds on the same level, so that
each story is a ground floor.
The atmosphere is peculiarly invigorating. I feel my physical
self-respect increased 200 per cent, by the amount of mountain-
climbing I have been able to accomplish to-day without fatigue,
and which, in a less invigorating atmosphere, would probably have
been impossible.
It is difficult to realize, after the brilliant occasion which we have
all enjoyed to-night, and partaking of the superb banquet, that such
things are possible in a place that was but a few months ago little
more than a wilderness.
We are all very much indebted to Dr. Hamflton for arranging this
very delightful excursion for us, and one of its most enjoyable features
is that physicians who before have known each other but slightly,
are brought into intimate relations, and form many pleasant acquain
tances. I express the wish that Dr. Hamilton's voyage will be success
ful, and assure him that our good wishes go with him over the ocean.

The Chairman. — A few years ago, upon the occasion of the
strife that to some persons suggested the possibility of another civil
war, — I mean the selection of a site for the World's Fair, — a rep
resentative in Congress for North Carolina gravely nominated Mid-
dlesborough, Kentucky, as the most available spot in the country,
and when I remind you that Middlesborough is three years old, and
but five mfles from this dinner-table, you can understand the mo
tives that prompted this somewhat quixotic proposition. However,
I believe Chicago in its great good fortune has forgiven its lesser
rivals, New-York and Middlesborough, and I am sure my distin
guished friend. Dr. Fletcher Ingalls, of Chicago, wfll not permit any
rancor of the past to deter him from responding to-night. I there
fore propose his very good health.

34 A doctor's pilgrimage.
Gentlemen:
i^ff CAN heartily indorse what has been said by Dr. Sayre and
^31 others about our delightful surroundings. The earth and air
and sky seem at this time to have united here to contribute to our
pleasure. I was greatly surprised to find here in the mountains
such a perfect hotel in all its appointments. The clear sky and pure
air lull one to repose under its broad verandas, and the view ob
tained from the mountain- tops fills one with admiration for the
grandeur of the scenery. I have been much gratified at the thor
ough equipment of the Sanatorium, which seems to offer all of the
conveniences and comforts which the sick can require; and a long
acquaintance with the gentleman (Dr. Maynard) who has taken
charge of its medical management enables me to express the greatest
confidence in the methods which will be employed for the relief of
those who shall profit by the advantages which it offers. I can
assure you also that patients you may send here will be treated
ethically and courteously, and that everything will be done that you
may desire for their well-being.
Such advantages as the hotel, the Sanatorium, and these wonder
ful surroundings offer, must within a short time make this a verita
ble Mecca for those who desire rest and relaxation, as well as for
the sick who need a comfortable home, where they may be under
the constant care of an experienced physician.
I only regret that our stay here must be so short, but I hope
that we may again meet under these beautiful skies, and enjoy the
beauty of this glorious landscape.

Mr. Phelps, being called upon, said:
Gentlemen :
kOU have had a surfeit of the good things of life, — good
speeches, magnificent scenery, pleasant surroundings, —
everything that would make your visit here delightful, pleasant,
and memorable ; and now, by way of variety, our good host has
thought well to inflict on you something that was not good, in call
ing on me to make a few remarks.

a doctor's pilgrimage.

35

My feelings now remind me forcibly of those of a gendeman I
had occasion to meet some time ago. I was called hurriedly to a
Httle town, way up in New England, to make an examination before
the national officers should come in, and the president of the insti
tution, after introducing me to all his directors and friends, and
tefling them explicitly the object of my being there, took me to one
side and confidentially said : "I hope, Mr. Phelps, you won't say
anything about what you find here, for we don't want folks to know
what fools we are about the banking business." I could have
made that same plea, as regards speech-making, with a good grace,
had I known that I was to be called on to address you.
After the pleasant, witty speeches we have listened to, after the
graceful compliments to the hotel and its equipments, the courteous
hospitality of the management, that has done so much for our en
joyment, and all the varied phases of the beautiful surroundings
here, there is very little remaining to be said.
I am sure we have all enjoyed to the utmost the pleasant trip
down, the delightful drives of yesterday and to-day, the appetizing
climb to the Pinnacle Rock — and all these things will remain with
us as a pleasant recollection of our visit to one of the most delight
ful spots we have ever seen.
There can be only one result to the energy and enterprise that
has founded this beautiful resort, and that result is success. If
whai we have heard to-night is any criterion that success is assured,
it has our best wishes, and you will all join heartily with me in the
toast, " Success to the ' Four Seasons.' "
Short speeches were made by Drs. Thruston, J. W. Wright, and
Kimbafl, and Messrs. Humphreys and Bardett.

Speech of Dr. John Winters Brannan.
Mr. Chairman :
i^ffT has fallen to my lot this evening to be the last one to give
^3j| his impressions of this delightful place to which Dr. Hamflton
has brought us. Not much, therefore, is left for me to say. I can
only join in the general expression of pleasure and appreciation of
afl that has been done to make our trip enjoyable.

36 a doctor's pilgrimage.
I attempted to tell Dr. Hamilton this afternoon how charmed I
was with the beauty of Harrogate, but he seemed to think that I
had hardly been here long enough to form a fair opinion of its
merits as a pleasure and health resort. He has heard enough this
evening, however, to convince him that we all think ourselves
qualified not only to form but to express opinions on this subject.
There is but one cloud upon our happiness to-night, and per
haps I should do well to follow your example in avoiding all allu
sion to it. But I cannot refrain from saying how very sorry I am
that Dr. Hamilton is to leave us in the morning. Two days still
remain of our stay at Harrogate, and I hope that Dr. Hamflton
may be persuaded to remain with us to the end, and thus make
our joy complete. I ask you all to join with me in requesting him
to change his plans if it is at all possible for him to do so.

/|15|N Tuesday and Wednesday the time of the party was occu
py/ pied in visiting the coal-mines at Middlesborough, the
springs, and in riding over the Company's property, and three of
the more daring, accompanied by Colonel Key, the master of cere
monies, went out in search of quail and
wild turkey. Unfortunately, the soil was
so dry that the dogs could not get scent,
and the expedition consisted simply of a
tramp. Every precaution had been taken
to make the sport as harmless as it is in
France, and, though the dogs were not
provided with shot-proof suits of mail, and
no special instructions were given as to
"The Party was Occupied ^j^g j^Q^jg of carrying guns and lifting them
inVisiting the Coal-mines." ^^^^ ^^.^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^j^^gg ggntlemen re
turned unharmed, and empty-handed.
The PoweUs River Cave was visited on Tuesday, and displays
of horsemanship were again presented which were exceedingly
creditable. The sim
ple inhabitants were
quite unaware ofthe
important caval
cade that wound its
way over the Pow-
efls River road, but
it would be strange
if the children on
the roadside did not
incidentafly put out " If the Children on the Roadside did not Incidentally
their tongues and Put out Their Tongues."
take to the woods impressed with the distinctly professional air
of the procession.
The wonders of the cave were enjoyed, and the Haystack ad
mired, and the musical qualities of the stalactites brought forth with

38

a doctor's pilgrimage.

"The Three Gentlemen Returned Unharmed."
the same precision that many unfortunate consumptives had been
subjected to in Northern cities through advanced methods of per
cussion, and then, fording the river and skirting its peaceful banks,
they found their way back to the hotel, none the worse for their
long day.

A doctor's pilgrimage.

39

The Haystack.

40 A doctor's pilgrimage.
The Chairman and Dr. Vanderpoel had left for New- York on
Tuesday morning, and the remainder of the party again boarded
the car " Celtic," which had been drawn up to a siding, and at an
early hour started on their homeward joumey.
It would be monotonous to refer to the many incidents of the re
turn trip, except to say that every mfle increased the good fellow
ship and unloosed a flood of anecdote and pleasantry.
Every one felt younger and better for the change, and the veteran
of the party, who under no circumstances could ever be considered
old, in spite of all his valuable work, read the following verses:
To Dr. Lewis A. Sayre on his eighteenth birthday, February 29th,
1892. From Dr. Huntington, Rector of Grace Church, New-

York.

Dear Doctor Sayre, and can it be
That Nature set her clock for you
Some four and fifty years too slow?
How clever of her to foreknow
That you would keep yourself so young.
So firm of heart,
So stout of lung.
That she would never be detected.
Or you so much as e'en suspected
Of being older by a day
Than leap-year records seem to say !
Eighteen, dear friend, or seventy-two,
Whiche'er it be,
GOOD LUCK TO YOU !

a doctor's pilgrimage. 41
And in this connection reference was made to the influence of
medical practice in bringing to its followers a certain kind of vivacity
and youthfulness, which is even shown in the face of hard work and
oftentimes persistent struggle ; and allusion was made to Dr. Ohver
Wendell Holmes, and his perennial vigor and freshness of mind and
feeling. It seemed that one of the number, Dr. Andrew H. Smith,
had been present with others at a dinner given to Dr. Holmes by the
medical profession of New-York on the occasion of his seventieth
birthday, and read an original poem, which he was induced to repeat :
You 've heard of the Deacon's one-hoss shay.
Which, finished in Boston the self-same day
That the City of Lisbon went to pot.
Did a century's service, and then was not —
But the record 's at fault which says that it "bust"
Into simply a heap of amorphous dust;
For, after the wreck of that wonderful tub.
Out of the ruin they saved a hub.
And the hub has since stood for Boston town —
"Hub of the Universe" — note that down!
But an ordinary hub, as all will own,
Must have something central to turn upon ;
And, rubber-cushioned and true and bright,
We have the axle here to-night.
Thrice welcome, then, to our festal board
The doctor-poet, so doubly stored
With science as well as with native wit
(Poeta nascitur, you know, non fit).
Skilled to dissect with knife or pen
His subjects— dead or living men;
With thoughts sublime on every page
To swell the veins with virtuous rage;
Or, with a syringe, to inject them
With sublimate to disinfect them;
To show with demonstrator's art
The complex chambers of the heart ;
Or, armed with a diviner skfll,
To make it pulsate at his will;
In generous verse to celebrate
The loaves and fishes of some giver,
And then proceed to demonstrate
The lobes and fissures of the liver ;

42 A doctor's pilgrimage.
With strains from his prophetic lyre
To make each nerve a trembling wire ;
Or to describe with care laborious
Nervus Spinalis Accessorius;
To move with fervor of appeal
The sluggish muscles into steel ;
Or, pulling their attachments, show
Whence they rise and whence they go ;
To fire the eye by wit consummate.
Or draw the aqueous humor from it;
In times of peril give the tone
To public feeling, called " backbone " ;
Or to discuss that question solemn —
The muscles of the spinal column.
And now I close my artless ditty,
As per agreement with committee;
And, making place for those more able,
I leave the subject on the table.
Yet one word more ; I 've had my pride
As medicus most sorely tried
When Englishmen (who sometimes show
Of things American, you know.
An ignorance that is melancholy).
As Dr. Holmes is very jolly.
Assume that he must therefore be
A Doctor of Divinity.
So, to avoid all chance of wrong
To Medicine, or Church, or Song,
Let " Dr. Holmes " discarded be
For " Oliver Wendefl Holmes, M.D."
And now (for I really must come to an end)
May the fate of the chaise be the fate of our friend —
May he never break down and never wear out
Till a century old, or thereabout ;
Not feeling the weight of the years as they fly,
He simply stops living when ready to die.
There was something about the shadows of the sflent Virginia
mountains that at times appealed to the sentiment of the party, and
the laughter which foflowed Dr. Smith's verses was broken by Dr.
Wright, who arose and recited the following :

A DOCTOR S pilgrimage. 43

THE SAILOR BOY'S FAREWELL.

Farewell to Father, blessed hulk !
In spite of metal, spite of bulk.
His • cable soon may slip.
But while the parting tear is moist
The flag of gratitude we '11 hoist,
In duty to the ship.
Farewell to Mother, "first class "she!
Who launched me in life's stormy sea
And rigged me fore and aft.
May Providence her timbers spare
And keep her hull in good repair
To tow the little craft!
Farewell to Sister, lovely yacht !
But whether she '11 be manned or not
I cannot now foresee.
May some good ship a tender prove.
Well found in stores of truth and love,
And take her under lee !
Farewell to George, the jolly-boat !
And all the little craft afloat,
In home's delightful bay.
When they arrive at safling age
May wisdom prove the "weather-gauge"
To guide them on their way !
Farewell to all on life's rude main,
And though we ne'er may meet again
Through stress of stormy weather.
Yet, summoned by the Board above,
We '11 labor in the port of love.
And aU be moored together.

44 A doctor's pilgrimage.
As the train wound its way eastward, war memories came strug
gling back to those of the number who, a quarter of a century before,
had tented on Virginia sofl, and when Harper's Ferry was reached, on
the morning ofthe twenty-first, stories were exchanged and reminis
cences indulged in. The scene of John Brown's desperate struggle
brought vividly back the stirring episode of the outbreak of the war.
Harper's Ferry, the Point of Rocks, and the glistening Potomac
were all portions of the passing panorama that greeted the party
and the morning sun which illumined the dome of the Capitol and
the Washington Monument told our travelers that they were nearly
home, and this they realized several hours afterward, when with
hand-shaking and " God speed " they scattered, once more to
plunge into their busy lives, to bind up the wounds, to straighten
the bones, to fight microbes, and to minister to impatient patients,
but much refreshed by their week's outing in the South. While the
mountains of Tennessee have resumed their wonted quiet, the quail
have crept from their places of refuge, the flowers have raised their
heads, no longer fearing the ruthless hand of the botanist ; the
clouds still float lazily over the Pinnacle, as if loath in their loneli
ness to leave the place which was so lately visited by the jolly party,
and the memories ofthe Doctor's Pilgrimage of October, 1892, are
treasured by those who had the pleasure of entertaining them.

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