The Miracle Doctor of Fall City

There has always been a certain class of vampires and bloodsuckers who subsist by preying upon the credulity of the public, and for some reason, they always find plenty of dupes who appear to be only too happy to become victims. The most recent case of the kind that has come to our notice is reported from Fall City. It seems that an individual who rejoiced in the euphonious name of 'Doctor' Sloan turned up at that place a month or since. He was something remarkable in his way, and his fame was heard all over that section of country. He was the cure-all for every malady to which the flesh is heir, a great scholar and a wonderful person. He had recently arrived from the East, he said, and his wife and family were stopping at a hotel in Seattle. The people got quite enthusiastic over him, and each family was anxious to have the renowned doctor as their guest. He carried a pair of nippers with him, and struck up a great trade of 'working out old teeth.' Finally, he had a belt of patients on the string who were ailing physically and others ailing only in imagination. He prescribed for each case with all the philosophical gravity of an owl-wise doctor and sought to impress each patient with his great danger and the pressing importance of immediate treatment. He claimed he had no medicine with him, but told the same story to each unfortunate: that the particular remedy needed in his case was very expensive and difficult to obtain. He could give him a prescription, however, by which the medicine could be obtained at Seattle or Portland—by the way, he was going to Seattle in a few days to his family, and if they would let him have the money, he would get the prescription filled. In this way, by borrowing small sums, he collected quite a purse. Then the difficulty arose as to how he was to get to Seattle. A generous citizen intervened at this juncture and kindly proffered him the use of a fine horse and saddle. The venerable Doctor was soon mounted and sallied forth Seattleward. This was three weeks ago, and no tidings have yet been received from the late lamented Dr. Sloan. Only a current rumor exists that he sold the horse and saddle somewhere and stepped down and out.