Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/1046

SCHULTZ 1024 SCHULTZ born at Amherstburg, Ontario, January 1, 1840, and received his education at Oberliii College, Ohio, and Kingston, Ontario, then took his medical course at Victoria College. Toronto, graduating in 1861. The life of Sir John Christian Schultz is intricately woven into the early history of the Canadian North West, formerly called Rupert's land. His first trip there was made at the age of twenty, before he graduated in medicine. He returned to his home in 1861 to take his degree, but immediately went back to the land of his adoption where he suc- cessfully practised till public duties claimed all his time. In 1863 he assisted Gov. MacTavish and the right Rev. Bishop Anderson in forming the Institute of Rupert's land, of which he became secretary, taking an active part in the founding of its museum and contributing papers on prevailing diseases of Rupert's land and on the plants, minerals and other natural resources of the country. In this year, after reading a paper on the "Flora of the Red River Valley Country" before the Botanical Society of Kingston, he was elected a fellow of that Society. While a member of the House of Com- mons, he impressed on the Government the vast resources of the new province, pointing to what he termed "Greater Canada" as having' the largest extent of arable and graz- ing land and the greatest coal measures in the Dominion ; and he also advocated a trans- continental railway to bind the Dominion together. In 1867 he married Agnes, daughter of James Farquharson, Esq., of British Guiana. In 1894 the degree of LL. D. had been con- ferred upon him by Queen's University, Kings- ton. He died in April, 1896. An incident of his early life in the Northwest illustrates alike the adventurous side of life there in the sixties, and the ready and resourceful character that ever marked Sir John Schultz. As a boy he had lived near the old scenes of the life of the great Indian chief Tecumseh and the stories of the noble life of the red man had a profound influence on the lad. Throughout his life he was dauntless and forceful, yet kind and gentle. His natural sagacity stood him in good stead on many occasions. On one of his early trips from Ontario to Fort Garry, he went by way of St. Paul, Minnesota, from which place he drove all the way, a distance of four hun- dred and fifty miles. The Indians through- out the northern central states were all on the war path, and the young doctor was advised not to try to make the journey. He, however, secured a companion and set forth. After some days' journey they were surprised by a band of warriors and immediately piled up their kit as a barricade. A parley ensued between the two men and the forty Indians, when a shout came from behind an elm tree, demanding "by what right the white man passed through their country?" The barricade answered "I am a Segenash Mushkekewenene (English medicine man) travelling to the wigwams of the EngHsh people at the Eng- lish fort." The "Elm Tree" answered "We saw you as you crossed the ford and you were dressed like the people we have just driven from our hunting grounds." The bar- ricade answered, "Clothes do not differ among the whites and we are not 'Kitchemokomans' (Americans) but "Sagenash' (English) who have passed this trail for years in peace." Yet it became apparent that the Indians would have to be convinced of these assertions if these two travellers were to leave the spot alive, and the slight knowledge of the Indian language possessed by the doctor's companion, with a few phials of medicine and a pocket surgical case were now used in this behalf. The "barricade" engaged not to fire if the chief would send one of his braves across the ford to examine and report. The "Elm Tree" engaged on behalf of his followers to let the travellers pass if the envoy's exami- nation was satisfactory. The young Indian brave, with full war paint and more feathers than clothes, came over, and his quick eye took note that the trappings and equipage were of St. Paul make, but the sight of the rows of bottles and curious surgical instruments seemed to satisfy the warrior, who returned to his band, and after a hurried consulta- tion the "Elm Tree" announced that they "will come over and shake their English brothers' hands." The hand-shaking over, the two hosts entertained their guests in such royal style that they were in danger of leaving themselves hungry for ten days. As they were about to proceed on their way the chief gave them an invitation, that sounded more like a command, to spend the night at his camp some four miles away. Of necessity the invitation was accepted and a tent was assigned to the two travellers. All night long they lay awake to hear conversations in a nearby "tepee" during which frequent refer- ences were made to "Segenash" and "Kitche- mokomans." In the morning a squaw who was suffering from smoke irritated eyes, and I