Dr. S. L. Kerr.
Dr. Samuel L. Kerr was born in Washington county, Pa., Aug. 11, 1823. When a youth he followed school teaching for several years before commencing the study of medicine, which course he finished at Carrollton, O. He began his medical practice in East Liberty, Allen county, Ind., in May 1850. He traversed the country on horseback--his practice became extensive-- territory enlarged until it extended out fifteen to eighteen miles--at one time he had one hundred cases on hand, mostly of fever, which he visited and prescribed for within forty-eight hours, the territory being divided into three districts, a horse to each district. From the commencement of the sickly season in 1855 to the close in October, he had close onto six hundred patients. There were six deaths: three children of summer complaint, one youth of brain fever, and two aged women of pernicious fever. The doctor got no sleep at his home during August and only three nights in the last week of September. When he slept it was mostly on horseback. He caried a very nice riding whip. Sometimes his sleep was so sound that his grip would relax and the whip fall to the ground. He would instantly wake up, get down and find it. He went down after it seven times in one night. From the excessive labor and the loss of sleep, he was much exhausted in strength and his weight was reduced from 180 pounds to 130. He was compelled to abandon his practice for a year. He traveled in this state and in Iowa during the summer and went to Paulding county, O., to spend the winter in hunting deer and wild turkeys for exercise.
Having regained his health and strength he resumed his practice of medicine, locating at Kappa in June, 1856. This was before there was any El Paso. The doctor's practice soon extended for many miles in every direction. Some years after the doctor came to El Paso. There were no improved roads, there were tracks over the prairie that people followed. They led across sloughs, muddy and musty--sometimes for a hundred yards his horse would go knee deep in water and mud. The ponds and sloughs were full of water all summer. There were green heads and mosquitoes by the million. In the autumn when the dried grasses were fired, it was a beautiful sight at night to see them converted into flame.
The doctor is still enjoying an extensive practice in this city and
the surrounding country.
Isaac Cannon.
Isaac Cannon has been a resident of this county since March, 1861, and is as thoroughly acquainted with the history of El Paso and vicinity as any one we could name, having come here when young and grown up, as Greeley put it "with the country." Twenty years of that time he spent on the farm northeast of here but in '81 bid farewell to rural life and located in El Paso. For some years he has conducted a coal and tile business on East Central street, which for many years was run by Wm. Wheeler.
He handles all the best grades of anthracite and bituminous coal, sewer
pipe, all sizes of drain tile and building brick. Office one block and
a half north of Illinois Central depot.
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