TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State

Told by the Pioneers
DR. ERNEST N. HUTCHINSON
Dr. Ernest N. Hutchinson was born in Milford, New Hampshire,
July 21, 1864. His mother died when he was four years old and he
was raised by aunts and uncles until he had completed his elementary
education. As soon as he was old enough to make his own way he had
a desire to go west. He landed in South Dakota and began working
as a cow hand and stage driver in the Black Hills. The work on the
range convinced him that he wanted to make Veterinary Science his
life work.
He herded cattle and drove stage in the Dakotas, saving his money
that he might go to college. While driving stage coach into Dodge
City, he had to pass through Chinatown. The Chinese had the habit
of sitting tipped back in chairs on their porches to watch the stage
come in. "Sandy," as he was called at that time, became so expert
with the "black snake" whip, that as the horses galloped past, he
would wrap the tip around the leg of a chair and pick it neatl:,' from
under a Chinaman. They soon learned to sound the alarm when they
heard the coach coming. They were all his friends since he had once
saved the life of a Chinaman. They just used caution by picking up
their chairs and going indoors as he passed.
Then there was the time when he was still considered a teuderfoot.
One cowboy took it upon himself to heckle Sandy, and his favorite
pastime was threatening to shoot at him. He would point his gUll and
say, "Look out, Sandy." Finally it wore on Sandy's nen-es, till he
took his black snake, (he never carried a gun) and ,'Tapped the tip
around the gun, snatching it from the cowboy. The cowboy was then
razzed out of the group. But some weeks later Sandy had made
camp, and upon opening his eyes very early next morning, saw this
same cowboy standing some distance away and pointing his gun, as
usual. Sandy never moved and it wasn't an instant before he heard
a shot and something spattered all over his face. He said he would
never feel so dead again as he did then. It was a rattlesnake that had
spattered in his face, and the cowboy very likely saved his life.!
When he had saved $400.00, enough to start his college work, he
went East with a shipment of cattle, but after leaving the stockyards
in Chicago, didn't remember anything more until he awakened in an
alley with empty pockets and a bump on his head. However, after
telling his story to the president of the college, he was allowed to undertake
his studies. He washed buggies in a livery stable at night
and managed to earn enough to pay his way.
Dr. Hutchinson was appointed from the first congressional district
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