Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Who's Who in 1921 & 1922 Dr. Albert Smilie Hague

"The Fairfield Tribune"
Thursday, April 14, 1921
Page SIX

NO. 10 (sic - should be 11)

DR. ALBERT SMILIE HAGUE

"Ah," we hear you saying, "so typical of the doctor--just drops everything and hurries in answer to the call of his patients; a perfect slave to the exacting duties of his noble profession. He is probably on his way now to attend the bedside of some poor, suffering person who is in desperate need of him."

He is not.

He is on his way to take a look at some very choice Shorthorn cattle of which he has heard. He's carrying his medicine case, yes; but a good doctor always goes armed that way. And Doctor Hague won't neglect his professional duty, not even for Shorthorn cattle. But when he wants to see cattle he would much prefer that people would postpone their illness.

From this it may be gathered that Doctor Albert Smilie Hague is somewhat fond of cattle--that is to say, Shorthorn cattle, for the doctor thinks there is no other kind. Fact is, he is more than fond of Shorthorns. He wanted to keep a good specimen out in the backyard where he could go and alook at it and feast his eyes whenever he came home, but found his wife was out of sympathy with the enterprise. Doc gives not only all of his leisure time, but also his leisure thoughts to Shorthorns. A while back his wife was telling about the activities of the wives of some local men who hadn't appeared deeply interested but sat silent and thinking. After a pause his wife resumed, with enthusiastic conviction, were working hard to secure the ballot for women, and the doctor *

"They are certainly a fine looking bunch, too."

Doc seemed preoccupied as he answered,

"Yeh, pretty good, but not as good as mine."

Friend wife flushed with pleasure.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say that," she replied with some embarrassment, "but then of course you know best."

"Yeh, they're too skinny--not beefy, like mine," Doc said meditatively.

Friend wife flushed with womething that was not pleasure.

"Most of 'em are too small in the hips and nearly all of 'em have legs too small for their bodies," Doc continued, without looking up.

"Albert Smilie Hague, what in the world do you mean by talking so insultingly of those ladies?" friend wife demanded.

"Eh, ladies? Great Scott, I thought you was talking about LeRoy Williams' bunch of Shorthorns," Doc hurried to explain.

But Doc Hague's love and expert knowledge of Shorthorns es exemplified by the very fine specimens he has out on his farm. Doc knows a good Shorthorn about as well as anybody does. This statement can be verified any time by a visit to his farm. Albert Smilie will take you there--any time; he'll get out of bed in the middle of the night to take you and talk Shorthorn to you. And he's mighty solicitous of those cattle. When he visits the farm he goes carefully over the pasture where the cattle are and picks up every little stick and stone he finds, and pulls up any noxious weeds. Doc says he doesn't want the cattle bothered with foreign substances when they eat any more than he wants to find a fly in the soup at home.

Doc was born down around Libertyville, where his father was station agent for the Rock Island, but Albert Smilie had no hankerings to become a railroad uagnate (sic) so chose the medical profession instead. That he has chosen wisely is proved by the statement of one who is rather familiar with his financial affairs, the aforesaid statement being to the effect that the revenue derived from the practise of medicine takes care of the losses resulting from monkeying with Shorthorns. This statement may be somewhat exaggerated, one way or the other, but we give it as it was told to us and feel free to state that our informant seemed fully posted and spoke with some feeling.

Doctor Albert Smlie was made famous over night recently, and sprang into a position of eminence when the new city council elected him City Health Officer. Since then the doctor has appeared to take on more dignity and height--he feels that securing this recognition of his worth is the crowning achievement of his life.

But, no matter ho wthe (sic) doctor feels about it, most everybody else will agree that the city has a health officer who will be on the job. For Doctor Albert Smilie Hague is by way of being an energetic chap who believes in doing things; furthermore, he knows his business. Even his wife will admit that he's a good doctor. And the doc has a personality that does a whole lot more good for his patients than pills. Feeble old people cheer up when he enters the sick room; children smile at him and take the most nauseous doses he can concoct. And the doctor takes a human interest as well as a professional one in his cases. He will stay on the job in a desperate case so long as he has a fighting chance to win, denying himself such non-essentials as food and sleep. And, in case of a patient who is interested in Shorthorn cattle, Doctor Albert Smilie is known to find an excuse to make calls long after the patient is able to enjoy a breakfast diet of ham and eggs and buckwheat cakes.

* It appears the third paragraph has a couple lines out of place. Believe it should read: 'A while back his wife was telling about the activities of the wives of some local men who were working hard to secure the ballot for women, and the doctor hadn't appeared deeply interested but sat silent and thinking. After a pause his wife resumed, with enthusiastic conviction,'...