Zora had a
small log hospital erected with four white beds, a private room, and an
office which was also Emma's bedroom. The new white physician in town,
just fresh from school in Atlanta, became interested and helped with
advice and suggestions.
Meantime John Taylor's troubles began to increase. Under the old
political regime it had been an easy matter to avoid serious
damage-suits for the accidents in the mill. Much child labor and the
lack of protective devices made accidents painfully frequent. Taylor
insisted that the chief cause was carelessness, while the mill hands
alleged criminal neglect on his part. When the new labor officials took
charge of the court and the break occurred between Colonel Cresswell and
his son-in-law, Taylor found that several damage-suits were likely to
cost him a considerable sum.
He determined not to let the bad feelings go too far, and when a
particularly distressing accident to a little girl took place, he showed
more than his usual interest and offered to care for her. The new young
physician recommended Zora's infirmary as the only near place that
offered a chance for the child's recovery.
"Take her out," Taylor promptly directed.
Zora was troubled when the child came. She knew the suspicious temper of
the town whites. The very next day Taylor sent out a second case, a
child who had been hurt some time before and was not recovering as she
should.
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