DR. JAMES FLEMING

James E. Fleming, son of Cornelius Fleming and Ann Canning was born March 25, 1871 at North Rustico. After attending school in North Rustico and later at Prince of Wales College, he taught school at Hope River and Royalty Junction. In 1896, he commenced studies at McGill Medical College from which he received his Medical Degree in 1901.

He set up medical practice at Stanley Bridge and boarded with Mr. and Mrs. Pat Walsh until November 17, 1903. On this date he married Clara Hogan and moved into a new house across the road from the Walsh home.

They raised a family of six children — namely, Mary Cornelia, Elizabeth Eugenie, Margaret Eleanor, Ann Catherine, Paul Rubens, and Levisa Johanna. Mrs. Fleming died during an operation at the Charlottetown Hospital. Three years later the doc— tor married Alma Delaney and they had four chil- dren — namely, Catherine, Virginia, James Jr., and Richard.

During the years the Doctor’s practice took him to all areas from Cavendish to Hope River, to Granville, southward to Springfield, Graham’s Road, and westward to Long River, French

River and Irishtown.

Before Dentists became available, he did most of the teeth—pulling, “about three barrels full”, he once said. For medical coverage he set up a good-sized dispensary. Mixing his own prescrip- tions was a regular practice. His thought was - “no use giving a patient a prescription, if they couldn’t get to a drugstore, or didn’t have the money anyway”. As a matter of form he sent out

bills once a year.

He was paid in many peculiar ways - loads of hay, grain, wood, potatoes, turnips, turkeys, geese, ducks, hens, etc. —or— as “your horse is just plain tuckered out, come, take mine, return him when you get the chance” -or- later when his car broke down, people like DJ. MacLeod,

said - “take mine, I have a truck”.

Originally he travelled in whatever suited the season; horseback, sulky, sleigh and wagon. In 1922 he purchased his first car - Ford Touring. Because of road conditions its limit for use was four months of the year. The horse was indispensable and many stories were related about the Doctor’s high—spirited horses, especially one named “Caloll”. He was balky at times, kind to the family, mean to strangers, followed the road on the darkest nights in winter or summer; if pointed for home, the Doctor could go to sleep and wake up at the barn door. Travelling on the ice made for shorter mileage but could be very dangerous. One night while taking a short cut enroute to French River, he went through the ice near Frank Bernard’s. Luckily a Mrs. Champion heard the shouts, ran and got the Bernards, then put on more clothes, and went out herself. She made a suggestion that saved the life of the horse and “the Doctor was always very

grateful to her”.

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