Recollections of Early Days at the Water Cure With Dr. Cordelia Greene
Edward Greene, M.D. -

April 1958, Page 87.

Contributed by Douglas Morgan, August 1998.

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In reviewing the days of long ago, which are remembered by some of us as
"The Good Old Days," there arises a flood of pleasant memories. The village
was different back in the "horse and buggy days"; the people were
different; everything was different. The outside world was not then so
familiar to us. Traveling by horse and carriage over dusty roads made even
the nearest villages seem far away; but we were nearer to ourselves, and
knew each other better.

In those early days, health seekers from the East and from the West, came
by Erie passenger trains to the Castile Water Cure. The transportation from
the depot to the "Cure" was furnished by the Farnum Hotel bus, which made
regular trips to meet the morning and afternoon trains.

When Dr. Cordelia Greene became owner and proprietor of the Water Cure,
upon the death of her father, Dr.  Jabez Greene, in 1864, she found it
necessary to enlarge the building, and the brick addition was built soon
afterward. As the number of patients increased, during the following years,
many were accommodated in nearby boarding houses.

Dr.  Greene's medical knowledge, her skill in diagnosis, and her original
method of treatment by hot and cold water, by electricity, massage, vapor
baths, and the system of exercises, were so successful in restoring health
to those who suffered from chronic ailments, that in a few years the Water
Cure at Castile became widely known over the country.

After her course of study at the Philadelphia and Ohio Medical Schools, and
with six years' experience as physician at the Clifton Springs Water Cure,
together with her superior intellectual and spiritual qualities, Dr.
Cordelia was well equipped for the task of helping suffering humanity. It
was apparent to those who came in contact with her that she was more than a
great physician. In the various activities which she pursued, she was a
genius.

It is said that a genius does easily what others find difficult or
impossible to do. It would seem impossible for one burdened with the
management of a growing institution, and with the care of invalids, and
interested in numerous other activities, to even think of the idea of
adopting children, and having the responsibility of their welfare and
training. Dr. Cordelia Greene had the same strong desire and urge to help
her fellow creatures that Dr. Albert Schweitzer has had in dedicating his
life to aiding the suffering natives in a foreign land. Her life was
luminated by the desire to help others.

She had a mother's heart full of love for each one of us four children,
whom she adopted. In our earliest days we were cared for by a kind
governess who brought us through the kindergarten stage and later taught us
the three R's and Geography.

Our mother always gave us fine thoughts; one was that we always had a
choice; we could choose either wisely or unwisely. Our younger sister, when
a little girl, teased to go with Mother to the Centennial Exposition at
Philadelphia in 1876. She was really too young to go, and Mother gave her
the choice of going to, the Exposition or having a new dress, Marguerite
chose the new dress.

All of us began piano lessons when we were quite young. One of our fine
patient instructors was Miss Perkins, the sister of Center Perkins. We all
became quite skillful in playing the Gospel Hymns, and the two sisters
continued their study in music when they were away at school. Our mother
taught as all the value of useful work. The girls were taught house work,
room-care, sewing, etc. We two boys had regular muscle-developing exercises
in sawing and splitting wood. We also had a garden of our own to manage and
care for. Formerly there was a barn where the Library building now stands.
When the barn was moved away, my brother and I had our garden there and
grew corn and beans. All of us children had flower beds on the hill. We
each had a different kind of flower to cultivate. We were quite proud in
keeping the beds free of weeds and in helping Nature produce beautiful
blossoms. We were each given an apple tree that we could call our own.

In the training of us two boys, Dr. Cordelia was very practical. She knew
how valuable it is to be able to do things with the hands. She had one of
the fine carpenters in the village, Mr. Ed. McNair, give us lessons in
carpentry. It was a valuable part of our early training. We learned how to
use the different kinds of saws, planes, chisels, and other implements.
Before graduating in carpenter work, we each built a fine, strong tool
chest, where for years afterward, we kept our own tools.

Dr. Cordelia saw that we had plenty of recreation and fun. At the top of
the hill, near the flower garden, was a level spot for croquet, where the
young and old joined in playing. In the early days, Wolf Creek meant a
great deal to as. The water was not salty then, and there was a variety of
small fish to be caught. If we lost our fish-hooks, a bent pin would do,
and there were always angleworms. There were interesting little snakes in
the pond also, and frogs and turtles. Farther up the creek there was good
swimming, and on the pond we boys always had a raft of one kind or another.
Does any one remember Aaron Jonas standing on the raft in the middle of the
pond, during a Fourth of July celebration, and reciting "'The Boy Stood on
the Burning Deck"?

At the large family table at meal time, the conversation was often
interesting and instructive. If any of us children used a slang word or
spoke ungrammatically, our mother would not reprove us, but she would make
some remark and include the same expression or slang word. It would sound
so ridiculous to hear her speak improperly, that we would all burst out
laughing, and the mistake was impressed upon our minds.

Dr. Greene was always interested in promoting worthwhile activities for
young people. On Sunday afternoons, we used to meet together in the music
room and have good times singing or listening to duets and solos0 When
Mother could be there with us, she would often tell us stories of
interesting people or events, which would be instructive and contain a
valuable lesson for us. In the evenings there was always entertainment in
the parlors for the patients and occasionally an amusing play was given by
a group of the younger people. Much ingenuity and talent was displayed in
contriving the costumes and acting.

In the summer months Mr. H. M. White sometimes brought his telescope and
set it up in the yard so that all of us could enjoy looking at the man in
the moon, studying the rings of Saturn, and observing the moons of Jupiter.
It was a. real treat. Every night at nine o'clock, whether we were outdoors
or indoors, the blowing of the whistle told us that it was retiring time,
"Early to bed, and early to rise" was a rule observed at night as well as
in the morning.

Although the days at the Water Cure were full of interesting activity,
outside events appealed to us also-- ice cream festivals on the church lawn
on warm summer evenings; the lectures in the old Bush's Hall, with amusing
demonstrations of Mesmerism; the dazzling torchlight parades at election
time; the winter sleigh rides with ear muffs, hot bricks and buffalo robes;
the skating up Wolf Creek for a mile or two; watching the ceremony of
baptism in Wolf Creek under the old willow tree; the rides to the Lake to
hear the Tennessee Bell-Ringers; staying up until twelve o'clock to hear
the boom of the cannon on Fourth of July morning; standing near the
band-stand at the corner of Main and Water streets to hear the music of
George Washburn's brass band.  Ah, those ware the good old days!

In the early days at the Water Cure, there were never dull moments.  The
day was full of activity. It began soon after six o'clock. Before seven
o'clock, Dr.  Cordelia called at some of the patients' rooms with a pitcher
of drinking water to make sure that a full glass of water was taken before
breakfast.  At quarter past seven the large hand bell sounded through the
lower halls, announcing that breakfast was ready. On some mornings, when it
was apparent that my brother and I, if left undisturbed, might sleep
through the breakfast hour, our mother would appear at the bedside and we
would hear her saying quietly, "If you never get up, you will have to lie
there forever." The thought of having to lie there in bed forever prompted
us to hop out immediately.

We never heard our mother scold anyone, or display any impatience or anger.
In some trying emergency, I have many times heard her say, "Let us stop and
think quietly what is the wisest and best thing to do." It has been said
that misunderstanding is caused by misunderstanding. Even the best
intentions of Dr. Cordelia were sometimes misunderstood. One morning she
taught me a very fine lesson in tolerance and forgiveness. We were walking
up the village hill on the way to church services. We saw Mr. coming down
the hill toward us. Mother said to me  "Here comes  Mr.....; he won't speak
to me, but I am going to speak to him." As we passed on the walk she said
in a cheerful, friendly voice, "Good morning, Mr....."  There was no reply.
I believe Dr.  Cordelia kept in mind the prayer of one, who so many years
ago, was also misunderstood, and who said, "Father, forgive them."

Every year about Thanksgiving Day, my brother and I had the privilege of
carrying a live turkey to every minister in the village as a gift from Dr.
Greene. On one occasion one of the turkeys got away from us up on Main
Street, and we had an exciting time catching it, but we succeeded, and it
was safely delivered.

It was amazing how Dr. Cordelia in her busy life, could acquire such ~ Lund
of knowledge. She was well acquainted with the best works of the English
and American authors9 and often quoted from Shakespeare0 When we were lads,
our mother gave to our brother and to me a wide hand gold ring, and as she
s1ipped the rings onto our fingers, she repeated the lines which Polonlus
spoke to Laertes in the play of Hamlet:"This above all-- to thine own self
be true, And it must follow as night the day, Thou canst not then be false
to any man." When we took the rings off to look at them, we saw two words
engraved on the inside. The two words were "Be true." These rings were
treasured gifts. They meant a great deal to us.

Two years afterward while my brother and I were fishing at Silver Lake, I
held my hand over the side of the boat in the water. The ring slipped from
my finger and sank to the bottom of the lake.  About three weeks later9 my
brother and I were fishing at the same spot in the lake.' We were using
shiners for bait and caught a good-sized pickerel. I knew that fish like to
grab at shiny objects, and I had read of articles of jewelry having been
found in fish. The chances were too remote. It would seen impossible.  I
didn't dare imagine that my lost ring would ever be found In a fish.  I was
sure my ring was still lying among the pebbles and rocks at the bottom of
the lake, yet I knew that sometimes miracles do happen.

I did not express any of my thoughts to my brother, I knew he would laugh
at me. When we reached home, I found a sharp kitchen knife and began
immediately to clean the fish. I knew it was fantastic to keep thinking of
the possibility of finding my ring inside a fish. I said to myself again,
"The ring cannot possibly be here -And it wasn't.

Sometime, years and years in the future, a fisherman will catch a pickerel
in Silver Lake, of Surdam's Landing, and when he cleans the fish for
dinner, he will find inside the fish, a wide band gold ring, and he will
read the two words engraved inside, I hope he will give the ring to his
son; and as he places it on his finger9 I hope he will repeat to him the
lines from Shakespeare's play; "This above all---to thine own self be
true."

As Emerson discovered the great spirit of Walt Whitman, so Mr. Letchworth
and Dr. Cordelia Greene discovered in each other the spirit of true
greatness---greatness in which life is devoted to the help, encouragement
and inspiration of others. I remember one day when I was a lad, Mr.
Letchworth was a guest at dinner, One of the ladies at the table introduced
the subject of snakes--big black snakes and rattlesnakes, which were not
uncommon along the river roads in those days. Mr. Letchworth answered
questions and gave briefly some information, and in a moment, although he
had not introduced the subject, he apologized for discussing such an
unpleasant subject at dinner. After dinner, Dr. Cordelia took my hand and
we walked with Mr. Letchworth about the grounds. With some pride she
pointed out the grape vines, shrubs and young trees which had recently been
planted. T0 these noble characters some of the lines from the little book,
"The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran, seem appropriate: "Our daily life is our
temple and our religion." "We are good when we strive to give of
ourselves." Work is love made visible."

The patients at the Water Cure looked to Dr. Cordelia as a child looks to
its mother. In her presence, they felt more secure. If some complained of
hardship, she would remind them by quoting: "In this world, ye shall have
tribulation." When  woman came to her weeping and sobbed, "No one
understands me", Dr.Corde1ia  replied "My child, no one CAN understand us;
we cannot even understand ourselves."

One of the lessons Dr. Greene tried to teach her patients was the
importance of breathing well. She recognized that most of us have the habit
of half-breathing, using only half the capacity of our lungs. She would
say: "Breathe in all the blessed air you can. The air will do you no good
unless you breathe it in."

In the seventies and eighties of the last century there were many travelers
on the highways and byways of western New York. Members of the large group
of travelers known as "The Knights of the Road" often visited the rural
sections by taking first-class passage on accessible and inconspicuous
sections of local freight trains. The knights, or tramps as they were
commonly called, usually traveled in groups of two or three. Occasionally a
group of four would knock at the kitchen door of the Water Cure, and by
strange coincidence they usually appeared just at the meal hour.

The spokesman of the group would briefly announce that they were in a state
of semi-starvation and would be willing to accept whatever portions of food
might happen to be available, so that they could continue their journey to
Buffalo, where they expected to be able to find work. Roast beef and mashed
potatoes, with a glass of milk and pumpkin pie was willingly accepted. The
cook always offered generous helpings as she was quite flattered to know
that her cooking was so thoroughly appreciated by passing travelers and she
must have remembered the words so often quoted by Dr. Cordelia:"In as much
as ye have done it unto one of the least of these--ye have done it unto
me."

We young children were much excited one day in discovering some strange
hieroglyphics, clearly penciled on one of the front gate-posts. We were
told that some of the tramps had been making marks on the post one day
after they had been given a good dinner. The mysterious markings appeared
to be the signs of a secret code, which some of the adults of the family
interpreted as meaning that any member of the "Knights of the Road" could
obtain a good dinner at this place. After these strange markings appeared
on the gatepost, groups of tramps began to appear at the kitchen door with
such frequency that a state of emergency was declared, and an appeal for
the solution of the problem was presented to Dr. Greene, Equipped with the
skill of an experienced diagnostician, Dr. Greene's conclusion, confirmed
by careful observation, was that many of the Knights of the Road, who
applied at the kitchen door for a hearty meal, were suffering from
underdevelopment of the shoulder and arm muscles.

The treatment which Dr. Cordelia prescribed for this ailment was vigorous
exercise of arms and shoulders, which might be obtained by swinging an axe,
as in splitting slabs of wood. By coincidence there happened to be in the
woodhouse an abundance of wood ready to be split, and there were several
axes available. The prescription specified that one-half cord of wood was
to be split and neatly piled before partaking of food. Several cords of
wood were split by the tramps and neatly piled. The treatment for muscle
development was apparently very successful. Almost immediately there was a
sudden decline in the number who knocked at the kitchen door on week days.
But on the Sabbath, the day of rest, when "Thou shalt not work," there was
a marked increase in the number of tramps asking for food. One of the
established, unwritten laws said no seeker after food should ever be turned
away hungry. Again a state of emergency was declared, and again the wisdom
of a superior mind was needed.

It was quite apparent that the tramps who knocked at the kitchen door on
those quiet Sabbath days had. never had the privilege of attending an
institution of high learning, and Dr. Cordelia believed that for
underdeveloped minds, reading aloud was a valuable aid toward mental
improvement.  As the tramps could not be allowed to split wood on the
Sabbath day, Dr. Greene prescribed that each one should read aloud a
chapter from the Bible, preferably the one containing the Ten Commandments.
It required the quiet persistent patience of Dr. Greene to guide each
hesitant, faltering unschooled reader through the lines of the chapter,
putting decided emphasis on certain lines, such as "Six days thou shalt
labor and do all thy work." Reading aloud from the Bible was much more
difficult than splitting wood that very soon the Knights of the Road
entirely ignored the secret code on the gate post, and for a long time no
traveler on the highway stopped to knock at the kitchen door. The cook
could never understand. The food had been so skillfully prepared and so
generously served.

Historical Wyoming  April 1958  Arcade, New York