The good doctor came to Postville in the year 1893. He was the J.S. Mott family doctor for a number of years. This note appeared in the Postville Review that year:

Dr. Flynn, wife and family have moved to Postville where he has started medical practice as colleague of an older established physician, Dr. Green. Dr. Flynn completed his medical course at the Keokuk, Iowa Medical College in 1891.

The following year, Editor Burdick wrote .....

Dr. Chas Flynn has been called upon to give up his third child with that dread scurge, scarlet fever. The last one of the three died last Monday morning and was taken to Decorah for interment. He has now but one child left, the oldest girl, and it is hoped that she will be spared. Words are inadequate to express the ordeal through which these good neighbors and friends have passed. No words that we could say would afford any consolation. Nothing short of a higher power than man's can reach their case. We simply express the feelings of all our people when we say we sympathize with them from our innermost heart. The premises have been thoroughly disinfected and no further danger may be apprehended. We sincerely hope there may not be another case.

Postville Review articles

- 1899 -

-Yesterday morning broke the record for cold at 38 degrees below zero. Dr. Flynn had 39 below at his thermometer at his home on Greene street in Postville. -40 and below is reported from numerous localities and we have no desire to equal them.

-In the spring la grippe became the prevailing epidemic in the Postville area and Dr. Flynn was kept mighty busy. Among the Postville people who were on the sick list were John S. Mott, Cora B. Darling, Hall Roberts, R.N. Douglass and Ed. Sheehy. Along with the bad cases of grip out in the country we see that Poland China Charlie Krumm has been afflicted with the disease. To make matters worse, his handsome herd of Poland China hogs have also suffered from the dread disease of cholera. Those that did not die were shipped to Chicago, thus leaving the farm almost bare of hogs. Tough luck Charlie.

-Grippe is a treacherous disease. You think it is cured and the slightest cold brings on a relapse. Its victims are always left in a weakened condition -- blood impure, nerves shattered, pneumonia, heart disease and nervous prostration are often the result. Dr. Williams Pink Pills for Pale People will drive away every trace of the poisonous germs from the system.

______________________
Does the Devil Send 'em?
by Editor Bert Tuttle

We take colds we know not how -- or where -- or why.
We have observed all the laws of health, yet we do get them.
We take the medicine -- yet it does not cure us.
Suddenly the pestiferous things depart as mysteriously as they came.

We can explain it only on the ground that the devil is the father of all colds. Maybe the colds are a punishment for our sins. The pure in heart ought to be exempt from them, but they are not. Maybe we had better pray to be delivered from the influence of the devil.

-Bold burglars attempted to rob the house of Dr. Flynn last night, but got no plunder. The good doctor heard them prowling about on the inside of his peerless palace, and got up to investigate, whereupon the bad burglars covered him with their guns and held him at bay until they made good their escape. It is a mighty lucky thing for the burglars, the good doctor didn't get his trusty shootin' iron into play on them first, for he would certainly have administered anything but a homeopathic dose of lead.

-"Young man," said the stern physician "do you know where the evil effects of tobacco are first felt?"
"Yep -- in the wood shed," responded the depraved youngster.

- early 1900's -

-Last Wednesday, E.R.A. Brainard, was bitten by a rattlesnake on one of his arms. He immediately came to town and succeeded in finding Dr. Chas. Flynn, under whose care he is doing well. The arm was badly swollen, and had it not been attended to promptly, would doubtless have been very bad. E.R.A. was mightly lucky!

-Many thanks to Dr. Flynn for a large box of his delicious strawberries. The good doctor has a large patch and it makes one's mouth water just to walk by and take a good gander. Brings to mind that famous remark -- doubtless God could have made a better berry than a strawberry -- but doubtless -- He never did.

-A tramp last Monday afternoon became infatuated with Dr. Flynn's best clothes while they were hanging on the clothes line -- and ran off with them. He is now boarding over at the Waukon jail.

-Dr. Flynn received this week an elegant $75 surgical chair of the latest improved make. Everybody now is cordially invited to come up -- and have a leg pulled or a tooth amputated.

-Dr. Flynn's team got a little excited yesterday and started to peddle pink pills at a livelier pace than the good doctor cared to go, so he hurriedly hopped out and "let 'em go-Gallagher." They took a due southerly course out of town, winding up near the old C.W. Williams creamery building. The cutter was badly used up and the contents of it scattered at intervals along the way.

____________________
A Nobby New Nebulizer
by Editor Bert Tuttle

Dr. Chas. Flynn has recently added to the equipment of his much-merited medical office one of the latest improved devices for the top treatment of nose, throat and lung disease. According to Hoyle it is called a "Nebulizer", but to us it looks like the gas-end of a soda fountain equipment. It consists of a large tank filled with compressed air stuck thro' a hole in a double-deck center table. In a semi-circular row around the top are a dozen bottles of different colors, each containing a different flavor and a small pipe connects each with the compressed air.

You approach the doctor's office from the east, and butt right in, seat yourself in the large upholstered chair, state your difficulty, and call for your favorite flavor -- vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, coca cola or root beer -- or whatever it may be.

The doctor will then produce about two feet of garden hose, one end of which he will attach to a fixing over the bottle containing the flavor selected -- on the other end -- he will place an India rubber tip which you will insert in your north nostril. You will then be requested to open the door of your face till the tip of your chin touches the toe of your shoe -- after which the good doctor will turn on the air and the liquid -- pushed through your proboscis by the heavy pressure, escapes via the mouth in a dense fog. NEXT!

- 1907 - (Dr. Flynn had a passion for automobiles. He bought his first automobile in 1907. Several years later he bought another one. He was a 2 car man, a very unusual thing in those days. His second car was a Ford.)

-'Doc' Ed. Cornell, of the Commercial Hotel was called to Dr. Chas. Flynn's place last evening to doctor his sick automobile. He immediately discovered the difficulty and the good doctor imediately went out into the country to attend a sick patient.

-We had our first long distance auto ride Saturday night, going to Ossian and back with Dr. Flynn in his two-seated International auto-buggy -- and when Doc. pulls the throttle wide open, the mighty machine hits the highway at a right lively clip and you realize you're going some.

-Hi 'Moon' Taylor's dog died of automobilitus one day last week. Hi says he's gone way up high -- to hound heaven.

-In a letter to our Dr. Flynn from Luther Hospital, St. Paul, Postville's milkman Gordon, who is there taking treatment for tubercular trouble, says he's feeling better whether he is any better or not. There are 27 patients at the hospital taking the cold air cure for like trouble and this is the way he describes the days doings: Every morning the doctor bores out the air tubes with a posthole augur; we are required to be out eight hours a day; no fires, windows wide open all the time; the proper things to eat and lots of rest. A temperature of 100 means go to bed, 103 means the ice bag - I got it once, don't want it again - as I can't warm the bed, say nothing of an ice bag.

-Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Flynn went to Charles City to hear Mme. Schumann-Heinck holler and are of the opinion she made a noise like a thousand dollars, which is the price she received for one concert. The greatest trouble with these great singers seems to be they are all wind and no words. Highfalutin singin' and classical music ought to be under the ban of the "Pure Food Law". Madame Schumann-Heinck is to be divorced. Not for any particular reason, but just because its fashionable, like being operated on for appen-dicitus.

-In a medial examination one of the questions read: "What are rabies, and what would you do for them?" The answer a student made: "Rabies are Jewish priests -- and I wouldn't do anything for them."

-Doctor Chas. Flynn has donated to Miss Cora B. Darling's room a new Victor Gramaphone, and it is enjoyed by the little students very much.

-Dr. Flynn's dog died yesterday. He passed away to the great beyond, from a severe case of automobilitus. We will miss him!

- 1914 -

-The chug-chug of the honk-honk wagons is numerous around the prairies of progressive Postville. We have twenty-five of the machines in town. Our good doctor Chas. Flynn has 2 autos to get arund to tend to his sick patients.

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Head-On Auto Collision

About nine o'clock Wednesday night there was a crash like the crack of doom -- followed by a jingle of broken glass, as if cranky Carrie Nation had dealt a back-bar in a saloon a solar plexus blow with her hatchet. Postville people with their pants on hastened to J.M. Thoma's corner and found that two autos had come together head-on at the crossing and glass from broken windshields and spokes from busted wheels were spread abut quite profusely -- while smashed lamps, bent fenders and dented radiators adorned the cars, but fortunately no one was hurt. As we get it, George 'Heck' Kohlmann with a passenger had stopped at McNeil Bros. garage and repaired a puncture, backed ut and started for home -- keeping to the left side of the street. As they approached the Thoma corner, a car driven by Doc. Flynn with two passengers, was coming south on the right side of Lawler street and headed for McNeil's garage. As the two autos didn't observe each other until too late to avoid disaster, they locked horns with results as stated above. This is the first automobile accident on the streets of progressive Postville.

Dr. Flynn is Dead!
After a brave battle of many weeks against an unconquerable, foreign foe, Dr. Chas. H. Flynn of this city passed into eternal rest on Thursday morning December 31, 1914 -- in his 57th year. He was an honorable and distinguished member of the medical profession, a just and upright man. With his extensive practice in this city and this locality, there will be sorrow deep and sincere, as they learn of the passing of their friend. Five daughters and a son survive him. Farewell Charlie!

- published on the Allamakee co. IAGenWeb with the generous permission of Stan Schroeder
- original transcripts provided by Stan Schroeder & transcribed by Sharyl Ferrall

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