Lassen County Office of Education Supporting Students for the Future

 

Dr. Moody was known as a storyteller. One story, as reported by Fairfield's Pioneer History of Lassen County goes like this: "While in Rhode Island he was one day soling shoes on a wager. When trimming the sole of the last shoe his knife slipped and cut off the forefinger of his left hand as clean as a whistle. Being in too big a hurry to pay much attention to any little thing like that, he picked up the finger and laid it on a shelf close at hand. When he had finished his work he stuck the finger back on his hand with some shoemaker's wax. In conclusion the doctor would tell that it grew right on again and was as good as ever, and, holding out his finger to prove it, would say 'and you can't even see the scar' - and you couldn't."

Another story goes as follows: "In 1862 a man named William Fox had been threatening to find Dr. Moody and shoot him on sight for a reason we do not know. Instead Dr. Moody found him first, shot him, then tended to his wounds! From then on Mr. Fox left him alone."

Resources:

Cook, Fred S., Legends of Lassen County.
Fairfield, Asa. Fairfield's Pioneer History of Lassen County, California. San Francisco. 1916