The Use and Need of the Life of Carry A. Nation Part 20

"Not a place is sacred to him; Churchyards, where the flowers bloom; Gardens, drives, in fact the world is Just one mighty smoking room, And when once he quits this mundane sphere, And takes his outward flight, From the world he made a hades, Day he's turned to murky night.

"When he reaches his destination, Finds 'tis not a dream or hoax, And the Judge deals out his sentence,

Then I'll wager that he smokes; Oh, he'll care then whom he has vexed, And their mercy he'll invoke; But although he squirms and fidgets, They'll just let him smoke and smoke and smoke."

CHAPTER XXI.

TRIP ON FALL RIVER STEAMBOAT, FROM BOSTON TO NEW YORK--OFFICERS TRIED TO LOCK ME IN MY STATE ROOM--SEQUEL SATISFACTORY, MADE PLEASANT TRIP AND MANY FRIENDS.

In the summer of 1903 I took a Fall River boat from Boston to New York. These boats are said to be the finest in the world. There was quite a commotion among the several hundred pa.s.sengers when I went aboard, and the door was blocked in the women's cabin to get a look at the Crazy Smasher from Kansas.

Men were smoking pipes, cigars and cigarettes. I said: "Men, get away from the door with your smoke, you make me sick." They paid no attention to me. I went to the clerk and complained of being compelled to submit to the outrage of being subject to the poisonous fumes, in such a manner as to attract the attention of all to the matter. The Clerk told me to be quiet and sit down. I said, "I will, if I have a decent place to stay, why do you not have these men get away from the door?" But they were men, we were only women and children. Oh, the outrage on poor mothers in delicate condition, to be subject to such treatment by selfish, dirty men. I believe every one who smokes in a public place should be fined. If men will smoke or commit nuisance, let it be where others are not injured. I have no right to bring a skunk into any public place. People should be taught that others have the right to object to anything done that is wrong.

While I was still persisting in my request to the men to leave the door, I was shown my state room; to which there were two doors, one leading from the corridor and the other opening out next the water. The captain, accompanied by the First and Second mate appeared at the former, saying. "Madam, you are to keep your room this evening." I replied, while eating a sandwich, "I do not feel like this, and neither will I." Said he, "I will see that you do" at the same time telling the officers to lock the doors. I said: "You can lock the doors to restrain me of my liberty, but having paid my fare for the service of this company, I will tie up this boat, when we reach New York, and you will learn that I can turn a lock as well as yourself." I saw his countenance change. Mr. Furlong, my manager, who was on the boat, and almost shaking with fear, began to make excuse for me, etc, etc, but I said, "Never mind, Mr. Furlong, I can attend to this little captain and myself too." He said no more. The three men walked out of the corridor, shutting the door after them, but did not lock it, in a few moments, they returned and opened both doors for fear I would think they were locked. This was about supper time.

When I finished my lunch, and, having put on a clean tie and fixed my hair, I took from my valise a lot of little hatchets and put them in a little leather case I carry by a strap over my shoulder. Thus equipped I entered the ladies cabin, where there were perhaps fifty people sitting. When I went in, they began to look at one another, some smiled, I knew they had heard of the captain trying to prevent my coming out. Taking my seat on a sofa in the middle of the room, I was listening to the lovely string band when some one came up and opened a conversation with me.

After a while I was quite surrounded and the cabin soon becoming crowded some one asked to see a little hatchet, so I opened my satchel to show them. One of the officers who had come to the State Room with the captain, had been standing near the stairway, and when he saw the people begin to press to me to get the hatchets, he came up saying, "Madam, you are not allowed to sell these here." I replied, "You sell wine, beer, whiskey, tobacco, cigarettes and anything that will drug these people.

Now these are my own little souvenirs, and they will advertise my cause, help me, and be a little keep sake from the hand that raised the hatchet, so I claim the right to sell them, where you have no right to sell bad things." He went up to see the captain, who said, "I am too busy to fool with that woman." So he came down, and called up Mr. Furlong, asking him to compell me to stop selling hatchets, but he told him he could not prevent Mrs. Nation doing anything she had set her head to. We had a nice time. I repeated poetry on the evils of drink and smoking, all were happy, and at ten o'clock, I bade good-night to many friends who regarded me not as the wild vicious woman, but one who meant well.

Next morning when we went ash.o.r.e in New York, and were identifying our baggage, a small man was pa.s.sing, Mr. Furlong remarked in an undertone, "Our captain." He had changed his uniform to go ash.o.r.e, and I had not recognized him. I extended my hand which he took, and I said, "Captain, I know you were told I was a nuisance," "Yes, they said you would raise the devil, but if anyone thinks you are a fool they are very much mistaken." We parted in a very pleasant humor. Thus it is, my life is a constant contention, but there have been many laughable circ.u.mstances and none hurt. I can truly say that there is no ill will in my heart toward a creature G.o.d has made, but it is a hatred for the enemy of mankind for I have an intense hatred for the enemies of those I intensely love.

CHAPTER XXII.

TRIP TO CANADA, CORDIAL RECEPTION--RETURN TO CHICAGO TO FILL ENGAGEMENT-- SECOND VISIT TO CANADA--TRIP TO MARITIME PROVINCES--VISIT CLUB IN CHARLOTTE TOWN--PREJUDICE AGAINST ME OWING TO MALICIOUS REPORTS--SPOKE IN PARLIAMENT IN FREDERICTON--VISIT TO SIDNEY-- SCOTT ACT--MY ARREST AND RELEASE--EPISODE IN JAIL.

Having a spare month in May of 1904 I made a trip to Canada, and never was so cordially received in my life, selling all the hatchets I had in three meetings.

I returned to fill a Chicago engagement of six weeks, which was made by my manager, with Mr. Houseman, one of the Editors of the Chicago Inter-Ocean, who owned a theatre with which a museum was connected.

Realizing that this would provide an excuse for the papers to lie about me, I wrote my manager if possible, to cancel the engagement. I was, however, persuaded to stay one week, with the result, that it was published all over the country that Carry A. Nation was in a Museum getting $300 a week just to be looked at, when in fact, I spoke in the theatre, not in the museum. I would not object to going into a museum or any place to bring my cause before the people, but resented the idea of being placed on exhibition.

As I had promised to return to Canada, I did so in the month of June, visiting the Maritime Provinces, where I was very much delighted with the people, finding in Prince Edward's Island the most intelligent and moral people, as a body, that I have ever met.

That Island has a Prohibition Law similar to Kansas, but the primier, Peters, told the former premier, Mr. Farguason, that the Club in Charlotte Town, the Capitol, had to be an exception to the prohibitive amendment or he would vote against and ruin it. This condition is similar in our own government-conspiracy and treason. I visited this club, strange that I should get in, G.o.d opened the way. It was fitted up like other drinking clubs, where men congregate together to act in a manner and talk of subjects they would be ashamed for their wives to see and hear. The back room was stacked with empties and imported liquors of different brands.

I went up into the parlor about nine o'clock in the morning, where I met one of these beer-swelled outlaws, I asked him, "Will you object to answering some questions about this place." His pompous and indignant reply was, "No, I will do nothing of the kind." I said, "I will tell you some things about it. You are a set of traitors, you pose as being the elite, but you are criminals, shame on such villainy." He held his paper up before his face. I had the satisfaction of telling him the truth in plain language, such men are well dressed, gold fobbed, diamond studded rummies that are more hateful than those behind the prison bars, their bodies a reeking ma.s.s of corruption.

Prince Edward's Island is a large farm, one hundred miles long, by forty broad. Can only be reached by boat. A very high grade of cheese, milk, b.u.t.ter, oats and turnips are raised there. Instead of weather-boarding the houses they have the sides shingled. They have the nicest, small, fat horses, fine travelers.

On this, my second visit to Canada, the people did not receive me as cordially as before, owing to a report that I had been in a museum in Chicago on exhibition. In order to counteract this prejudice against me, I offered a reward of $50.00 for any one who had ever seen me in a museum or on exhibition, which had the desired effect. There are rum bought papers in Canada as there are in the States.

I was asked to speak in Parliament in Fredericton. There was a great laugh when I said that governments like fish stink worse at the head.

On my visit to Sydney, Cape Breton, I found that, although they have the Scott Act, which makes it a misdemeanor to sell intoxicants there are dives there just like in Kansas, the officers and political wire pullers defending them just in the same way.

I went into a vile den, the Belmont Hotel. There was a crowd gathered around the place. When I went out in front an officer came to me, saying, "You will have to get off the street, you are collecting a crowd."

I said, I am not disturbing anything, if you object to the crowd, disperse them, let me alone. He insisted, and so did I. He said nothing to the crowd no one was doing anything, but standing around when he walked up to me and arrested me in the King's name--Two got on either side of me and carried me to jail--When I was there, I found a young boy of about 14 or 15 years of age. I asked, "Why are you here?" He began to cry bitterly, said, he was put in for calling names. "Oh, if I had a father or mother to help me out, but they are dead, and I have no friends."

"What is your fine?" I asked, "Only a dollar." "My dear boy, I will do what mother would do, if she were here, kneel down here and let us pray." He did, weeping so bitterly all the time. I asked G.o.d to make this a means of saving that dead mother's precious one. I said to him, "Now my boy, mother would say my darling son, don't use bad language. Be good and love G.o.d. Now I will pay your fine just as mother would do."

So I called the jailer, who seemed to be a kind man, and paid the dollar.

The boy with his face glowing with happiness, fairly flew out. In a few minutes the door was opened, a friend went on my bond, and I left to fill my appointment. There were as many as twenty-five men who volunteered to testify to the unfair arrest. The case was tried the next day and I was acquitted, the judge saying that. "All Carry Nation wanted was advertising. Man's inhumanity to woman." I was glad to open the prison door to the boy, and give him advice at a time when he would take it, for he promised me to be a good boy and serve G.o.d. I expect G.o.d sent me there for that purpose.

CHAPTER XXIII.

COWARDLY a.s.sAULT BY SALOON KEEPER, G. R. NEIGHBORS OF ELIZABETHTOWN, KY.--APATHY OF OFFICERS, BUT PEOPLE MUCH MOVED BY OUTRAGE, LECTURED AFTERWARDS, THO' VERY FAINT AND WEAK FROM LOSS OF BLOOD.-- CIGARETTE SMOKING IN HIGH PLACES DISCUSSED WITH MISS GASTON, PRESIDENT NATIONAL ANTI-CIGARETTE LEAGUE.

A saloon keeper, G. R. Neighbors, of Elizabethtown, Ky., struck me over the head with a chair, July 23, 1904. In going up to the hall to fill an engagement. I pa.s.sed this man and walking into his saloon, said, why are you in this business, drugging and robbing the people? "Hush! You get out." I replied, "Yes you want a respectable woman to get out, but you will make any woman's boy a disgrace, you ought to be ashamed."

I then pa.s.sed out going to the hall. After the lecture I pa.s.sed by his place again. He was sitting in a chair in front of the saloon, and I said, "Are you the man that runs this business?" and in a moment with an oath he picked up the chair and with all his strength, sent it down with a crash on my head. I came near falling, caught myself, and he lifted the chair the second time, striking me over the back, the blood began to cover my face, and run down from a cut on my forehead. I cried out, "He has killed me," An officer caught the chair to prevent a third blow.

There were two officers in the crowd. I cried out, "Is there no one to arrest this man?" No one appeared to do it. He went back in his saloon. I to the hotel. Some one sent for a doctor who came and dressed the wound on my forehead, my left arm was badly bruised, also my back. Had it not been for my bonnet, I should have suffered more.

This outragous act roused the people. The women and men came to see me indignant, saying this outrage would not be tolerated. The Methodist minister especially was deeply moved. There were two officers who saw this outrage, but there was no arrest.

Next morning, Mrs. Bettie James, came in two miles from the country, and had a warrant sworn out against Neighbors, but the case was laid over to await the action of the "Grand jury," in November, saloon keepers going on his bond.

I intended to go to Mammoth Cave but remained over on account of trial, and spoke again that night. Elizabethtown is one of those bad rum- towns in Kentucky, but there is a fine prohibition sentiment, and great indignation was felt and expressed that a saloon-keeper even so low and cowardly as to strike a woman, should be tolerated. I was in bed most of the day and nearly fainted during the lecture, but I thanked G.o.d that I was counted worthy to suffer, that others might not. I felt some mother might receive fewer blows--that while my head was bruised and bleeding to prevent hearts from being crushed and broken, souls were going to drunkards graves, and drunkards h.e.l.ls, and this outrage would reveal the enormous brutality of this curse, bringing a speedy remedy.

In the Spring of 1904, I was in the office of Miss Lucy Page Gaston, the National President of the Anti-Cigarette League. I saw on the walls of her room Mr. Roosevelt's picture. I said, "My dear Miss Lucy, why do you have that picture in here? Don't you know, he is a cigarette smoker?" She said, she did not know it. I said, "let me tear that up.

Did this man who is at the head of affairs in this nation ever say a word against this vice? Although he is sworn to protect from just such. This brave, good woman, whose heart, soul, and body is dedicated to saving the young men of our land did not seem to recognize the fact that Democrats and Republicans (so-called) were the head and front of all the corruption we have. At last, I said, "If you will write to Mr. Roosevelt and get his statement that he does not, nor ever did smoke cigarettes I will give You $50 for your work, she said she would. She wrote to the President, got no response from him, but Mr. Loeb, his secretary wrote that the President, did not nor ever had used tobacco in any form. She sent this to me, of course I was not to be caught with such chaff. I wrote her so, telling her of the time when Mr. McKinley wished to deny the fact, that he rented his property in Canton, Ohio, for saloon purposes, his minister denied this, but the 'Chicago Voice' proved that he did. I suppose Mr. Roosevelt got his minister to write what he dared not. I wrote her that old birds were not easily fooled with chaff, also stating, that if she would get a statement that Mr. Roosevelt was not a beer drinker, I would give her another $50.00. Of course she could not do this, but the Republican Press published all over the country that Miss Gaston got the evidence and I paid the $50.00, but not one word of this was true.

CHAPTER XXIV.

SISTER LUCY WILHOITE'S VISION.--WRITES TO ME FOR CO-OPERATION IN MAKING RAID ON MAHAN'S WHOLESALE LIQUOR HOUSE.--HESITATE ON ACCOUNT PRESSING ENGAGEMENTS AHEAD.--ANSWER THE CALL.--RAID SET FOR 29TH.--W. C. T. U. CONVENTION IN SESSION.--FOUR SISTERS AND MYSELF START FROM M. E. CHURCH.--A CALL FOR THE POLICE BEFORE WE COULD EFFECT AN ENTRANCE.--TAKEN TO JAIL IN HOODLUM WAGON.-- UNHEALTHY CONDITION OF CELL.--IN JAIL FROM FRIDAY TO MONDAY.-- GOOD OLD PENTECOSTAL TIME ON SUNDAY--COUNTY JAIL MONDAY--TRIAL WEDNESDAY--JAIL SENTENCE AND FINES--APPEAL TO DISTRICT COURT.

In the Fall of 1904, I received a letter from Sister Lucy Wilhoite of Wichita, telling me of a vision, which I will relate here in her own words: "During a severe illness, last July, the Lord appeared unto me and revealed many wonderful things concerning our work in which I have been engaged for seven years. Temperance and Prohibition.

My life was despaired of by my friends and I knew I was very near the borderland, and as I lay on my bed of suffering in the still hour of midnight, G.o.d showed me the awful desolation which our thirty eight saloons and five wholesale houses were making in the homes of Wichita and surrounding country, The sight so overwhelmed me, I cried unto the Lord and said, "Oh my G.o.d! Have I done all I could during this life of mine to dam up this fearful tide? Then I said, show me Lord, what this means. Immediately a great cloud of human souls came rolling down a steep decline and as my eyes followed them, saw them rolling on and on until they finally fell into a pit from whence fire and smoke were ascending. Then my eyes were turned again up the ascent from whence the souls were coming. When, Lo! I saw the National Capitol, with her Senate and Congressmen. I saw the Legislative Halls, and our Educational Inst.i.tutions. I saw our churches with her educated ministry, and her secret societies, our public libraries and reading rooms, our National State and Local W. C. T U's, all of them right in the track of this awful tide of human souls, yet they still rolled on and on until they reached the pit. Then I cried again unto the Lord and said, "Oh, Why do you show me these horrible things, when I am on the brink of the grave? And still the picture or vision remained before me, growing more and more vivid every moment until I struggled to my knees, and said, 'O G.o.d, if I can do anything to dam up this fearful tide, just heal this body, and let the healing be the seal that I can do something to help, and I shall do it if it costs my life. Then a deep calm and soul rest settled over me and I sank into a deep sleep, when I awoke I realized the pain was gone and also the fever. I lay there, looking up to G.o.d and I said, "Now, Lord, show me what you want me to do. Immediately, like a great scroll reaching across the sky, these words appeared, written in letters of gold.

"Spill it out!" Then he showed me the very place I was to attack Mahan's Wholesale Liquor House.

"For many weeks I pondered upon this vision and prayed about it most earnestly, that I might not be mistaken and know of a truth that it was G.o.d's will. I never found any soul rest until I wrote to Mrs. Nation, and told her the time was ripe for G.o.d and that we must attack Mahan's Wholesale Liquor House, that was helping to degrade so many women and debase so many men. This resulted in an attempt to carry out G.o.d's purpose on Sept. 30, 1904.

I was true to the "Heavenly Vision," which is only the beginning of the fulfillment, for there are yet many things to be spilled out, not only the liquor, but also the hypocrites in the church, and the false prophets with sin of every kind, and our lives also.

The Wichita Eagle Reporter, uttered a profound truth, whether he intended to or not, when he said, we walked into the Court Room like a poem, a sort of a 'Lead Kindly Light' poem, for we were lead of G.o.d, who is the Light of the world. And we intend to follow on until this vision is fully realized."

Yours for G.o.d's love for Him and suffering humanity, MRS. LUCY WILHOITE.

I had dates ahead that I disliked to cancel, because of disappointing the people and entailing a great financial sacrifice. Sister Lydia Muntz, also wrote me to come to Wichita immediately. I knew it meant smashing and imprisonment, possibly, loss of life, for I wrote Sister Wilhoite, "I am coming to do all I can to destroy the works of the devil, and if need be to die." At first, I told her to keep things quiet. Then I thought it best to give all an opportunity to have a part in this great work of saving life here and hereafter, so I wrote a letter to the Topeka Journal making a call for helpers setting Sept. 28 as the day. When I arrived in Topeka I learned that the W. C. T. U would be in convention session on that day in Wichita, and also that there was a carnival going on in the place, and thought it providential to have a crowd. I arrived in Wichita the 28th, the raid was postponed until the 29th. I took hatchets with me and we also supplied ourselves with rocks, meeting at the M. E. church, where the W. C. T. U. Convention was being held. I announced to them what we intended doing and asked them to join us. Sister Lucy Wilhoite, Myra McHenry, Miss Lydia Muntz, and Miss Blanch Boies, started for Mahan's wholesale liquor store. Three men were on the watch for us, we asked to go in to hold gospel services as was our intention before destroying this den of vice, for we wanted G.o.d to save their souls, and to give us ability and opportunity to destroy this soul d.a.m.ning business.

They refused to let us come near the door. I said, "Women, we will have to use our hatchets," with this I threw a rock through the front, then we were all seized, and a call for the police was made. There was of course, a big crowd. Mrs. Myra McHenry was in the hands of a ruffian who shook her almost to pieces. One raised a piece of gas pipe to strike her, but was prevented from doing so. We were hustled into the hoodlum wagon, and driven through the streets amid the yells, execrations and grimaces of the liquor element. I watched their faces and could see that Satan was roused in them beyond their control, making the most diabolical faces sticking out their tongues! at what? Just five women, who were doing with their might what their hands found to do, Just five living hearts that dared to give their lives to save them. Just gray-haired women, mothers, and grandmothers, who, for love they could not contain, rushed in to save their loved ones, from ruin.