The Use and Need of the Life of Carry A. Nation
Hotel. I wrote to Matt and told her if she became the murderer of her
child that a fearful judgement was in store for her. I also wrote to
Will and told him to marry Matt or I would expose him. Will's father
got the letter, as it was directed to Medicine Lodge. His father came
down to see me, weeping as if his heart would break; told me of the
trouble this boy had given him; said that he was preparing to marry
another girl and could not marry Matt; but that he had forwarded the
letter to Will, as he had gone to Wichita. Will and Matt got their letters
at the same time and were filled with terror. Both came back to
Medicine Lodge and in a few months poor Matt was the mother of a
little girl. Her mother, sent for me. I stayed until the little angel died.
From the time Matt looked on the face of the little one she loved it
with all the intensity of a true mother and grieved so when it died. In
a few hours I went to the grave-yard With the little coffin. This Will
or his father never spoke to me again. He married the other girl. In
a few years father and son were both killed. The sister of Will, who also
treated me coldly, wrote me a letter and told me to tell Matt it would
have been a blessing if he had married her. That he loved her the best
and that she felt quite differently towards me.
TIMELY WARNING TO OUR GIRLS AND BOYS.
I was going down to a neighbor's one dark night. I heard voices, as
if some parties were sitting by the roadside. I went into the neighbor's
house and got a lantern. I came up to these parties, they were a young
man of Medicine Lodge and a young lady visiting there. I told them
that such actions would lead to mischief. Told the young boy to act
towards a girl as he would wish his sister treated. Told the girl that
ruin would be her fate and she hid her face and soon both of them ran
down the alley. I knew they would think that I would expose them, so
I wrote a letter to the young man and told him the injustice to himself
and the girl, that would follow such actions, told him that no one would
hear it from me. That it was not my desire to expose them only to warn
and prevent trouble. That young man is in Medicine Lodge now and is a
good friend of mine.
I often see actions, especially with the young, that I know will end
in heartaches and woes. I get these parties out of hearing of others and
speak to them. So often in traveling I see silly girls being led astray
by men who for a vile purpose will fawn and flatter. I never let such a
thing pass my eye now without a little wholesome condemnation: "Thou
shall not in any wise suffer sin upon thy brother but shall rebuke him."
SOME OF MY TRIALS WITH MR. BRUBAKER OF PEORIA.
When I visited Chicago for the first time after the smashing a Mr.
Brubaker called to see me. He was from Peoria and was hired by the
Peoria Journal men to get me to edit that paper for one day. The
arrangements were satisfactory to both parties. I went to Peoria. Mr.
Brubaker met me, took me to a hotel run by a woman who owned one
or two saloons, but had none in the hotel she kept. I had not one line
of copy for the paper but I got up at four in the morning and wrote
continuously that day. I know God helped me. Mr. Brubaker took the
copy. I never saw any of the Journal men until after the paper was out.
I went to see them, told them that only a small part of my copy that I
wrote was in the paper. They said that several times they asked for my
copy but Mr. Brubaker gave them his own. So he destroyed a great
deal of my copy, supplying only what he wanted put in.
I spoke in the Opera House and this Mr. Brubaker was to give me
fifty dollars for my lecture that night. After I had spoken I was asked
to go into a noted saloon, Pete Weise's place. Mr. Brubaker said: "If
you go I will not give you your fifty dollars," as the contract said I was
to speak at no other place in the city. But as I had already spoken for
him I did not feel bound. This man was posing as a prohibitionist but
he was as loyal to the cause as Judas was to Jesus. I went to Pete
Weis' place, one of the most expensive dance halls I was ever in. I spoke
for the hundreds of poor, drugged and depraved men and women. There
was a large picture or rather statuary of naked women among trees
which I said must be smashed, Mr. Weis treated me very kindly and
said: "I will have that boarded up," and so next day he did.
This Mr. Brubaker would not pay me a cent for my lecture and
tried to garnishe the $100, the Journal was to pay me, and had it not been
for a stroke of policy on the part of the Journal he would have taken
every cent from me and left me to pay my expenses there and back.
Jesus said: "Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing." In a month from
this time the saloon keeper sent me $50. The prostitute loved more than
Simon.
I saw in Peoria the largest distillery in the world. Not one of the
hands are allowed to drink what they make. What would you think of
a dry goods concern that would not allow its employes to use what they
make? Mr. William McKinley was entertained here by Joe Greenhut,
president of the "Whiskey Trust."
I was in Peoria when the prohibitionists held a convention there and
was astonished that they would put up at a saloon or a hotel that run one.
I never eat or sleep in one. My conscience will not allow me. I never
saw so many ragged children or dirty streets, as in Peoria.
WITCHCRAFT.
I heard so much of the "Weltmer treatment" for disease. I sent
twenty-five dollars for a "mail course" so I could see for myself. This
man Weltmer had a large institution in Nevada, Mo., for humbugging
the people. I always like to investigate these things myself, as I did
Dowie, who I found out to be a false prophet. This Weltmer's papers
were a complete treatise on witchcraft, spiritualism and hypnotism. I
exposed this in every way I could. The Bible fully prepares people to
expect such "lying wonders and miracles." The "Christian Science" is
a witchcraft but very subtile. The most dangerous counterfeit bill is
nearest like the genuine.
IN JAIL IN PHILADELPHIA.
The last jail I was in was in Philadelphia. I went down to lecture
between the acts of "The Heart of a Hero." There was a very vile
saloon kept by a Mr. Donoghue. This man stationed police to arrest
me if I went in his place. In going home from the theatre at night I
would look in and call to the poor victims not to be drugged and robbed.
This man had five or six bartenders handing out this poisonous drink to
our boys, our mothers treasures. This man has amassed a fortune at
this vile business and tries to pose as respectable, because he has a lot
of this blood money. I was passing there on the 14th of January, 1904.
I just opened the door when a two legged beer keg in the form of a
policeman grabbed me and almost dragged me over the streets to the
station. I was locked in and I spent the night in jail. Next morning I
was discharged.
The next day when I went to the Pennsylvania railway depot to
take the train a little ragged boy came to me and asked for a hatchet, the
depot police shook the little fellow and hurled him away. The little boy
began to cry and I said to the police: "Let that child alone! he is doing
no harm to any one." He told me in a very angry tone to mind my business,
and would not let the little boy take the hatchet from me. After
this I was sitting on the bench waiting for my train, and a person came
to me saying: "Let me see one of your hatchets." I opened my grip
to show the little souvenirs, several came up to look at them. This same
policeman was watching his chance to arrest me. He came up and said:
"You will have to stop that." I said: "I am making no trouble, I have
a right to meet people and talk to them and show my souvenirs too. You
are the only one, making a disturbance here." Two policemen came up
and caught me one by each arm, dragging me through the depot and
down the elevator, and I was carried to the police station in a "black
maria". This was done for spite and to show his authority. I spent a
night in prison, and next morning I was fined ten dollars. I was my own
lawyer. The magistrate before whom I was tried would not compel the
officer to answer the questions I asked him.
In a few days I returned to Pittsburg and was invited by the Providence
Mission to go out on the streets. Quite a crowd gathered and
while I was speaking, I was arrested again by an officer who refused to
tell me what I was arrested for. I was taken to the police headquarters.
The kind hearted matron wanted to give me a pillow and some bedding
for I had nothing but a hard board in the cell. The Chief of Police forbade
the matron to give me anything to make myself comfortable. He
said: "That woman is giving us a great deal of trouble and we want
to get rid of her." The matron came to me when no one was looking
and advised me to give a bond of thirteen dollars and get out so that I
might have a bed. I did this and went to my boarding house. I secured
the services of a lawyer, Mr. Buckley. I was fined ten dollars which was
afterwards remitted. This republican, rum-soaked police force make it
a point to arrest me on every pretext. They have told me that if I win
they will lose their jobs. Eighteen months before this I had been put in
jail at Pittsburg, making three times all for doing my duty in that city.
CHAPTER XX.
WHY I WENT ON THE STAGE.--THE VICE OF TOBACCO.
I got hundreds of calls to go on the stage before I did. Gradually
I got the light.
This is the largest missionary field in the world. No one ever got
a call or was ever allowed to go there with a Bible but Carry Nation.
That door never was opened to any one but me. The hatchet opened it.
God has given it to me. My managers have said: "This is a variety
house at, Watsons and the Unique, of Brooklyn, or the Boston on the
Bowery. You do not wish to go there." Yes, those need me more than
the rest; never refuse a call even from the lowest. If Jesus ate with
publicans and sinners I can talk to them. Francis Willard said the pulpit
and stage must be taken for God.
Persons often say: "Why do you take the money of such?" I say
"I can do more good with the money than they can." After the battle
the victor takes the spoils and is entitled to them. I will take all I can
get in a good way. Money is a blessing, if used as such. I go on the
stage to do good, I take their money for the same reason. The curse of
it is when it is desired above the good of humanity. I am fishing. I go
where the fish are for they do not come to me. I thank God for this
unspeakable gift. I take my Bible before every audience. I show them
this hatchet, that destroys or smashes everything bad and builds up everything
that is good. I tell them of their loving Deliverer who came to
break every yoke and set the Captive free. When I look upon the hundreds
of faces before me, I say: "Oh, these poor aching hearts! God
give me a loving message." Words can not tell of the love I would like
to bestow upon them. I often weep. "Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft
would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her
wings." Then I say: "There is one that loves more than you. He can
make all things right."
There are but a handful comparatively that try to obey the commands
of Jesus: "A remnant shall be saved." Caleb and Joshua were only two
in six hundred thousand but they alone of this great multitude lived to
see and inherit the promised land. Christ said. "Go out into the highways
and hedges and compel them to come in that my home may be full."
Where are the highways and hedges: They are places where men and
women are the most lost. How can they be compelled to come in? Love