The Use and Need of the Life of Carry A. NationNation, Carry Amelia
History
The Use and Need of the Life of Carry A. Nation
Nation, Carry Amelia
Nation, Carry Amelia, 1846-1911; Social reformers -- United States -- Biography; Temperance -- United States
"I am not afraid of your gun. Maybe it would be a good thing for
a saloon-keeper to kill Carry Nation. It might be the means of causing
the people to smash the dives."
The one that talked to me was white with fear and anger, but at
last the color came back to his face, and soon he was in good humor; he
told me he never expected to open that saloon again. In less than ten
days from that time, the people of the county became so aroused, that
the prosecuting attorney closed every saloon in the county, which were
twelve in number.
From Holt I went to Topeka. I stopped with the United Brethren
minister there, and spoke in his church. The saloons were all over
Topeka. I went down town after dark, to see the condition of things.
It was soon learned that I was on the streets, and a crowd gathered.
I went to some dives and joints. I could not get in. One had his mistress
stationed at the door with a broomstick. She gave me four blows
before I could get away, poor creature. I met her niece after that, who
told how the saloon-keeper cast her off and that she died a miserable death.
While I was there the State Temperance Union had a meeting in
the First Presbyterian church. Capt. Cook, from Chetopa, got up in the
meeting and said: "Here is ten dollars towards giving a medal to the
bravest woman in Kansas, Carry Nation." One hundred and twenty
dollars was raised.
I said: "I would prefer that the money be used to pay my lawyers,
rather than be put into a medal as I did not wear gold in any way."
We held a good many meetings. I spoke in several churches and
held meetings in Dr. Eva Harding's office, where we prepared to take
measures to break up saloons in Topeka, where sworn officials were
perjuring themselves from governor down to constable. About this time
a certain woman pretended to be a friend of mine, but was a spy and
a traitor. I believe she was hired by the jointists to find out our plans.
She told me she knew where every saloon in the city was and would
show them to me. It was understood by a few of us that we would make
a raid one morning in February, 1901, and I called on this woman to show
us where the places were. We wandered around from street to street,
and I soon discovered that she was keeping me away from them. One
young boy said: "I'll show you a place."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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