The Use and Need of the Life of Carrie A. Nation [108]
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 ashore in New York, and were identifying
our baggage, a small man was passing, Mr. Furlong remarked in an
undertone, "Our captain." He had changed his uniform to go ashore,
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
circumstances and none hurt. I can truly say that there is no ill will in
my heart toward a creature God 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 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 ashore in New York, and were identifying
our baggage, a small man was passing, Mr. Furlong remarked in an
undertone, "Our captain." He had changed his uniform to go ashore,
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
circumstances and none hurt. I can truly say that there is no ill will in
my heart toward a creature God 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