The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1890-10-31
be yoar cause that is reduced to the ex-
tremity of rottenness "to the core"
Chickens sometimes come home to
roost. The hen is on, General.
CORRESPONDENCE.

U. 5. COAST SURVEY.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. 6, 1889
Editor Mapleton Enterprise: / note
in recent issue of your paper, that
YOU advise the farmers of Blue Earth
county to ''vote for the lady whose
brothers went to the front in time of
battle to defend the flag, and thereby
secure superintendent for the schools
of this county, who has the time TIC
visit the little school house and the
ability to look after the best interest
of the children who will attend them. "
That wakes old memories, and il
you will allow me space in your jour.
nal, | will show that the candidate re-
ferred to, Mrs. S. j. @. Stevens, also
bore hand in sustaining the flag,
and preserving the integrity of the
Union, in those old heroic days. And
to introduce myself, / am one of the
brothers who went to the front. The
| two older brothers served through the
war in the 1st Battery, Minnesota
Light Artillery, in the army Of the
Tennessee from Shiloh to the surren
der of Johnston. My own service was
brief. | joined the End Minnesota
Volunteer Infantry in the Carolinas
and stuck by them till disbanded al
Fort Smelling in July '65. Mrs
Stevens did not have relative, old Oh
young, able to bear arms, who did not
90 to the front. Her mothers three
brothers all went to the war, and the
sons of three of them joined theil
fathers at the front in the dark days
of '62 and '63. One of those cousins
enlisted when he was fourteen years
old, was captured in the battle anC
died a martyr at AnderSOnville, before
he was sixteen. Nor was my sister
idle. She could not go to the front
when she offered to go as {
nurse. Gov. Harvey, of Wisconsin
replied that she was too young an(
could not be taken under the regula
tions-but she pushed forward sup
plies to those that were. Girl as SHE
was, she organized the only Soldiers
Aid society in the town and village
and was it's president and most I'm
fatigueable worker until the close o.
the war. AS it was one of the first
so it was one of the most active anC
efficient organizations of it's kind il
Dodge Co., Wis. She worked under
great difficulties, but every day wher
Sarah closed her school it was to &C
from house to house and urge on the
work, collecting fruits, vegetables anC
clothing and money to buy cloth tt
make up into clothing and bedding tt
be forwarded to the soldiers in the
hospitals. Saturdays she met her CO.
workers in the school house and they
spent the day in scraping lint, KNIT
ing socks, making hospital garments
etc. She organized victory" En-
thusiaSm is catching. Even the PEG
pie most bitterly opposed to the prose
cution of the war, got into the habit
of rolling out barrel of potatoes fol
the soldiers when she asked them to
And when battle hadbeen fought anC
the treasury was empty, eer salary as
a teacher bought the material needed
at the front. Yes. Mrs. Stevens was
at the front during the war.
1t was rather surprise to me wheL
| learned that she had been nominal
ed for the office of county superin-
tendent. didn't like the idea of bel
being discussed and voted for OF
against. But the more | think of il
the better | like it. She is thoroughly
posted on schools from the district
school to the college, has the faculty
for organizing and syStematizing; il
in fact executive and administrative
by nature and habit, and will put life
into the schools, that is, if she is
elected. Brain and heart are the
two things most needed in work OF
that kind, and she has both in abun
dance. If she proves failure or il
she does not prove success when she
gets the office, [ will-well, 'eat my
hat" and it's derby, a solid struc
ture with stiff brim. But having
lived on hard tack with the boys
know the hat will prove good eating
if am hungry enough. AS you say, the
Office is. nOn-sectarian, nOn-partiZar
and non-political and party lines
should not be drawn, but every votel
should cut loose from party and vote
for the only woman whose name APP
pears upon any of the tickets. And
think every old soldier should cu1
loose from party long enough to vote
for the woman that voted for him an(
the flag, when they needed every vote
they could get.
Very truly yours,
ALEX. S. CHRISTIE.