The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-11
JENNIE GREEK. HEROINE
Entitled to Wear the Legion of
Honor Badge.
RISKE0 HER OWN LIFE
And Prevented a Terrible
Railroad Wreck.

among the guests OF honor a simple
American country girl. just eighteen
years Of age
On her breast she viii wear a five point
ed star, emblem of the French Legion Of
Honor.
II has been given in the past for a
painting that is exquisite. for an essay
that conveys rare knowledge. In this in
stance il was bestowed 10 commemorate
a deed Of exceptional bravery.
The National Humane Society of
France has invited Jennie Creek, Of MIL
grove, village in Indiana, 70 visit Paris
as one Of the most disting uished women
OF the world.
Jennie Creek was Just eleven years of
age when she became renowned. From
the village near Hartford City to The Pa
risian boulevards her fame spread 1t
was carried there on the wings Of graft
tude- Mothers and wives clasped their
loved ones IN their arms and jailed upon
God TO bless the little maid in Indiana
To understand why Jennie Creek may
wear in her buttouhoIe the bit of scarlet
watered ribbon which artists have worked
for and scientists have burnt the mid
night OIL &c attain. you must picture a
summers afternoon early in September,
IN the year 1883
At that date. if you had had the privi-
lege of knowing Jennie. you would re-
member her as a little scrap OF gorl
with mass OF curls which, when the day
was cIouded, looked black and when the
sun touched them they were somehow
lighted into a brown that matched the
chestunts she loved to gather in the fros-
y fall You would recall her great brown
eyes that seemed TO dream out Of school
time and 70 be alert with interest when
teacher spoke" o. when her reading
book held in its pages a lesson Of value.
II was after school time on Septembe
%. Romping and laughing the children
had been dismissed from the district
school a whole troop Of them ran up
the road that led u where little Jennie
lived with her foster parents.
Her real mother and father had been
dead for many years. which was perhaps
q reason why Jennie was a trife more
serious than her companions. She was
none the less. however, a great fav0rite
with them ali. She had from her earliest
babyh00d an unusual amount OF indie
pendeHce and q sort OF m0therIy instinct
that wandered beyond the care Of her
dolls 10 a contain gentle interest in all
the children younger than herself
Mothers in the village Of AIilIgrOve
would glance out of their windows to see
l. little Jennie Creek was playing out
doors before they trusted their babies
alone on the roadside. They knew # she
were there she would look out for them.
This instinct of unselfshness and pro-
lection extended 70 every helpless thing
that came under her vision. Nischlevous
boys would glance over their shoulders
to see if Jennie was out of sight before
they ventured 10 tie tin can 10 the cats
tail Somehow they didn't like the look
Of disappr5val that was sure to come into
her dark eyes nor did they care to hear
the soft tones Of her pleading voice beg
gins them to let poor Tim or Dick go.
After she became a heroine a real. ac-
kn0wledged heroine from one end of the
civilized globe to the other, her word in
AIilgrove was law She had only to raise
her eyebrows and cats and dogs were
safe.
But in the days when she was just an
ordinary little girl like hundreds of 9TH
ers. with the same hardships 10 face and
the same trials II may be stated that she
had always a marked love for humanity.
on this memorable September 10 which
seven years later was % win for her an
invitation 10 the great Paris Exposition,
her companions were teasing her TO go
with them this one 20 gather apples
that one 20 climb a distant haystack. IF
she had yielded 70 the invitation Of either
81
written. and more important still. q her
ol1e might have been lost 10 recognition
by the world Jennie Creek herself would
never have realized the power she poss-
esses for good. the mine of strength hid
den in her fearlessHess.
on this golden summer day Jennie re-
fused 70 play hide and seek. She even re-
sisted the joys Of going down 10 a neigh
bor's house where hot ginger bread had
been promised her Her foster mother
had tod her 70 return home Immediately
after school. and il never occurred 10 her
t. disohey. She had. besides. some las-
sons TO study Cor the next day. and she
knew she could only conquer them T. she
were alone.
When speaking os her exploit since.
Jennie has basoIuteIy convinced those
who cared q listen that she acted DELHI
erateIy and with the determination and
sense Of d little girl who, having been
reared on the borders OF a railroad IN
de-stood exactly what she was about.
In the events Of that afternoon there
was no hin tot the terrible tragedy she
vas soon 70 be called upon 30 avert
Laughing she came up the road that led
n her foster parents house with high
gee she ran IN and conhied sU the little
happenings Of the day For q few mo-
mencs she PLAYED about with her foster
brothers and sisters. Then she stroue5
OF inco the woods by herself 20 stUdy her
lessons Tor the morrow.
Once alone none may say what dreams
came 10 her Young train Probably they
were no more serious than 90 a day on q
boat when the river was calm or CT an
excursion somewhere uos further away
than Hartford C.ty watch lay six miles
4 the west @ fAf.l,g~Uve. There however. .
was a church and a great big store
where all her cloches came from ard The .
ve-E best aczes and acnGies she had ever +
tasted. she had driven there occasionally f.
on sunday u attend Service and ii seem
g To her that / twas quite the zrandes- .
CITY that could possibly be inagiasd.
She had learned something about Paris +
in her geography class bur when one
dreams II is always Of the really possible (
event. hartford City was 10 che lively
OF the little sieven-year-old .
girl q possibility. Paris never entered IN (
70 her thoughts as a place where she
should ever long TOO see. She was not.
you understand one q those foolish child 1
rea who cry for the moon
wen rnAn for -ha f,cL Of al soNs,