Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-05-24
HER CAMPAIGN OF CLOTHES.
New York Sun on Miss Reasoner's
War Experience.

limited praise for her "bravery, etc.
in going to the front during the wal
in Cuba MS war correspondent
Success recently wrote her up in
way to make Abilene proud, but ther,
seem to be doubters, as a roast OF tn,
Kansas heroine in the New York SUI
would indicate.
The article in Success tells abou
Miss Reasoner's career in Cuba
"Upon her arrival" it says, "th'
newspaper men entreated her to re
main upon the press.boat, bribins
her with promises Of the most allur
ing scoops, But she scoifngly re
ponded, 'Ha. do you think am hcrt
for the scenery" According to THU
faithful account, somebody, for what
ever reason, once asked the only
woman war correspondent, "Wert
you ever in danger9' "'Oh, the
mauser bullets were making dents in
people all around me-, was the care
less response Of one who had never
looked upon a corpse until she saw
dead bodies in piles upon the battle
field 1t also says; "SEe went fear.
lessly into the yellow fever camps
and visited the contagious wards OF
the tented hospitals, not to crafty
morbid curiosity, for all that was
feminine in her shrunk at the fearful
sight, but in the discharge of her
professional duties and for the aid she
could give the sufferers" "Person-
ally" says the article in its final
pWan, "Miss Reasoner is a captivat-
ing girl and is idolized by her friends.
Women and men find in her most
loyal comrade. She has the soul OF a
poet and the brains of tinancier-a
mighty combination Of sound sense
and exquisite sentiment
The Sun comments as follows
"While admiring this article for the
chaste restraint Of its literary style,
we must confess to some hesitation
about taking its statements too liter.
ally. In the first place Miss Reason
er's Cuban campaign was conducted
largely in the hotel dining room at
Kingston, Jamaica, where her stun
ing clothes were at once the admira'
ton and envy Of every man war cor
respondent in the place. Nothing
like them had ever been known be-
fore to journalism at the front
1.-The only woman war correspond
ent' was at that time anxious to join
Miss Clara Barton's staff as a Ret
Cross nurse. One of the newspaper
men volunteered to say a word fol
her to Miss Barton's first lieutenant.
What is she likep' asked the leuten.
ant. 'W-e.ell,' said the newspaper
man, you never saw such clothes as
she wears! Not only stunning, but
such lots OF theml Whenever there's
an engagement by land or sea, out
comes Miss Reasoner in a new frock.
| assure you, there wasn't anything
at the battle Of San Juan hill equal to
the frock Miss Reasoner put on in
honor Of the occasion, she - For
heavens sake, interrupted the lieu
tenant, keep her away from uS'
Clothes like that would demoralize
the place. Don't let her come within
twenty miles.
"This is one Of the incidents Of the
only woman war correspondents
career that the article in Success fails
to mention. Another is the mastery
way Miss Reasoner managed that
wardrobe Of hers during the Cuban
campaign. After some weeks at
Kingston, Jamaica, when three and
four frocks a day and no two alike had
exhausted even her remarkable re-
sources, she removed to Port Antonio
where she astonished the natives in
the same way and until the wardrobe
had been similarly exhausted. That
almost occult power to foresee a
possibility and an unerring instinct
to grasp an opportunity, not to speak
Of Napoleonic spirit that delies de-
feat and commands success referred
to in the Success article, came to her
aid in this crisis, however, and before
going back to Kingston Miss Reasoner
had whole lot Of new clothes madel
Jealous scribes have tried to keep
quiet about the sensation Miss Rcas-
oner created all along the line7oi the