The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1910-12-28
IS
THWAR1EO
BY 4 GIRL
Astonishing Results of West
Hammond Village Election
Shows What Determined
and Pretty Girl Can Do
When She Gets Busy.

West Hammond has Joan of Arc.
She does not ride about on a white
charger clad in a glistening armor of
steel, but she accomplishes results just
the same Her name is Virginia Brooks
and she resides in 322 One Hundred
and Fifty fifth place.
1t is the fault of Miss Brooks and
Miss Brooks alone that West Hammond
is not a city today While women all
over the country are talking woman
suffrage, Miss Brooks is out getting
results, and ali of the willy politicians
who hang forth at the village haIl were
unable to counteract the influence of
this one young woman.
Thought 1t Was Cincb,
Two days ago the politicians who
were interested in the project to change
from the village to the city form of
government in West Hammond. said
there was no question that the people
would vote for the change.
They were mistaken. They had not
counted on a 1.-THE, active, beautiful
brunette only % of age, who was max
ing a house-to -housecanvas against
their pet measure and who was final
ly able to defeat it,
Miss Brooks is plainly woman of
action. Some of her accomplishments
since she has been in West Hammond
are simply astounding. She has come
to be respected and feared by the most
powerful officials in the big village
across the state line.
How She Did 1t.
How did Miss Brooks win the spe-
cial election in West Hammond?
/. She moved to West Hamman1 from
t-ff7eng0 - sffUrte aTrerA the iarg9 prop
erty interests which she and her moth :
er have in the village.
2. She discovered that many of the
improvements htat are being maze dc
not represent the value of the assess
ments imposed.
8. She decided that the change from
the village to the city form of govern
ment would mean higher taxation and
she decided to fight.
4. She called a mass meeting OF
citizens in White Eagle hall. Criers
were sent out in the streets to notify
the crowds.
Only Woman There.
5. Over $50 of the villagers respond
ed and Miss Brooks mounted table
in a room filled with tobacco smoke
and made a speech. She was the only
woman there.
Those who attended that mass meet
| ing say they will never forget the i'm
| preston that that lone woman made
on the crowd of men who were as
sembled. Her voice, naturally low an6
musical, was heard to the farthest cor
ners of the room, SO quiet was the
audience.
The whole proposition from start tc
| finish was explained in detail. Those
who were present were profoundly i'm
pressed. They were informed that or
election day every one of them must
| be at the polls at o'clock.
Voters Turned Out.
To the surprise of every one ovel
| 100 of the Polish people were at the
polls in the village hall the first thing
yesterday morning. The vote stood 16l
| 1s1 against the proposition when the
votes were counted yesterday evening
| Miss Brooks had saved the day. The
majority against the change was %.
! All day yesterday Miss Brooks wa.
| out fighting for the cause. She round
| ed up every voter she met. Vote
against the city and save your house
and lot was the slogan
| She went down to the polling bootT
and ignored the many hints that wer,
made to the effect that she was a wo
| to vote.
One of the politicians at the pollins
Continued on page fve.)