The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-06
Supposed They We're True and
Duty Called Her.
CLUB MEMBERS HELP
Sunflower Embroidery Club
Became a Protection.
Drafted Letter to Papers and
Others Copied It.
Makes Confession to State
Journal Reporter.

Elmdaie. Kan. Sept CA girl living
at the headwaters of Middle creek in
Chase county is responsible for all the
grief of the Topeka Commercial club
and Topeka boosters over the stories
circulated over the state recently about
the dangerous endemic of smallpox in
that city and the risk all visitors to
the state fair will run And this girl
is president of the Sunf7ower EN- mbroid-
cry club, alias the Sunfower Protection
club. The club is composed of ten
Chase county girls ond Miss Z. M.
Hegwer is president. CNote the E. NJ.
HD Miss FIegwer was formerly of
Hutchinson, and she conceived the pro-
lection idea in regard TO the people and
the state fair. She and the other nine
girls each wrote a letter to a paper tell
ing about the Topeka smallpox cpl
demic
Miss Heswer came TO Chase county
from Hutchinson. she had had the
smallpox. so when Mrs. Carl Rhodes
went to Bazaar, Chase county. to visit
and was taken i'll with the disease, Miss
Iegwer was called to nurse. The Ba-
zaar people used All alfalfa meadow for
q pest house in this case Mrs. Rhodes
died and Miss Hegwer, the girl from
Middle Creek decided that her duty
lay plain before her. She had heard
Mrs. Rhodes tell about conditions in
Topeka, she said. before she died, and
she bad heard other stories from the
capital city abOut how the smallpox cpl
demlc was being suppressed by the pa
pers. So at a recent meeting of the
Sunfiower Embroidery club Of Middle
Greek the president moved an execu-
tive session and a change of name. The
motion carried with a rush
The president thought Of her native
town of Hutchinson and it's little fair,
end she became seized by an inspira-
ton She introduced a bill providing
that each girl write a letter to news
paper telling how bad thin gs really We're
in Topeka The bill was rushed through
to third reading and carried without
dissenting vote.
Girl Drafted the Letter.
The president of the Middle Creek
club Is not an ordinary girl by any
m ans She drafted a form of {. letter
calculated to put the Hearst muck
critters out of business and looking for
job on 4 Missionary Tract Society pub
iication- The girls thought it was a
jolly lark and they got their pens and
writing paper and stained their pretty
fingers with purple ink They counted
them Where they fell Thsy 7 broke the
blessed seals that close the pestiIence
and spread the plague through the
Santa Fe shops and the big departrnent
stores and through the boulevards of
the fashionable west side. II was great
fun, and Miss Hegwer, "Dewie'' Hegwer
she is called in Elmdale and Elk neigh
porhoOds of Chase county. glOwed with
Tride when she thought of how Topeka
state Fair stock was being hammered
IN the pit and Hutchinson stock was
being lifted with the leverage of that
fail.
Miss Hegwer sent her letter to head
Quarters which is to say TO a Hutch
inson paper. She wanted it to be sure
and see the light of day, and to be
sown in fertile fields. She wanted it
to be placed where it would do the
most good-or rather harm. The Hutch
ilson paper used it. Most of the let
ters sent to other papers were sent un-
printed to the Topeka Commercial
club
When the state Journal reporter
showed one of these letters to Miss
Iiegwer in Elmdale today she tossed
her pretty head and asked him what
he meant by trying to interest her in
his private correspondence.
The reporter was meek and humble
ana merely seeking information. He
wanted to know about the Sunfower
Protection clut, that was ali. NO one
in Elmdale. the home of the ci1b,
seemed TO know much about the or
ganiZation- City Clerk Jefries was
puzzled and so was Mr.. BreeSe propri-
etor of the general store and cores
pendent for the CottonwC,rd q Falls ma
rers, ard so was the postmaster. and
the barber and the telephone girl.
Makes Clean Breast of 1t.
But there was an elderly lady in town
from Middle Creek neighborho. d soil
ing eggs, and when the reporter went to
her as last hope with his question
about the Sunfower club she said:
land sakes, yes, I know about rat
club. Dewie HegWer belonys to it and
she wrote the letter. She nursed the
Topeka woman who died at Bazaar Of
the smallpox"
Then it was UP to the girl with the
poetic name and the Middle Creek resi-
dence. She held Up gallantly for time
Aand then capitulated with the explosion:
Yes, wrote the letter. am respon-
sible and 7 Will tell you all about it
II you Will keep the names of the other
girls in the club out of it,
The reporter promised with his hand
on MS conscience and she told t.l-s story
cf her treason towards yopeka in a
voice as soft as the shadows Of her
Aconsinued on Page Two.y