The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-06


| as to whether or not the pen is
mightier than the sword. It's a long
time, though, since there has been any
room for an argument as to which
weapon can stir up the most trouble,
and especially when the pen is firmly
grasped by a man or a woman who
has a vivid imagination and is laboring
under the delusion that he or she has
a tremendous duty to the public to
perform.
It was such a combination that was
responsible for the letters being circu-
lated throughout the state in which the
charge was made that Topeka was in
The throes of a terrible smallpox epi-
dernic, and that the facts about this
epidemic were being suppressed in To-
peka because of the approach of the
state fair. Matters had just about
reached the point where a call for
volunteers was to be issued in Topeka
to raise an army that would proceed
to Hutchinson and raze the entire
town. It was believed that these let
ters, even If they were posted in vari-
Gus places in Chase county, had been
inspired by Hutchinson partisans who
saw an excellent, if it was an out
rageOusly unfair way to injure the at
tendance at the Topeka fair. At any
rate, these letters had been published
in the Hutchinson newspapers, and
commented upon as showing up the
alleged smallpox situation in Topeka.
But before this army of wrath start
ed on its campaign Of arson and muir
der against Hutchinson and its people,
an old scout was sent down into Chase
county to round up the various vii
- L s.-r-
adventure that the Sunfower Protec-
tion club of Elmdale was a myth and
that the z. NJ. H. of Elk, was merely
a nom de plume of some Hutchinson
undesirable. 1t was deemed advisable
by the generals in command of the
Topeka volunteers that a little proof
of Hutchinson's culpability might
come in handy after the town had
been destroyed and ravaged. and its
inhabitants sent to premature but de-
served graves.
The old scout did his work all right.
He found that the Sunfower Protection
club had existed if only for day and
then reverted to its original type, the
Sunf1ower Embroidery club. He found
that the E. NJ H. of Elk was the pres
ident Of the famous Sunnower club Of
Elmdale, or rather of Middle Creek,
which is a suburb Of both Elk and
as it is halfway between them.
He also found that the club, through
its members ten strong, had written the
letters maigning Topeka. They had
been inspired by E NJ. H, also better
known in the neighborhood as "Dewie'
a dear specimen of womanhood,
who didn't propose to have any one in
Kansas take a chance with smallpox
if she could nelp it, because she had
suffered from the dread diseare herself.
1t happened that she nursed a woman
who went with the smallp TX from To-
peka to Chase county. This woman
died. The form Of her disease was so
virulent that the experienced Miss
Hegwer thought there must be ter
rible epidemic in Topeka and she and
her friends in the SunfloWer Fmbrcid- |
FRY club acted accordingly. and became
the self constituted protectors of the |
rest of the people of Kansas.
What a delightful denouement! To- |
peka will permit Hutchinson to remain
IN the map, and also extend best wish |
es that its fair will be a good one. !
But the Hutchinson newSpa peTs had no |
business to print the letters of E. NJ. |
Il. and the Sunf1ower Protection club,
one and the same. ''Dew:e' Hegwer
looms up as A hero, a ver;table Joan Of
Arc. Her intentions were patriotic to
a degree. That's what coun+s even if
good intentions make up the bulk of
the pavements in the warm vale fronl
which no sinner returns. "Dewie" is |
forgiven. It's easy to forgive a woman
for anything. and especially such a |
sweet one as "Dewie." She should !
be rewarded. 700. Why don't the Kar-
nival Knights bring her TO Topeka for
fair week, show her what a fine town |
Topeka is, just how free it is from |
smallpox and everything else THAI is
and also show her the
greatest agricultural exhibition that has
ever beel staged IN Kansas