Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-02

board the rear of the train. Whether
Miss Hobbs knew they were there or
not, or whether she cared, is not
recorded, but it is known that she
paid no heed to them and went her
way with her message.
All Copperfield was at the depot
when the little woman, dressed plain
Iy in blue and neat little hat COW
ering her blonde hair, stepped from
the train that eventful Friday, jan
uary 2, 1914.
There was such a pretty smile in
her blue eyes and such a womanly
gentleness about her that, when she
asked for the city officials (they were
still "city' officials. from the old
days., that rude jest was turned to
admiration.
Soon they gathered the officials, the
men who had ruled the town, before
her in the main street. There is
only one street in Copperfield, and
1t is rightly named Independence
street. for the people had been IN
dependent of every one for years.
Then she did the most winning
womanly thing. She asked a favor
Could she have a platform so that
she could talk to all of them2 In
stantly there were a dozen men sour
finally produced a soap box.
Mounting this, she started to de-
liver her message to Garcia. In
quiet clear tone she said that she had
,been sent to give q message from the
Governor of Oregon. Then the mems
gallantry grew keener and they IN
vited her to the Town Hall, where
she mounted the old platform where
a short time ago had sat the musl-
ftrfa fnf 10
dancers from the river and the rail-
road and the plains.
Miss Hobbs opened her handbag,
drew out the message and began to
read it to as strange an audience as
one could conceive. 1t was as quiet
as DEATH and the little woman quietly
and fearlessly delivered the message
that meant the loss of control to the
officials or else the loss of what they
had fought for in the last five years
their bosiness, which meant their
livelihood.
Time Not Ripe ext.
Had man delivered that message
there would have been strong resent
ment, probaly desperate resentment
But their admiration of the brave lit
tie womanly woman was so great
that all were her champions and were
more concerned that she be respected
than in what she read.
The Governor had said that they
must resign all offices or get out OF
the saloon business. With all the
chivalry strong men can show. but
with an eye to the future, each re-
Piled, in ae tone full of respect for
their visitor, that they could not ac-
cept the Governors terms.
Her message delivered, she quietly
returned to the depot. Colonel Law
son and his soldiers then came up,
but she went her way without paying
heed to them, for they had kept
quietly in the rear of the train on
the trip and away from the message
bearer, while she delivered the Gov
ernor's demands.
Colonel Lawson at once declared
martial law and it was found that
practically every man in that hall
was armed. Her presence in the
town prevented the much feared
clash and soon the soldiers had all
the arms of the citizens and We're
guarding the saloons and main
street to prevent disorder when Miss
Hobbs left.
When Miss Hobbs returned to Gov
ernor West and reported Il have done
what you wished" she found herself
famous. The story of her trip and
n6T triumph 1lStA Spltclu W <lll PAL -
of the country and in the State of
Oregon they were talking of her for
governor, for Oregon adopted
woman's suffrage only a year ago last
November.
But she took the fame and the idea
as quietly as she does all things, re-
plying to all enthusiastic friends that
she was too busy" TO think of ac-
cepting the honor.
ut may be that some day oregon
will have a woman for governor, but
the time is not right now. Besides l
am too busy. I have my work to do
and must do it, she said as she took
her place among the clinking type
writer's and began to sort her mail
Buffalo News.