The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-01-27

How shall Oregon honor the little
woman, only a few years ago helping
her mother in the Kitchen who has
just carried the governors message
into the lair of gamblers and saloon
keepers and is now being talked Of
for the next Governor of the State.
This is the question being asked to-
day by every Oregonian and millions
OF others throughout the country, says
a writer in the Washington Star
The woman is Miss Fern Hobbs,
private secretary to Gov. West, OF
Oregon. She weighs less than 100
pounds and loves all the things dear
to women, but when called by her
employer TO go into the heart of d
Wild country, into a pocket Of the
earth cut Off from civilization, where
| the men were said to be large and
| strong and rough and were said to be
waiting and armed for any one who
dared to intrude in their internal dis
putes, and to tell them they must quit
their lawlessness, she did not falter.
| Immediately replied in her modest
| way, Il am ready"
/ Modern Joan of Arc
| Into that mountainous wilderness
| she went and performed her duty go
| we'll that when she returned to Salem,
| the State capital. she was surprised
| with the knowledge that he name was
| being heard in all parts Of Oregon as
| a possible candidate for Governor
when the people Of the State choose
| their chief executive to succeed her
employer, next November. Some were
calling her the mod@n Joan of Are
because of her crusade, Wtile others
compared her to Carrie Nation, be-
cause, as the result of her mission, all
the gambling devices were destroyed
and the liquor and saloon fixtures were
|confiscated by the State. Her work also
resulted in reform and two of the sa-
loonkeepers declared that they have
quit the business for good while 9th
ers said they might do SO.
Miss Hobbs errand was one that
required bravery. 1t also required a
knowledge of State affairs, and she
used it. 1t required tact, and she has
that naturally. 1t also required the
gentleness of won?anly woman
which she unconsciously eSerted with
telling effect.
1t II happened because in the little
town OF Copperfield, Ore, there was
serious dispute among the strong
men. Saloonists were in control OF
the town council and We're granting
licenses to themselves, while other
saloon men wanted to do business
Out Of this war came to the outside
, world stories of shootings, incendiary
fires and general turmoil. The little
town was once big in the days of tho
| free and easy West.
Then it WAS a city with Il council
There were 1900 men working on the
OK Bow project, building a tunne
; through the mountains for an electric
, porWer proposition on the Snake river
q short distance away, and nearly as
many more were working on a rail
road that was pushing its nose
through the canyon of the hills into
l * o1J a<,1 ~,
! and gambling was the diversion Of the
men, and the women as well
| At times there would be battles
royal between the Ok Bow workmer
and the railroad men. Copperfiel6
, lies in a canyon surrounded by higs
: mountains and is shut off from the
. world. There are only two<ntrance:
to the place one at each end, ane
these are SO small that q few mer
could easily guard it against Outsid
: ers. This made life free and easy
2 in Copperfield and those who Wen
I there took chances.
8 When the railroad was finished ane
! the tunneling of the Ok Bow complet
e ed, the workers drifted away to more
! lucrative fields. The railroad sent only
: a small train three times a week doWr
| the branch line and then only a few
stragglers who had particular business
. | in thep lace went in. only to get ou
| as soon as the train started DdCk e
civilization. The saloon men stayed
. | however, ehOping that the OK Bow pro
! ject would resume and the town Woult
Il | thrive again. Time dragged and tn
5 project slept, that life became poo
e for those who held on.
The only business was that done b,
the saloon keepsrs and the gambler
s and by the few merchants who sold t.
a them. Then the men began TO rave u
8 fate and finally at each other Neces
Sity made them selfish and grasrin.