Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1916-11-09
BOISE HAVEN
AFTER CARNAGE
MRS. KATHERINE B. JOHNSON
COMES FROM BAVARIA TO
ESCAPE WAR TURMOIL.
Statesman Nov. g.

4
change of scene, and peaceful one
a. that, after living for two year!
in the turmoil of war, Mrs. Rather
inc B. johnson arrived in Boise
Saturday from Bavaria. She reach
ed New York October 81, on the
steamship "Noordam" of the Hol
land-American line.
Mrs. Johnson was one Of the pic
neers of Boise and the Basin and
made her home in Idaho from the
sixties until about 10 years ago, wher
she and her husband, R. 2. Johnson
went to Bavaria 10 make their home
They both visited their sons here
several times before Mr.. Johnsons
death some years ago and since that
time Mrs. Johnson has made two
trips to Boise.
81 did not realize the extreme dan
ger there was in crossing in these
war times until we were on the
seas" said Mrs. Johnson. my friends
warned me when / started out but
had the courage of the ignorant
and it was not until l saw deadly
mines within 80 feet of the steam
er, and noticed strong men turn
white with fear, our escape was so
miraculous, that l fully realized our
danger. At the English port not a
lieht of any kind was permitted for
fear OF overhead bombs, which might
have been dropped from the very
Zeppelins which passed my door In
Bavaria"
Hard to Get Passport.
Some idea of the difficulty ex-
perienced by Mrs. Johnson, who is
German by birth and citizen
of the United States by marriage,
may be gained from the date of
her passport. These passports are
never given for a longer period than
six months; twice before she had
her passage engaged, but always
some piece of red tape would inter-
vene and finally, when she was per
mitted to start, it was within few
days of the expiration of her pass
port.
When the English officers looked
at it they said:
what do you expect to do? This
passport will expire October %, and
you will be many miles from your
destination on that date"
True" said Mrs. johnson, "but
who will come after me once l am
half way across the ocean? I'll take
the risk"
The trip occupied Is days and
there were only about two other
Germans on board the steamer, the
other passengers being English and
French.
II was treated with the utmost
courtesy all through the trip, said
Mrs. Johnson. Ladies and gentlemen
will show their breeding wherever
they are and never was better
treated. We were on shipboard three
Sundays and an Episcopal minister
was announced to preach. On the
first Sunday one of the other Ger
mans said to me, You are not go
ing to hear that English preacher
and be insulted?' and / answered
that / wanted to hear a good SER
mon and if he injected war into the
sermon l could quietly leave. Butt
he did nothing OF the kind He
preached a splendid sermon and at
he close thanked me for attending
ind invited me TO the evening SER
7ice. l attended that and adj the
,thers and when we left the steam
'r at New York he asked If he
'ould help me in any way and then
ave me his blessing"
Home Filled With Officers.
Mrs. Johnsonis palatial home on
lake Constance has been filled with
taft officers until recently. She ex-
lained that because Switzerland al
o bordered on Lake Constance, 1t
7as thought necessary to guard the
order closely, "for no one knows
ow long anyone is going to be
eutral these days." she added, and
bout 10000 troops were kept in
'avaria on the border. Mrs. John
on said she moved all her furniture
ITO the third floor of her home and
le officers took possession of the
,wer floors of the house, furnish
lg them with their plain army cots.
he was obliged to give them break
lst. but they provided their other
70 meals.
A Zeppelin mandatory is only a
w miles from Mrs Johnson's home 7
Id she said the dirigibles often
ew so low she could wave to the | I