Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-10
i, WOMAN PLAYS TRICK
y UPON KANSAS MEN
Slips One Over During Valley
Center Election Day; Fem
inine Officers Are
Elected.

interest," III that. AT noon on election
day only two votes had been cast.
I'm gonna start somcthln',"' said
the waggish Mr.. Talcott, taking him
sch out OF the polling place. Its too
sleepy around here"
There. was a mysterious conference
with few cronies and new ticket,
written on cardboard. was placed by
some unidentified agency outside the
yotlng place. 1t was a feminine ticket
from top to bottom. Someone had Sc
!ected the candidates Withut consult
ing them, and someone started things
! ~ by writing IN the womens' names
On the blank place OF his ballot: Lit
tie realizing what they were doing,
voter after voter smiled and cast bal
lot alter ballot tor the women. When
the polls closed at o'clock and the
score was Inquired up Miss Avice
FRANCIS, spinster, had been elected
mayor by the count OF thirty-two out
Of torty-three cast. She led her
ticket, and the other women were
close behind. Mrs. S. A. Ridenour
went in as police judge, Mrs. S. w.
Pike as city clerk, Mrs. George
Bright as street commissioner, Miss
Della Ialcott as city treasurer, while
Mrs. Mary Koble, Mrs. Nan White
lock, Mrs. J. e. Chipp, Mrs. w. I.
laggaTt and Mrs. Gene L lalcott were
eleeted as councilwomen: 10 make
tne JoD complete Mrs susie Uood-
ficn was appointed as marshai'
none OF the women had ever oeen
IN poiltlcs, Dut since the honors mao
I Sought them out they decided to make
"a loD OF It and run the CITY,, i
y valley Center has population OF
eDout 490, and, generally speaking,
Is not dlfhcult place to govern IT
mas. little stone jail, put there hash
lbesn a prisoner IN 1t in twelve years.
i Having elected the women, the men
sat back and wafted to see what they
would do. The opportunity tor ad-
Eanced legislation was rather limited,
ybut the new administration speedily
found an evil to correct. 1t was the
custom of the gentlemen of Valley
Center to spend their, Sundays pitch
ing horseshoes on Main street in
front of the blacksmith shop.
ut was just TERRIBLE as Mrs. Susie
Goodrich, the marshal, put it. They
would gather there in great crowds
dozen or two"
No More Horseshoes.
An ordinance was passed forbid |
ding Sunday horseshoe pitching and |
was published. II was not necessary |
IN 90 farther, The h;nt was sufi- |
cient. The menacing figure of Mrs.
Goodrich can now traverse the length
and breadth of all Valley Center anv
Sunday and there is NOT a ringer in |
sight, He who de6es the law and |
nifches does 50 ar the risk of a IS 6ne
Having cleaned IN the horseshoe
gang fhe women turned their atten-
for, to the larger maIefactor-.thel |
Atchison. Toneka r. Santa Fe railway,
Il SEEMS the Santa F. freieht trains
had been ignoring the ordinance that
provides that no crossing shall be
blocked for longer Than five minutes
If the train hannened TO be a long
one mot onlv Main street but two
other crossings, would be blocked.
For Years under mascu1ine rute.
Valley Center had suffered dissection
from the trains. Under the new re-
ZINE the railroad neonle were warned
noliteIv but thew failed 70 heed The
fair little town must have annealed TO
the Ioafine instinct Of the train crews
for + was their custom to loiter some,
times as long as twenty minutes SEN
aratinq the north side residents from
the south siders. On the 10th dav of
this month Conductor M. A, Mcneil
nuIled his string of box cars into
Atown. barricaded two of the three
crossings and settled down to stay
a while. Mrs. Susie Goodrich, from
her home. could not see what was
going on, but Miss Avice Francis,
from her home, could. Telephone
communication was established be-
tween Miss Francis, speaking as the
mayor, and Mrs. Susie Goodrich, in
the official capacity of marshal.
They're blocking traffic." the
mayor said. Hold them right there.
I'm coming with the police judge"
The Unlucky Trainman.
No sooner. said than done. The
three women started for the train and
Conductor Mcneil saw them. 1t
must have been his guilty conscience
that prompted him to step up and ask
if they were looking for him. -,
that's what we are, SAID Mrs.
Susie Goodrich, "and | want you to
consider yourself under arrest"
1he conductor was marched over to
the station, where Mrs. Rldenour con-
vened court. Court is held wherever
the judge happens to be, since there
is no court room. Conductor Nc
Neil tried to beg off, but his pleas
were rejected in concert l.
mo, slr," said the women, you've
been warned"
Whereupon Mrs. Ridenour fined
him S.. The costs amounted to Sl.25.
But SUPPOSE won't paw this