The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-01-28
A Jolly Little Germ
Goes Ouer The Top
the Great
keokuk of Heates Winter Of 1913

/ ly but smoked like a damp rag In
a balky furnace There were strikes,
food riots and parades of germs cry
ing loud for peace without annexa-
tons, indemnities or epidemics. All
looked dark and gloomy. The service
flag dropped and was faded. The
Liberty loan was a frost and the
knitters lost interest in their work
and took to reading light fiction.
Confidence in Sherman was express
ed on all sides. He was right. War
certainly was just as he limited it
was.
AS Colonel Scab said at the meet
ing of the war college: Germs.
something has got to be did and did
at once" Gruff old warrior that he
was, unschooled excepting in the
school of war, his words struck all as
a keynote speech.
Hiram Spy. known internationally
as Hi Spy, suggested the plan which
saved the day. Let us strike through
the, schools" he said, removing his
>s<, siiSes- x<.&aasaain g4~..s ~&SssAe II ~
If we can get the schools closed,
we can carry on
Cries Of hear, hear" and "Atta
boy Hi" rang out I'd .the war coun'
Gil eagerly accepted his suggestion
and left the matter in his hands.
49, '-~t!sl1e1 ,e's Great Coup.
Chapter three-Introducing Hi Spy
the famous germ detective and his
great coup.
1t was a cold, cherries day in
Keokuk, that porkless Friday, when
a picked squad of the best germ
spies set forth on their mission. Each
wearing an Opaque disguise and arm
ed with kultur machine, they stalk
ed forth and began intriguing at an
unlawful rate of speed.
CLOSE the schools, close the
schools" kept ringing in the ears Of
the unsuspecting victims of the
propaganda. Little did they realize
how Hi Spy and his ruthless band
ears, into their brains, into their
very souls.
1t worked. Hi Spy never yet has
failed except once. That was when
he tried to- camouflage to Mrs. Spy
as to his reason for coming home late
one night. But that like my family
history, is not the story l would tell.
And on that chill porkless Friday,
the word went forth that Unit X had
ordered the schools of Keokuk closed
for four weeks, any child under
eighteen forbidden to enter any pub
lie building excepting the morgue.
Aid and Comfort to Enemy.
10 the scene changes. There is
new light in the sky. The rainbow
of hope comes to our succor. Aid
and comfort to the enemy. Like the
emancipation proclamation, the order
loosens the bonds and as the shack
les fall rafting to the ground, every
child can scatter to the four winds.
Just what we wanted, a bigger cir
culation, larger field for our work,
freedom of the seas, chance to ex-
pand, new worlds to conquer, fresh
fuel for the flames Now we can go
ahead sink 'em without trace, go
over the top and gain the victory for
which we strive. All hail to Unit K,
our rainbow division in the sky Of
dismay for its kind assistance in
closing the public schools of keokuk.
Now for victory. It's Cup and at
EN-" with a vengeance now.
Last chapter runs thus: The serv-
ice flag takes on a new brilliance;
the knitters are juggling their needles
like mad; the Liberty loan is over
subscribed; the home fires are blaz-
ing like Vesuvius and Scarlet Fever
germ militarism is in the zenith OF
its power.
And that's my story.
SCARLET FEVER GERM
NO. 1921