by Laurel | February 28th, 2012
22 February 1904
Carrie Nation
Starts in to Reform Saloon-Keepers and is Treated Gently by Them.
Holyoke saloon-keepers entertained Carrie Nation at their places of business last evening, and she gave them and their patrons cart-loads of good advice, which they could carry home with them for their leisure moments.
Mrs. Nation was dressed wholly in black, but wore a white veil, and she made a pretty thorough tour of the saloons of the city and expressed her mind freely, but generally in a motherly manner, that produced in many instances a favorable rather than an unfavorable impression. In some cases she had a chat with the proprietors, who treated her courteously. Her talks in the main took the vein of advising and the patrons of the places they had better be at home with their families, and there were some who heard her rather shamefacedly. She was accompanied by an admiring crowd of 35 or 40 men, women of whom were give a little lecture from time to time.
Word of her coming preceded her, being passed from mouth to mouth, “Here comes Carrie,” but there was no demonstration nor no wicked boys sand as at New Haven “Good morning, Carrie.” Now and then a youth would attempt to guy Mrs. Nation, but he generally got as good as he sent, and sometimes better, for the little woman was good at repartee and a fluent speaker. The word traveled over the city pretty rapidly of her voyage about the saloons, ad there were generally good-sized audiences to hear her when she made her visit. It is understood that Mrs. Nation will give an address before she leaves Holyoke, so the fact of the company being stranded may not, after all, deprive Holyokers of hearing her views on saloons and their place in the economic life of cities.
From The Springfield Republican.
