Calling Tom Hill!

News flash from Kansas!: http://kcur.org/post/those-days-when-ka ... y#stream/0
This was a fun read over coffee this morning.

Thanks for that link, Steve. Didn't know about those early German settlers up in DoniphanCnty
and that it was once a hotbed of wine production there. No wineries up there now that I know of, some on the MO side.
But I am shocked...not a single mention in there about Carrie Nation and her role in Prohibition.
She at one time lived in MedicineLodge, KS. Her ancestral home there has been turned into a CarrieNation
museum...hatchets and all. I go thru MedicineLodge whenever I drive back to KansasCity. One year, I was carrying
some wine back to KC. So we stopped in front of the CarrieNation museum. I lined up 3-4 btls of Ridge Zin on the
rail fence behind the CarrieNation sign, positioned Josh & Bec (they were in grade school then) next to the
CarrieNation sign, and started snapping photos (it was film then). The front door of the home burst open, this
little ole lady wearing a bonnet and carrying a broom, came running out & down the sidewalk, screaming at me
"Don't you have any respect. You get those outta here"!! I hastily grabbed up my Ridges and kids (first things first!!), climbed into my van,
and made a bee-line outta MedicineLodge.
Sure enough, about 5 miles outside of town, here were these flashing red lights in my rear view mirror. The officer
pulled me over, I rolled down my window, and he admonished me sternly "That was not a very smart thing to do".
Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he said "Next time you come thru, let me know and we'll have a beer together".
And off he drove.
Tom

Great story, Tom! You should have gotten a medal for that!

Great story, Tom! You should have gotten a medal for that!

Well....several yrs later, on that same trip back to KC, we stopped and finally visited the museum inside.
Not a whole lot to see except a few hatchets and pictures. Touring the "World's deepest hand-dug well" in
nearby Greensburg was far more exciting. But that ole biddy was still there and, not recognizing me, of course,
was just as friendly as could be as she recounted the exploits of Carrie fighting the devil alcohol. As we were getting
ready to leave, I said (loudly) to my kids (then in upper grade school), "Let's go out to the car and have a beer".
She just sorta glared at me.
Ahhh, yes....the joys of driving across (flat) Western Kansas. You have to make your own excitement.
Tom