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Show Ill Ml IE H BATTLE OB THE . IIFLUEH Challls, Idaho, , hasn't had one case of the "flu" and, what is more, she isn't going to have any, even if a state of war is to be declared between her and any other outside forces which may intend in-tend to break throughfher most stringent strin-gent quarantine. And this does not exempt county officials, of-ficials, for when Challis says, "No one must enter here," then no one must enter. For the first of this week. District Dis-trict Judge Cowan declared the quarantine quar-antine illegal and proceeded forth from Mackay, a few miles distant, to go tp Challis. He was greeted with armed ciUzens of Challis who dared him to enter the iown, and the judge was forthwith driven out at the end of broomsticks, guns, etc. The dignity of Judge Cowan was sadly sad-ly battered and, to show his right as well as his authority, he called upon Governor Alexander of Idaho to declare de-clare that part of Custer county in a state of .insurrection and to send troops to quell the riot., And with this begins the "Battle of the 'Flu,'" for Governor. Alexander, much to the surprise of the honorable judge, declared that be was the lawbreaker law-breaker and was himself subject to arrest. ar-rest. Mackay flew to arms against their rival town, and, as a matter of making a good beginning, Judge Cowan summoned sum-moned the sheriff at Challis as well as the health officer to court for contempt. con-tempt. And so the battle rage3, with Challis on the defensive under their able leaders, the sheriff and the health officer, and Mackay on the offensive with Judge Cowman in command. But there are rumors that the immediate im-mediate causes of the war as not due ? to "flu" alone. But there is a secret cause known only to the citizens of each town and that is, that there is no reason why Challis should have the county seat located within her walls , when Mackay is every bit as prosperous prosper-ous and thriving. The battle was made the inspiration of a very effective poem, which was written by a prospector, Clarence Eddy Ed-dy by name, who must have undoubtedly undoubt-edly been present at the scene of action. ac-tion. The poem is as follows: THE BATTLE OF THE FLU. Note: This heroic ballad may be sung to the tune of an Irish "Come All Yez." On the fourteenth of November In the- year nineteen-eighteen; It was then there was enacted That most memorable scene When a hundred men from Challis town All gallant, brave and true, Along the highway hurried down To the Battle of The "Flu." Marching along one hundred strong, A brave and gallant crew, With blood in their eye to do or die, At the Battle of The "Flu." The forces of the enemy Were counted by the score, Advancing at a distance of Some sixty miles or more; Coming nearer, ever nearer, Through all that dreadful da v. But the closest that they ever got: Was sixty miles away And rumor after rumor Of their coming grew and grew Until some other rumor proved That rumor was not true. We heard that they were coming, By auto and by Ford, With all the guns and .bootleg That they could crowd aboard, That they were mad as blazes And had vowed that they would shoot As the quickest way to settle The question in dispute. Tnd many a hero trembled And shivered In his shoes As he vividly remembered The dreadful Mackay booze. They swore that it was "pizen" And would kill at ninety yards And so the captain shouted To double up the guards. "There is an auto coming." An excited lookout roared, But when at last the thing approached ap-proached It proved to be a Ford! The captain then commanded: "Right about and shoulder arms" And he gave a solemn warning To beware of false alarms. Oh, there were generals by the slue, And the colonels they were many, Of captains there were quite a few But, the privates were "not any." And there were deeds of daring Performed upon that day Yes, even though the enemy Was sixty miles away. Once when the day was darkest Up spoke a tall, mule-skinner Saying: "Fellers I'm not afraid to die. But I hate to miss my dinner." But though nobody died they say, Or at least no one war buried, The devil himself might be to pray If Mackay had not tarried, They said that they were coming, And that hell would be to pay. But there were spies who kept them wise And so they stayed away. But, we are peace-loving people And the world is now at peace; Was Mackay right to forco this fight? Yes, In a pig's valise. ED. NOTE: It would seem that Clarence E. Eddy, the Poet-Prospector who is the author of the above, must have been present at the "Battle of the Flu." It requires a great poet to give real prominence to great events and affairs. Even hell would never have been so prominent had' it not been for the poet Dante. |
