I gave them the hot-shots of truth.  I always invited interruptions by questions.  I had no set speech and these questions would bring out what the crowd wanted to hear.  I like especially the questions from those who oppose me.  I have bad men to shake their fists at me saying:  “You are an anarchist and ought to be in the lunatic asylum.”  One agent of a brewer in Hartford, Conn., kept on disturbing the meeting; at last he said:  “Why did Christ make wine?” I said:  “the wine that He made did not rot.  His was the unfermented juice of the grape.  God made healthy fruit and grain.  The devil rots them and makes alcohol, which rots the brain, rots the body and rots the soul, and that is what is the matter with you.”

When I first began my lectures I was not taken seriously by the people.  They did not see the great principle back of the work.  My manager said:  “We must make all the dates this year, for next year it will not be so easy.”  I said:  “You will find it easier, for I will be more popular.”  He shook his head, but sure enough it was easier.  We could not fill the dates, and now the calls are more and more all over the country.

In the winter and spring of 1903, I was in California.  I was employed by the theatrical manager of the “Chutes.”  Beer was sold at this resort.  Some W. C. T. U. were very much horrified that I would go to such a place.  Mrs. Hester T. Griffith, the president of the Federation of Unions in Los Angeles, came to see me.  She had been a staunch friend of mine from the first and she went with me to the “Chutes” and introduced me.  This she did time and again saying:  “If she had the opportunity to speak at the “Chutes” she would do as Carry Nation does.”  This woman was a blessing to me.  She helped me to see that the stage was a mission field.  I was severely criticised by the newspapers, and especially by some of the ministers.  One from Rockford, Ill., a Rev. Dr. Van Horn wrote a very slanderous article which I heard of through my friends there.  I was arrested in Los Angeles for some advertising my manager did which was contrary to a city ordinance.

In Los Angeles I saw what was called the “Cribs”, one of the most disgraceful conditions.  No one stayed there during the day; they were there just for the night only.  These poor degraded girls would pay two dollars a night to the owners.  I said to the women:  “These city officials are at the bottom of this.  Let us go to the Chief of Police,” whose name was Elton.  He would not talk to me at first.  He said:  “If we close these places, these degraded girls will be over the town,” when in fact the girls only stayed there at night.  I have seen so much of the corruption of the officials that when conditions are bad in any place I know it to be their fault.