Railroad Avenues

By Amber Leet

Many people have a public face and one they keep private. This is the case for seventeen-year-old Pearl. However, hers is quite complicated. While maintaining a public face as an advocate for women's right to vote, she must do so privately to avoid the wrath of her father, Judge McNeece. He is a man with stern indictments for any woman involved in the suffrage movement. Now, imagine Pearl's difficulty when another character notices the fact that she is more than who she says she is. Will this character ever learn who she truly is? How will Judge McNeece react when his own daughter stands before him in court? What will she tell him? Railroad Avenues is a history's tale of the discrimination, stigma, and determination that women faced during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as they fought for suffrage rights in America. This is no ordinary novel, as it is spoken directly through the characters' dialogue and constructed with word-ending rhymes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9781640823792

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Railroad Avenues

Amber Leet

Copyright © 2018 Amber Leet

All rights reserved

First Edition

Page Publishing, Inc

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc 2018

ISBN 978-1-64082-378-5 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64082-379-2 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Pearl, Seventeen-year-old daughter of Judge MacNeece

Judge MacNeece, father of Pearl

Market Woman 1

Market Woman 2

Thomas Sizak, Journalist

Christa Kane, Nebraska suffragette

Flora Dean, Wyoming suffragette

Julian, eighteen-year-old male

I.

Saturday; June 9, 1917

[Pearl, Market Woman 1, Market Woman 2]

An Open Market in Downtown

North Platte, Nebraska

Market Woman 1: Bring your eye! Penny for a juice? Save somes

for here. I got briquettes too! Eat my plums.

You dere! Miss, how ’bout dis here’s fine bouquet?

Pearl: I’m sorry, but I’ve to find Timber’s Way.

Market Woman 1: Ah, you a pretty one, huh? Bet you here ⁵

for tittle-tattle. I got deir words, dear.

Market Woman 2: Don’t mind her, beg your pardon, but you’ll get

no findings there. I’ve what you want, come, sit.

Pearl: If I must, do you have a bit of sweet?

Market Woman 2: Of course. I’ve my most prized pie, a fine treat. ¹⁰

Pearl: That will do just great. A slice to dine, please …

Oh, you have tarts; may I have one of these?

My father, he’s aged you know; they’ll delight

him nicely … Mind you, but I’ve this invite …

Market Woman 1: Ah, my dear. Soon you come to be like kin ¹⁵

and must hear, what’s done gone won’t be again.

’cause danger be entrancing from dey eyes.

I done spot dem in a brute’s-worn disguise,

and I do tell dey be a vengeful scam.

Pearl: I’m well aware of the surrenders, ma’am. ²⁰

Market Woman 2: I must say, you’re a smart one and well-bred,

but be wise to her and what’s shamely said.

Market Woman 1: Blah! Such a ninny as you, mind dat nose.

I speak of what I done been told; disclose—

in’ harm as I see fit, and she wif’in

has los’ her way. What poor sins you done been

told? You hear somedin’? Mind you place, don’t be

a damn fool. Dem disloyal snakes ain’t free

like dem tink. You don’t mess in no man’s wake. ⁵

I hear dem done been birched for dis mistake.

None do good, but upset a ratty mess.

Pearl: I’m sure they mean well. I can only guess

that their position has some valued brass.

In all, we’re worth respect—for every class. ¹⁰

Market Woman 2: Hush your words now; she looks to cause a coup.

Come by tomorrow, I’ve one to see you.

II.

Saturday; June 9, 1917

[Flora Dean]

A Gathering in the Town Hall of Suffragists

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Flora Dean: My fellow sisters, I have asked you here

because injustice matters do appear

from our dear sisters in Nebraska. Their

campaign to vote has met resistance where

they’ve asked for our help. We will go by rail ⁵

as more will join. This plan is set to scale

in size and grow like a plague’s beastly germ

that clings to our men and lies down a firm

grip, in a whispered charge, "We won’t rest ’til

all women have a voice." It’ll be a hill ¹⁰

to climb, but we’ve done it before. Men’s ground

is nothing less than to keep us homebound.

They have continued to dispute that we

stand as unequal and claim to agree

our minds are tempered and deficient to ¹⁵

the assets of man. Our men are set true

in selfish deeds that gave us our due rights.

In 1869, Wyoming cites

a shortage of us women. If, they said,

if we give them the vote, more will come. Head ²⁰

counts. That’s all they cared for. They fished a line

in rivers round the country just to pine

and feed their lonesome wants. They even thought

that giving us the state’s vote would bestraught

the polls in favor of the party who

gave it to us in the first place. Yet, to

our history, the votes tallied much against

them. This led to decisions and ascents

that women’s suffrage was not a well-planned ⁵

idea in mind. Now, men want this land

a free state to suppress us. Be it known:

we’ve braved all efforts and are not alone.

Our men resist us by plans to unite

with trying a bill that revokes our right. ¹⁰

Thanks to God it failed, but we face extreme

resistance now. They act like a regime

who thinks we’re helpless; I think they’re afraid

we’ll break traditioned roles that we’ve obeyed

for so long. Now, Nebraska’s men have jailed ¹⁵

their women for such slight infractions. Scaled

by numbers based on women’s prized unrest.

I needn’t tell unjusts, but their request

must not leave them to give protest alone.

I’ve watched resilience to what they have shown ²⁰

and of their struggles are views to our sort,

which must take our due rights to brave their court.

Our service bears harsh battles that’s so pure

it brings risks to our freedom. Such a stir

of forces grave disdain as some have faced ²⁵

arrests by man’s will of maltreatment. Haste

befalls Nebraska’s men, who voice unrest,

as well. Their sinful dues will be addressed!

First, we must not back down. Lift up our shouts

that scream oppression in a free world. Doubts ³⁰

of reason can’t exist. We’ll stand before

God, if we must, and take stock as a war

to our rights. What wills to be done are signs

of sanctions to come. When our wake combines

with man’s resistance, do not fear the aches ³⁵

of such a challenge. Brazen numbers makes

us strong and forceful with dynamic wit.

The second phase graves hardships that commit

us to starvation. Women have said they’ll

keep from food as long as they are in jail,

and our dues will support. Their state’s decree ⁵

says they’ve no rights to man’s concern. Their plea

must be heard. If you choose to picket their

injustice, note the risks to such affair.

We’ll voice allegiance to this civil land.

Our men fought for us, not so we could stand ¹⁰

as equal, but planned for their selfish deeds.

Such havoc carries their large weight and pleads

against a biased right to grant all sports

that claimed our equal fairness in the courts.

However reasoned, when they did attract ¹⁵

decorous women to this state, they lacked

the mindset to grant freedom from unfit

flaws. Our men here bear no weight, they have split

the wooden pegs that has made nothing more

than a collapsed hash of respect. Wherefore ²⁰

our civil rights stand, their commitment’s feud

wants us as dainty ladies. Now, their crude

behavior place doubt when creating laws,

bills, statutes, and codes in all states. Such cause

is what has kept from our dear sisters’ right- ²⁵

ful vote. We are no better than those quite

devoid of such a privilege. We are still

seen as unequal; just a public fill.

However, we must not let this fog cloud

our minds as I’ve talked with unrest and vowed ³⁰

relentless actions. We’re mere few today,

but we’ll spread word to reach those by the way.

Plan to take Tuesday’s noon train to