The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-02-16
A Woman Among Them.

Two or three weeks ago we spoke of
| the Press Club as being one of the best
| based organizations of the kind in the
country, and predicted for it great fu-
| ture. Since that time the club has
taken a step of considerable Importance,
the effect of which must be purely prob
lematical. 1t is well known that within
the last ten years women contributors
to the press have become numerous.
The book reviewer of the Herald is
lady; one of the best reviewers of the
| Tribune, one of its most valued corre-
| spondents, and several of its regular
contributors, are women; the agricultu-
raj and market reporter of the New
York Times is a woman; the New York
SUMS fashion writer is a woman, and
one of its most industrious and sagac-
| ious reporters is woman. Female cor
respondents flood the evening papers
with gush from Washington. We in
stance these not at all as a complete cat
alogue; for there are, we doubt not,
more than a hundred women known
and recognized in and about Printing
| House Square as regular contributors to
the columns of the daily and weekly
press. AS a rule, they are modest,
reputable, pains taking servants of the
press; and it is generally conceded that
If they are willing to put up with the
Inconvenience attending journalistic
work, it is no part of mems duty to in
terfere with their attempts to earn an
honest livelihood in profession which
has SO many avenues uncrowded. But,
leaving aside the question of mOdesty-
as it would be misunderstood in the do
mestic and social circle-the matter in
point is this: Miss Anna Ballard, a re-
porter of the Sun, signitied her desire to
Ue made a member of the Press Club.
She was proposed and seconded by
members in good standing; her name
was subjected to the cTucible of the eX-
ecutive committee, in accordance with
the rules of the club. That committee
subjected her to a thorough sitting, the
outcome of which was that, personally
and professionally, she was without
blemish, that as a woman and a jour
nalist she deserved respect; but, believ-
ing that the Press Club founders had not
anticipated or designed the membership
of women, and recognizing the fact that
the present facilities of the club are not
such as make the club-rooms desirable
resort for women, they determined to
report unfavorably, and so did at the
ensuing meeting of the club. Prior to
that meeting, however, the chairman OF
|
Ballard a courteous note, informing her
of the proposed action of the club, and
suggesting that she should withdraw
her name. This ELECTED from the lady a
bright and tart response, which, when
read to the club, did much toward Sc
curing her admission. Two weeks ago
her name, with those of seventeen other
candidates, was proposed to the club.
The others were voted for and accepted
in a batch; to her was reserved the
honor of an exclusive and personal test.
The chairman of the executive commit
tee made pronounced and vigorous as
sault upon any action which would bind
the club tOa recognition of women. He
was answered, and his argument met,
by gentlemen connected with the press
who had known the lady long, some OF
whom were her associates, the gist OF
their argument being that the constitu-
tion of the club offered a welcome to all
, persons members of the profession in
/ good standing, without specifying which
particular sex is preferred, aud that, in
asmuch as the executive committee
, hamstrung themselves by testifying to
the wOman's personal probity and pro-
fessiOnal standing, there was no good
J and sufficient reason for her exclusion
5 After a long and excited personal anG
: acrim oniOus debate, in which the com
mittee were threatened with impeach-
ment for going beyond their duty in no,
tifying this lady of their proposed &C.
ton, and revealing the secrets of the
club, the vote was brought about
c There were thirty-four members pres
D ent, all of whom voted, twenty-four il
e favor of and ten against the admission
t of Miss Ballard. By the rules of thu
club one-third black-balls out of the en-
0 tire number of balls cast are sufficien
Y to reject. Miss Billiards. majority wa
= large, and the result of the vote was en-
# Enthusiastically received by her friends
. and by many who had not her persona
e acquaintance, but desired to see fai
d play. At the date of writing Miss Bal
}, lard had not qualified, but it is under
= stood that she proposes to do so at once
For the benefit of other ladies VIII,
may care to follow Miss Billiards. ex
q ample, we would state that the club
# rooms are at No. Centre street, over
; first-class German lager beer saloon
4 They are neatly furnished, adorned will
# pictures of prominent journalists, sup
:. piled with a piano, billiard table an
: cardrooms, q tirst-class consulting Ii
!, braTy, a good hot stove in winter, an
], more than its share of sunshine in sum
% mer. Miss Ballard is an explorer int
% this hitherto unknown country. Let u
- hope that, having reached the open Sc
IN of Fellowship, she will perch GRACEFUL
A. upon the pole of discovery, and wave i
n triumph the flag of her sex, beckonin
y her sisters in journalism to that hospit
iS able haven, the New York Press Club
,r Ne1O York Illustrated Times.
i Recipe for a "gay sleigh-riden: Te