The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-04-12
Mrs. Sara Andrews Spencer.

Sara Andrews Spencer was born in |
SavOua, Steuben county, New York, I
October p, 1897. Her father, DR.. Ora /
Andrews, was a descendant of worthy /
ancestors in COnnecticut,andh her mother, /
Elizabeth Loomis Andrews, belonged |
to an excellent family in Yates county, |
New York. Her father was talented /
and cultured, but early in his married 4
life became a victim of intempeTance, I
and the finer instincts OF his nature /
were thus perverted. Her mother says, /
"No wonder Sara is alive on the woman
question. Every drop Of blood in her
veins ought to cry out for justice to
women"
When three years old, Sara was
taken away by her father in one Of his
fits of intemperance, and the mother,
hard at work, had scarcely missed the
little one from her side, when a neigh
Dor told her that father and child were
seen on the road to Penn Yan. The
mother hurried to the place where the
child was seen, and learned, after sew
eral days, that she had been taken forty
miles away and bound to a family dur
ing her minority. In an agony of doubt
and fear, the mother hastened there, de-
termined to take the child, inside or
outside human laws, and defend her
ownership with her life, if need be. She
found the little one on the porch Of the
house where she had been taken, and
instantly brought her away. Her
mother wrapped her in warm clothing
and started for the carriage, not daring
to stopuntil they were out of the county.
From this time the mother, and the
two children whom she had stolen from
legal bondage and held by a higher law
"a
by the community in which the lived
in Savona, New York.
At thirteen, Sara removed with her
mother and brother to st. Louis, where
she attended a popular seminary, and
was one of the brightest scholars. At
sixteen necessity compelled her TO give
up graduating and Immediately provide
for herself aud mother, and she began
to teach in the "Old Benton" On
drawing her salary she Indignantly OBJ
served that she was paid only One-third
as much as the man who preceded her.
He had only himself to support. She
had been compelled to give up a CLASH
cal course to support her mother. She
appealed to the board of education for
justice-in vain. At nineteen, she be-
came principal of the Mound Female
Grammar School, the youngest princi-
pal in the city. In 1868, she went TO
New York with letters OF introduction
TO Horace Greeley and others. Mr..
Greeley said: 81 like the way you talk,
young lady; you shall have employ
ment.n The next morning upon his
recommendation she commenced work
in the Office Of the Scientific american,
one-half of each day, and in the after
moons and evenings wroce for two daily
papers aud one weekly, doing fourteen
hours intellectual labor each day. AT
this time she met and soon after mar
ried, December %, 1854, Professor Henry
Z. Spencer, whose acquaintance she bad
formed four years previously in st.
Louis, when she was principal of the
MOUND" He had succeeded to the
Spencerian authorship work, in the
place Of his father, the author of the
Spencerian style and system of penman-
ship. Mrs. Spencer at once assisted her
husband in the literary work Of the
SpeHceridn Key, and has been constantly
by his side in all the active business OF
life. In June, 1866, they removed to
Washington, ID. c., where they still re-
side. For twelve years they have con-
Quoted one of the largest and most sue
cessful colleges for business training in
the United States.
as it possible you have children -oi
your own, Mrs. Spencer, and have to dc
so much important work for others p
is frequently asked. YES" she an
swers.
Instead Of regarding the responsible
iles OF motherhood as a reason for neg
lecllng the public welfare, as a devoted
no1her, she deems il her highest duty
purify the atmosphere her children
must breathe. She does not remen1 ber
uhe since she first heard OF the ballot
anu ner mothers wish TO possess If
tue0 sue nid Not believe il was a yVonol
ans sacred right. "oi"-
IN January, 1871, the presentation y,
memorial to Congress against w., :,
Suffrage, from one thousand vvo,,.,, :.
Iasnlonable society, and attacks Nv 81
ladies' upon Elizabeth CaEv Sfanto1
and other advocates OF gom,.r,,s .,-,f,..-
chisement, aroused Mrs. Spenceris ;L
dignation, and she wrote a series 30 -
ticles for the Daily National PeD,,JJ J;oI,-,
entitled Problems on the Won,a,
Question, Social, Political, and Se-in
turaL" The Inconsistencies, weak
nesses, and follies of some Of the wome,
who feared the Generalization of IN
ballot were so graphically contraste
with the self-sacrifice and heroism {
the pioneers of reform, that hosts {
converts TO the cause were the result.
They were republished by the NJ
tional Woman Suffrage Association f.
general circulation. Pauliua Wrigl
Davis said Of them: "Their tender, beat
fifuI ora uf sufa IN ~ Of fna whole uuel