Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-25
LATEST WASHINGTON FAD"
"The Noblest Study of 'wOmanklnd' is
Man"
From he Washington Star

THE Noblest Study of 'WOmankind' is
Man"
From the Washington Star.
The Women's Anthropological Society,
as its name implies, is composed exclus-
lively of women. No man has ever been
admitted to the meetings, or initiated into
the mysteries of the society. AS the
name also implies, the society is devoted
to the study of man; but not in per-
sonal sense. The society, which was Or
ganized in the early part OF the summer
OF 1885, has prospered, and now holds an
established place among the scientific
bodies of the city. The fact that the APP
plication made by lady for membership
in the Anthropological Society was re-
Iected, If not the immediate cause of the
organization of the Women's Anthro-
biological Society, suggested the advisa-
btlity of forming such society. The Ia
dies most active in organizing the society
were Mrs. Col. James Stevenson and Miss
Sarah A. Scull. The first meeting was
held at Mrs. Stevenson's house.
SUGGESTED BIZ MISS CLEVELAND.
The name of the society was suggested
by Miss Cleveland, who has taken much
interest in the society and attended many
OF the meetings. There are now thirty
! four members. The officers are Mrs. Col.
James Stevenson, president; Mrs. Darwin
r. James and Mrs. Charles Nordhoh,
vice presidents; Mrs. ROmyn Hitchcock,
secretary; Miss Sarah A. Scull, cores
ponding secretary; and Mrs. John w.
| Foster, treasurer. Among the members
are Mrs. S. NJ. Bryan, Mrs. j. j.. Cbilds,
Mrs. John Ketchum, Mrs. Carter, Mrs.
! Senator Hawley, Mrs. Senator Blair and
! Mrs. Senator Teller. Miss Cleveland,
! Nine. Schliemaun and Miss Caroline
| Wolfe, OF New York, are honorary men,
| bers, and Mrs. Erminnie Smith, of Jersey
! City, corresponding member.
| Notwithsta nding the eXcluslveness OF
! the society, in the matter of sex, a repor-
ter, who investigated its doings, could
tind nothing that indicated any unkindly
| purpose towards the sterner sex.
THE OBJECTS OF THE SOCIETY.
''The object of the society,"" said
| scientist who has been let into some OF
| the secrets of the organization, "is to en-
| courage ladies to understake the study OF
| anthropOlogy in it's variOns branches.
| There is one direction, for instance, in
which society of women has oppOrtunt-
ties to make Investigations greater than
| those enjoyed by the average man, and
that is in watching and noting the de-
velopment, physical as well as mental,
of children. Considerable has been done
| in England and on the continent of Eu-
| rope in the way of making such observa-
tions. Instruments are provided for
measuring the skull and parts of the body.
| This is & field of investigation which
women can enter upon very properly and
very conveniently, as observations can
! be made right in their own homes. The
! proceedings OF the society are conducted
| just as those of other scientific societies.
Papers that are presented are first con-
sidered by the board of directors and, If
approved, are announced to be read.
PAPERS THAT HAVE BEEN READ.
'Thus far several very interesting pa
| pers have been read" continued the in
! dormant. s'Miss Alice Fletcher has pre-
scented a paper on Omaha Child Life.
Mrs. Clara Bliss Kinds has presented one
on Child Growth, indicating the methods
OF studying the development OF children,
| and Miss Smell and others have presented
papers. IL is expected that the president,
Mrs. Stevenson, will soon give an inter-
| esting account OF her experience among
the Indians last summer. By the way,
| she witnessed q dance, or sacred cere-
mony, among the Moquis, which was
never before witnessed by n white person.
The ceremony lasted several days and
| nights, and she had to keep awake ali the
time. She told the Indians that she de-
sired TO witness the dance so that she
/ could tell the Great Father in Washing
ton about it. If she did not pay attention
| the Indians at once came to her and told
| her that she must see everything. OF
| course she was nearly worn out, but she
had a very valuable experience. Mrs.
| Stevenson has brought home with her,
and has as a guest at her house, a Zuni
girl. who is assisting Mrs. Stevenson in
her studies OF Zuni customs. Mrs. Err
minnie Smith, of Jersey City, who has
done excellent work in Indian anthrO-
pology, read an interesting paper at the
residence of Mrs. Representative James,
to which the society was invited. The
society proposes to publish bulletins and
an annual volume. Meetings are held
every two weeks at Mrs. Stevenson's
house. These meetings are held in the
afternoon, so that the ladies can be en-
tirely independent of their husbands.
The husbands you see are then relieved
OF the necessity OF waiting outside
for their wives to come out, as the
wives can 90 home alone. One of the regu-
lations is that no refreshments shall be
served. The society includes some of the
best and most intelligent women In Wash
ington. 1t is very careful in selecting
members TO get only good ones. / think
the members mean business.
OBSERVING CHILDREN.
ssThat, OF course, is not the main
| thing0 continued the scientist, referring
to the observations Of chIld-grOwth.
THAT is only one of the branches of the
work Of the society, but it is one which a
woman's society is especially well
qualified to take up. There is great
deal of unscientific and erroneous obser-
walton made respecting this subject.
The society will issue bulletin contain
ing directions for such observations, and
| will endeaVor to collect accurate data
upon which to base conclusions"