Morning journal and courier., 1888-06-26

Name
From the Omaha Herald.l
ct have tried often to correct that impress.
sion,' said Mrs. D. G. Bloomer yesterday tc
sssporter of the Herald. "T did not invent
the sBSeomer' costume, ner was I the FRS
one to wear it. I am quite willing that the
correction A&euld be made, for I do not wisI
to be rsmembsSsS only as the woman whit
invented q new style Of dress"
The statement was rade In the course Of
conversation about the aarly history of the
woman suffrage movement, with which Mrs
Bloomer was as prominently Identified as
has been anyone who ever opened nls or mel
meuth in protest against the wrongs IMPOSED
by tyrant man upon the gentler sex. Al
though years have passed since the name 81
Mrs. Bloomer has been prominently before
the public ss that of woman's rights agita-
tor, she is still thoroughly imbued with the
enthusiasm of the cause, and is abreast of
the times in her ideas of the relations of wo-
mankind to the worse half of humanity.
For thirty-three years she has been a resi-
dent of Council Bluffs. There, in the house
she and her husband occupied when they
first came to the then wild and wool1y West,
she and Mr.. Bloomer still live. The place
seems to have "home" written upon it, on
its walls and over its furnishings. The lady
herself is the same Mrs. Bloomer whose
voice used to ring out strong and clear in
championing the cause of the universal Sis
terhooa, but age has left its marks upon
her Her hair is silver and her step is
slow. But her eyes have lost only a little
of their fire, and when engaged in review
ing the triumphs of glorious long ago
she eonverses with a vigor and interest
foreign to the manner of one who feels the
weight of years.
81 did not invent what is known as the
'Bloomer' costume" she repeated, ''nor
was the first to wear it. I did not even
name it. Mrs. Elizabeth Miller, a daugh-
ter of Gerrett Smith, was the first lady
who wore it. She came dressed in one of
those costumes from Peterboro, n. Y, to
Seneca Falls, where I was living, and where
Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton lived. Where
Mrs. Miller got the idea I do not know,
but she is entitled to what credit there is
for putting the dress into circulation as il
were, and it should be named for her if
for anybody. It's hardly fair to Mrs. Mil
Ter to take the credit from her. A few
days after Mrs. Miller's appearaace in q
short skirt and trousers Mrs. Stanton had
a similar costume made, and she wore it.
Then adopted the style. Mrs. Stanton
did not wear hers great while-possibly
not more than two years; but wore mine
as long as the public talked about it and
me- did not name the dress. The preas
did that. I wore the costume for six years
for two years in Council Blufs-and if
had not retired to private life might be
wearing it yet. It is a very comfortable
and sensible dress.
'Some time, possibly q month. before
Mrs. Miller made her appearance in Seneca
Falls in the costume writer, whose identity
never did discover, advocated in the COL
umns of One of the papers of Seneca Falls a
reform in womsn's dress. I was editing a
paper there at that time and took up the
suggestion in fippant way, and treated the
subject rather piayfully and facetiously.
The unknown writer of the other paper an~
swered me and answered again. So when
Mrs. Miller came in the short skirt and
trousers, and after Mrs. Stanton and myself
had adopted the garb, the papers of the
country round about tried to make fun of
us, and called us 'Bloomerites' and Bloom
ers,' and so on. Hence the name suppose.
Lucy Stone wore the dress for awhile, but
gave it up because she thought it attracted
attention away from the subject-temper-
ancs and woman's rights-upon which she
was lecturing. I wore my costume and lee
tured in it in all my tour of the cities of the
North and West, and was the first to make
such lecturing tour in those cities. I was
the FIRST woman who wore the costume in
public in Chicago.
"Of course wherever went the dress at
tracted great deal of attention. It was
and great many people came to
the lectures as much to see it as to hear what
q woman had to say. Women lecturers were
quite curiosity too in those days. I used
to notice that after had finished nay talk,
whether on woman's rights or on temperance,
q great many people, women especially,
would remain and come upon the platform
ostensibly to see me, but really to inspect
the dress. pretended of course that did
not realize that they were curious, but I did
know it. Apparently was perfectly uncon-
scious of their curiosity. The interest taken
then in the subject of woman's dress showed
IN almost unanimous desire on the part of
she women to escape from the great burden
Of clothes they were obliged to carry.
While was publishing this paper of which
have spoken got hundreds upon hundreds
Of letters from women in all parts of the
country, asking for descriptions of my COS
June. I could not answer them all, SO
had printed copies struck off. These slips I
Used to send In reply to inquiries.
"The same desire for relief which was felt
hen exists to-day. This is shown by the ex-
oerience of the latest dress-reform advocate,
Miss Miller. She is loaded down I under
'tand with letters on the subject of some
hing easier, lighter and more healthful in
he line of attire for women; anything to re-
ieve them of the load imposed by conven-
ionality.
GAS said before, 1 have tried to correct the
Impression that / was the inventor and first
vearer of what Is known as the sBloomer'
costume. was perhaps more publicly en-
jagged than any other devotee of it, but I do
lot deserve the credit of it. I would rather
70 known for something else have Done"
Mrs. Bloomer showed the reporter cut
representing herself in her younger days at
fred in one of her noted costumes. A short
kirt reaching to the knees; baggy, very
'aggy trousers gathered and frilled at the
mike; straight-brimmed sailor hat, set
we'll back upon the head, made up the attire
rom masculine point of view. Female
observation might have disclosed that the
kirt and waist were of one piece, and that
he sleeves of the waist were full and
dashed, and gathered and frilled at the
wrists. Closer scrutiny and a reversal of the
picture might possibly have led to the dis
overy that hustle was not part of the at
ire. This point, however, can be left to
hose ladies who have been accustomed to
alisshenic exercises and surf bathing.