The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-03-30
MRS. ADA VI. BIrTENBENDER.
Extracts from a sketch of the Life OF
Mrs. ADA VI. BIttenbender, Nat. w.
&. Il. U. Supf. of Legislation and
Petitions. by Miss Frances T..
willard.


Polk county people reioiced in the fact
that there had never heen licensed saloon
within the borders of the county; the coun-
ty Jail was unoccupiea; the people were
sionally made by outsiders to open saloon
at the county seat, so Mrs. Bittenbender,
from nearly the beginning to the end of
her edtorship, kept standing at the head
Of the first local column these words in
large letters a LICENSED SALOON
NEVER! On this account many joke
was gotten off at her expense by her
| brother editors of the state. The temper
ance procivities of herself and husband
were very pronounced. In consequence,
many amusing incidents took place.
Among them the following: Mrs. Bitten
bender found out that the one druggist of
the town was selling alcoholics for medi-
cinal purposes by The glassful. Through
her paper she promptly notified the public
of the fact, and advocated criminal prose
cution against the druggist. BY the way,
| this druggist was the most liberal adver-
tiser in the Record Soon after the article
appeared in print, the druggist appeared
before Mrs. Bttenbcnder, white with rage,
| and threatened her with all manner Of
vengeance for the onslaught made on him.
| At each pause, Mrs Blttenbender calmly an
swered, Il run tins paper. After the
| fifth lime she had so answered, MI. Drug
gist seemed to realize the full force of her
answer, and with tears coursing down his
cheeks begged that the paper should not
be sent his mother. This Was promised,
and Mr.. Druggist departed
Later on, one week when the paper had
gone TO press, and was partly run of, Mrs.
Bittenbcnder was notified that the county
commissioners were about to issue saloon
license to citizen of the town, the petit
ton for the same, containing the required
signatures, having been already filed and
the bond approved-all having been done
in the utmost secrecy, so the Bittenbend-
ers shouldn't find it ont until after the Ii
| cense had been issued. On hearing this,
| Mrs. Bittenbender had the press stopped,
and as soon as the matter was investigated
| and confirmed, cut came the first column
of editorial matter, and as fast as type
could be made to fly, new matter was set
up, denouncing the scheme in no uncertain
way, and picturing in the most vivid Ian
guage the kind of citizens they must be
who would seek to engage in and to license
such business so full of evil to the com
munity and individuals, and closing with
the pronunclamento that the saloon would
be started, il at ALL over her dead body.
The first copy was sent TO the county com
missioners. Result: The license was not
issued.
The Polk County Agricultural Associa-
ton was organized at the instance of Mr..
and Mrs. Bittenbcnder, and the first agri-
cultural fair Of the county was worked up
by them. Mrs. Bittenbender, at different
times, held the position of secretary and
treasurer Of the Association, and was sent
to represent the Association at the annual
meeting of the State Board of Agriculture,
she being the first woman delegate ever
received by that body. In 1881, she was
invited aud made the agricultural address
at the annual fair of Polk county.
When the Nebraska Woman Suffrage
| Association was organized in 1881 Mrs.
| Bttenbender was elected The recording
secretary. She, with others, worked with
the legislature, and secured the submission
| = ffrarr to ha
| Constitution in 1881 At the first suffrage
convention following the submission, Mrs.
| Bittenbender was made one of the three
lady campaign speakers. At the following
annual meeting she was elected president
| of the Association, and the last three
months Of The campaign was also chair
man Of the state campaign committee.
| The same year Mrs. Bttenbender re-
tired from the editorship of the Osceola
Record. Her successor changed the tenn
pcrance and woman suffrage proclivitios
| of the paper, and did not represent certain
| farming interests. The farmers went to
work and organized n Farmers Alliance
| Publishing Company, and started paper
of their own, having induced Mrs Bitten
| bender to edit the same until some other
editor who would give satisfaction could
| be secured This was the hrst Farmers
| Alliance paper started in the state. When
| she retired from the cditorship of this or
gan, the Alliance passed unanimously a
most complimentary resolution in reeogni-
| ton Of her ability and the satisfaction her
efforts gave.
When this worthy couple removed to
| Nebraska, Mr.. Bittenhender was Luther
an and Mrs. Bittenbender a Presbyterian.
There being no Lutheran nor Presbyterian
church in Osceola, they united by letters
with the NJ L. church Soon the way
was shown for them to assist in the organ
ization of Presbyterian church, which
! they did, Mr. Bittenbender becoming one
of its first elders aud its clerk Mrs. Bit
tenbendcr was an active Sabbath school,
as well as church worker and after with
drawing from the NJ f. church, and unit
ing with the Presbyterian, by request she
continued 10 teach in the NJ II. Sabbath
school; also was teacher in the Prcsby-
terrain Sabbath school
H., q. Ill H., .aa.l