The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-08-05

A Small Audience OF Ladies' Lissen 20
Very Flne Address.
nv the Ssanxfnrdss avsorial Wira

A Small Audience Of Ladies' Lissea 20 .
Very Fine Address.
BY the Standards Special Wire.
Butte. Aug. Alt In hardly probable
that Miss Anna vaile will work q sweep
ing revolution In the matter of dress
reform in Butte. In fact, Butte women
appear TO he very well satisfied with their
present habits OF dress. Al any rate they
do not care enough to change thei habits
10 pay 50 cents in order to learn how.
Miss Vale could hardly have been de-
lighted either with the quantity or quality
OF her audience this evening. About
fourteen ladies' were present, u q OF
these were quite too far along in life 70 be
actcr.
Miss Wales lecture was given i'm the
Congregational church. The exercises
did not open until about 3 O'Clock. The
few devotees of dress reform present were
evidently waiting for q CROWD. In their
up an audience they resorted to singing
hymn tunes. But their efforts proved 10
match for the rival orchcstras dow town
and the crowd did not materialize.
Finally Miss Vale set her teeth against
fate n began the rather dis~couraginR
,rss Of 'eH %liRso old d1 %scS decidedly sf anew anew
preliminary the lecturer brought
her guns TO bear upon the
time riddled subject of corsets and lacing.
Mothers" said Miss Vale, ''are satisfied
with the way God has made their boys,
but they are not satisfied with the way he
has made their girls And then Miss
Vale proceeded to speak of h barbarous
methods employed to improve b shapes
of the latter, while the former were al
lowed TO be well, plump and happy.
There were volumes OF untold tales of
pathetic suffering for which the corset
factory was alone responsible. In weak
ness and d~eteriorating Of health, the corset
had wrought more mischief that whisky.
Ii women OF the higher classes went on
dressing as they had been doing, the
propagation OF the species must soon be
left to the degraded and lower classes.
The strong arm of the state would one
day be called in to assist in educating citi-
zens how to dress themselves properly.
Miss Vale would like To see a man try %
wear the rigging of whalebone and steel
and laces that fashionable ladies were ex.
pected to carry around. "Just cage a
man." said she, ''and try il on him. The
world can spare one man IN the interest oi
health"
The STANDARD reporter happened to be
the only "A in the audience. At this
| point he made a furtive but careful calcu.
lation of his distance from he door SO ms
to he sure of n ready escape in case any
attempts were made to make him the sub
ject of the proposed experiment. Hap.
| PLY for he comfort of the reporter the
lecturer left this interesting point for an
other. The next reform urged was i'm re.
spect to cleanliness. Often fine ladies
drew their perfumed skirts aside from soil
stained laborers who were in reality
cleaner than they were themselves. Miss
Vale then proceeded To give
a palpable exhibition of heI
ideas. Retiring behind n curtain, Miss
Vale presently emerged neatly attired in
a gray walking gown. After modestis
submitting herself to the examination OF
the audience and blushingly answering
all sorts Of embarrassing questions the
lecturer again fitted behind the screen
and donned another costume. Seven diff
ferent customs were exhibited in this
manner and il must he said to the lady,
credit that they all looked well enough :,
be deserving of being seen by n largel
house. Miss Vale will organize a schoo
for physical culture tomorrow for ladies
only. II is hoped that this will be NOR,
largely attended than the lecture.