The record-union., 1891-02-22
CLEVER AMERICAN WOMEN. :
Mrs. Florence c. Ives, the Pretty
Art Critic.
Miss Alice L. Woodbridge, the secre.
tary of the Working women,s so-
ciety-Mrs. Sophia Breunlich, a Fe-
male Business Manager.
Special Correspondence of the SUNDAY
UNION. Copyright 1871

Especial Correspondence of the SUNDAY
UNION. Copyright, 1911
New YORK, Feb. 16, 1891.
Among the younger literary women in
this vicinity there is none more highly
esteemed than Mrs. Florence G. Ives, the
woman editor and art critic of the Press.
simultaneously with that popular,
sprlghtly little organ, Mrs. Ives began
her career, her first article appearing in
the hrst Sunday issue OF the paper 1t is
IN work requiring finesse and fine adj
dress where she excels. One of her most
recent achievements was "bona fide''
two-and-a- half column interview with
Nine. Sara Bernhardt. Speaking French
fuently, and possessing manner in
nately modest and refined, she experi-
enced no difficulty in getting an audience
with the illustrious Sara. When Amelie-
R1yes-Chanler came to New York, Mrs.
Ives was the first to interview the eccen-
trio author of 1.-The Quick and the Dead.''
OF course, the Press ''beat" all the other
city papers with a readable accurate de-
scription of the fair Amelie's habits and
personnel. Born the daughter of artist
Frank b. Carpenter, Mrs. Ives is re-
celved more like guest at all art exhibit
uons, receptions and in society. One of
her best art ''write-ups'' was a sketch of
the Beau Brummel bric-a-brac. Another
| worthy of note was the Seney collection,
sold within the past ten days.
Last summer q portion of the book re-
viewing was added to Mrs. Ives duties,
and, as she recently told me, it is in that
work that she finds her keenest delight,
after the society of the dark little
son to whom she is devoted The subject
OF this sketch was born in New York and
educated there. Ten years of her life
were passed in England, Ireland and
| France. At the annual meeting OF the
! Women's Press Club she was elected Cor
responding Secretary, an office which she
! fills acceptably.
This little biography will not be COM
pleted though, without some reference to
! Mrs. Ives beauty. After the manner of
| the woman novelist, she has queenly
! figure, dark, silky hair, soft, dark eyes, 4
| brilliant complexion, beautiful teeth, and
a low-pitched, musical voice. More than
anything else, she is a young woman of
! influence, with a kind heart and charm
| ing, high-bred manners.
| The exacting duties of her profession
and domestic and social demands made
on her do not prevent her from doing the
little things" which help to round out
the life of every good woman. But her
kind deeds are done in secret, the left
hand not knowing what the right hand
has done. Mrs. Ives received no special
journalistic training. Mrs. Robert p.
| Porter, one of the best newspaper women
III the country, gave her few hints be-
fore starting herout on the work.
MISS ALICE L. WOODBRIDGE.
Miss Alice L. Woodbridge, the Secre-
tary of the Working Women's Society of
New York, belongs to that school of wo-
men whose influence in society is not
alone good, but great. Desperately earn
| est, conscientious, very capable and SEN
| sible, you always find her ready to defend
her side, which is the side of wage earn
ers OF all classes. Several labor journals
have credited her with being the best in
formed women in the country on labor
matters. One thing must be stated in
! Miss Woodbridge's favor, and that is that,
the position she holds was not personally
| sought by her. She is not one of thoA
| labor agitatorS who regard themselves
| Indispensable to the cause. Modesty is a
! dominant trait in her character her
methods conservative and eminently
| feasible.
| 1t is now six years since she cast her
| lot with the Labor party. At one time
she was identified with the Knights of
Labor, but the years of experience have
taught her to look upon labor unions as
the ultimate triumph of labor. 1t is only
| in the trades that are well organized
where all reasonable demands are ac-
| also thinks that women should confine
| themselves to doing woman's work, and
| not make inroads into the lines for which
| nature has fitted men. She suggests tho
same course for men; that is that they
shall manfully work at trades fora which
they were designed, and not encroach on
the lighter employments of women. Miss
Woodbridge, who comes from an excel
lent family, is a native of Maine, and q
graduate Of the Waterville Classical In
| Stitute.
Delicate health made it necessary for
her to give up school-teaching, and take
up employment less tatiguing. AS she is
Il young wcman of fine taste, and expert
with her needle, she learned the millinery
trade, at which she found she could mako
good living. She was urged to take the
Secretaryship of the society pending
crisis. Her efficiency and methodicat
business habits were quickly recognized,
so she was unanimously elected for the
year, and reelected to her present term
! In age, she has not yet reached the
thirty line. If anything, her youthful
ness is the one thing against her, since,
gray hair and wrinkles are considered
essential in a reformer. Miss Wood
| bridge has a slender, graceful figure, blue
eyes, beautiful auburn hair, a complex
ion of lily fairness, and lady-like, gentle
manners.
| HRS. SOPHIA BREUNLICH.
I LII is fatner happy coincidence thaD
| the three "clever" women in this install
,nent are young; not that / would throw
| the slightest aspersion on old age, but we
all know that the young women of the
present day are better educated and bred
than the women of a quarter of Il century,
ago, so if they are fortunate enough to
escape the meShes of matrimony their
power for good is manifold. Mrs. Sophia
| Breunlich is not q German, as her naIno
would indicate, but an American girl ofs
energy and pluck, and one who possesses
| the sound judgment of man. She is the
| business manager of the Engineering and
| Mining Journal, one of the best trade
papers published. With 10 other influ-
ence than her own talents she has, step by
step, risen to the top of the ladder. Some
years ago r. =. Rothwell, the editor of the,
Journal, thought he would get him a.
''girP' Secretary. 'I'll have a Secretary
to take the drudgery OF letter-wrltlng OIL
my hands, he said to a friend, as he in-l
serted an advertisement in daily paper.
He received bushel of answers to thea
''ad.n but sent for the writer of IS. P.''
letter, which happened to be Mrs. Breun-
| Itch, a very young widow with rosy
cheeks, dark brown eyes and figure as
erect as an arrow. She was engaged, and
| it is needless to add that she gave salts
! faction, as she was fresh from business
| college.
But in the language of one who knows,
| s'the girls had way of getting through
work rapidly; at any rate, she found her
| self with some leisure on her hands. and
instead of crocheting the latest variety of
fancy work or flirting with the male
clerks, or reading novels, or employing
/ any such familiar and innocent way of
| getting rid of time in office hours, She be-
| gan TO study the mining papers in the ex-
nd