Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-04-03
WoMANS WORLD IN PARAGRAPHS

WOMAN'S WORLD IN PARAGRAPHS.
Brief Sketch Of a Eis!ny Americas Nsws-
paper Woman.
Mrs. Ella A. Hitchcock lately sailed
from New YORK; for Europe. and will be
abroad for a year. perhaps longer. She
viii journey from point to point.
writing newspaper letters about mat
tiers that strike her attention. Mrs.
Hitchcock is fine example Of what
a woman can do when she makes
up her mind. She is thoroughly edu-
Gated. When she first began to earn
her own living she became a teleg-
noted as a lightning operator. She be-
gan her career in Philadelphia, and SO
excellent was her work, SO apparent her
executive ability. that the place Of
manager of the Office in which she
was employed was soon offered to
her. She declined it, however, and went
to New York. Here for time she was
in brokers' Office, then accepted place
in the hinge Western Union building on
broadway. Here she at once became
noted for her skill and strength, and
presently "long distance wire," Of the
kind usually operated only by men. was
placed in her charge. It is generally
considered that women have not
strength Of wrist to work the instru-
ments that send messages across the
continent. but Mrs. Hitchcock proved
that she could do this with the best.
Next, for year or two, she was the
operator on the special wire in the
office Of the Brooklyn Times. Mean
time, at odd intervals, she wrote
some newspaper letters on her own
hook, and proved that her capa-
bility hero was no less than it had
been in telegraphy. She seemed to
grasp intuitively the salient points Of in
terest in journalism. just as her ear and
brain had read the meaning of the
''click, click" Of the telegraph. Finally
Mrs. Hitchcock abandoned telegraphy
altogether and entered the journalistic
field. Openings for newspaper work
came to her with what seemed marvel
Gus luck. But it would have been no
luck if she had not been brilliantly able
to do the work. Mrs. Hitchcock is a
prominent member Of Sorosis, and a
large. handsome, merry woman, with
scores of friends, who wish her all suc-
cess in her journalistic career in Europe.
Annie Besant. from being the best
hated woman in England. has become.
perhaps, the most beloved one. OF all the
English women who have "views" she
is the ablest and most fearless. Ten
years ago her ideas were so unpopular
that the British nation stood up and
howled. Clergymen preached and wrote
against her. the law attacked her, the
British matron rolled up her eyes to
heaven, and the mob, set on by all these.
cursed her, and stopped only short Of
personal violence. In the midst OF IL all /
visited her in the autumn of 1882 in the
little London Office in which she assisted
Charles Brsdlsugh in editing his radical
newspaper. l suppose she was at that
time almost the loneliest woman in all
England. enjoyed visiting her all the
more that was warned it was hardly
the proper thing to do. found n sweet
voiced, cornely young woman, with a
conviction. Her eloquence was second
only to her carnestness. was SO
charmed with the radical English WON
an that came straighsway home to
America and wrote n long newspaper lot
ter about her full OF gush and admira-
ton. of which she deserved every bit. |
remember that the editor Of the paper for
which | wrote the letter had some hest
tstion in publishing it. SO intense was the
prejudice against Annie Dessnt at that
| time And now shs has lived il all
| down simply by standing by her colors
and working for the good of mankind.
She has served long and admirably as a
member of the London school board
among other posts of trust aud honor she
has held. She has suffered as few WON
en- have. snd now the good time is CON-
ing for her.
A new definition Of = society woman
IL abroad. A society woman Il now de-
fined to be woman who belongs to a
great number Of societies and clubs.
In the leading social circles 81 Wash
ingfon are several Young women who
honorably earn their own living. Thus
the Csr,soi sets. ~ il shouii do, IN ex-
simple 70 the rest ~ IRE repubiio.
In 1875 one-ffsh ~ the female povuia-
ton q Massachusetts, were wage .arners
In 1876 nearly one third we're thus en-
Taxrd. AMI there were only eight
branches ~ industry IN tia whole state
Ii which woraen dii not work.
AxturzuL E,s~..<