The midland journal., 1891-08-14

4
tor. Miss Jones when | knew her in
New York, was without pecuniary
means, but she bad unlimited faith in
her idea, and through all these years
she has been struggling on, laboring
earnestly for the development of that
idea. And her efforts have been crowd.
ed with success. She now, has patents
on the processes, aud on the machinery
used in the processes of canning and
preserving all kinds of fruits in their
natural juices, without cooking, and Of
canning foods prepared in vacuum by
her improved methods. The intention
of the incorporators, who are all women,
is to open canning establishments in
different parts of the country, and give
women remuneratiye employment in a
branch OF business to which they are
better adapted than men. Will they
accept 1t?
| know woman who, at the death
Of her husband, found herself cast upon
the world, with three children to sup
port, and with but few hundred dol
lars that she managed to save from the
wreck of her husbands forture. She
knew comparatively nothing of business,
but she saw the necessity of earning a
Lying for herself and children, and
scorning the idea Of being dependent
upon others for support, she set to work
dctermided to succeed. Her first VEN
ture was keeping a boarding house.
She took hold of it in earnest, gave it
attention, devoted her time and
thought to it, and succeeded so well that
she soon saw her way clear to widen
her field of operations and assume the
management of hotel. She has reared
her children to be upright, useful
citizens, has amassed handsome CON-
petence, and is to-day the proprietor of
hotel that it affords me pleasure to
point to as homelike, comfortable and
first class in nearly all respects The
woman, Mrs. G. Fl. King, of Warren,
Pa, no more gifted. or with no better
opportunities than thousands OF her sex,
has shown the result of thoroughness
and industry, and has set a worthy
example for other women to follow.
Miss Jones and Mrs. King are only
instances of what women can 90.
I could give you many such. /
might go on and mention the names OF
women successfully engaged in farming,
in stock raising, in fruit growing, in
newspaper publishing, and in nearly
every other line of work in which men
are engaged, but it would be needless
waste of time to do SO. Why enumer
ate the avocations that are open to
women, or ask why women do not enter
and occupy such and such fields Of
labor? All avocstions are open to
women, and the world is all before
them where to choose The conven-
tional barriers that once separated the
occupations of the sexes have nearly
all been broken down, and in most
directions men and women can take
hold of similar pursuits without objec-
tion or comment.
A few conservative moss backs may
consider it improper for a woman to
engage in hotel keeping or farming or
stock.raising or merchandising, or
numerous other occupations, but her
having engaged successfully 10 all of
them proves her fitness and capacity
for such work. And was it not only a
few gears ago, by large majority of
people. considered improper for women
to become doctors, or lecturers, or even
school teachers? In my girlhood the
air was full of loose talk about the
woman who attempted to earn liveli-
hood by her own exertions, getting out
of her sphere and becoming course and
unladylike But such foolishness is
no longer heard in intelligent circles
A true woman never gets out of her
sphere, and the woman who becomes
rough or bold or coarse through business
intercourse with the world, is lacking
in the essential characteristics of a
gentlewoman, and would not, under any
conditions, or with any surroundings be
a refined, self respecting lady. The
women who court insult are the only
women insulted by American men.
I see no reason why woman Should
not enter any field of labor inclination
prompts her to enter. or take hold of
any honest work she is fitted to take
hold of, that will give her decent in
come. l am not aware OF any physical
conditions that disnualifvs women from