The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-04
SOME MODERN Portals.
Recent Women Graduates of the Co.
lumbia Law School in
New York.
The Reasons Which Induced These
Twelve TO Study a Pro-
fession.
Several Have Large Fortunes or Their
Own and Others Have Successful
and Wealthy Husbands.

Twelve young women were graduated
from the Columbia Law school, in New
York, last Friday. with honor, having I'M
dergone a thorough examination by ex-
Judge Noah Davis, Vice Chancellor Nc
Cracker and Rudolph Dulon. When it Was
finished and the twelve who had presented
themselves were passed, ~ex-Judge Davis
made a long speech. Among other things
he said: II have examined many young
men for admission to the bar, and l must
say that l have never seen anything like
the intelligence and knowledge of the law
which this class has displayed" II was,
said the New York Sun, a class of young
women with good looks and youth. They
wore fashionable gowns. Some of them
were decidedly swell. Some were members
of she ~best-known families in New York.
Several had large fortunes in their own
right INK a few were young married women
with husbands who are successful or
wealthy.
The names of these epoch-making young
women are Miss H.. u. Walker. Miss Isabel
la Benin, Miss l.. Dempsey, Miss X. Bren-
nan, Miss L.. Titus, Miss Stanlietta Titus.
Miss Marie Webb, Miss Lulu Alexander,
Miss L. L. Mccartney, Miss Lucy A. Flynn,
Mrs. Geo. b. Mcclellan, Jr., Mrs. c.. X.
Hood and Mrs. Theodore Sutro. All
studied hard, but the motives which in
splred them were different. Strange to say,
not a single one intends to practice law.
One of the brightest members of the
class is Mrs. Theodore Sutro, a young mar
rled woman living in the Berkely apart
ments at Fifth avenue and Ninth street.
Her motive for studying is both singular
and praiseworthy. One evening last sum
mer Mrs. Sutro came into the reception
room, where her husband, whit is a
lawyer, and several of his lawyer
friends were talking. They immediately
changed the subject and said: "Of course
Mrs. Sutro would not be Interested in
what we were talking about She deter
mined that she would learn law, so tina il
would be interesting to her, and that her
husband might feel free to talk about his
business without danger of boring her. So
she joined the school,. and SO earnest was
she that she has become the valedictorian,
and will tell the audience at the Music hall
why she studied law.
Another clever member of the class, who
should not be included in the list OF qradu-
ates, however, is Mrs. George H.. McCiel-
Ian, Jr. She is a sister of John G. Heck
sher, and has been married less than a
year: Her husband is a son of Gen. Nc
Clellan, ana ls now treasurer of the Brook
lyn bridge, but he has been attending law
school at Columbia during the pust winter.
Ills wife entered the woman's law class.
They have kept pretty close together, and
beeulle their leisure time in cross-ques-
tiOning one another. Mrs. Mcclellan, like
Mrs. Sutro, is resolved to be a good law
yer's wife.
MISS Lulu Alexander is q young girl who
has inherited q large fortune. She has no
near relatives to advise her astothe care Oft.
SO she entered the class to learn enough law
to be able to understand her lawyers when
they talk of deeds and mortgages and notes.
MISS Isabella Benn is also an heiress and
has the same motive in learning the law.
Miss Walker and Miss Marie Webb are
stenographers to legal firms. They used to
hear a great many complaints because they
made mistakes i'll technical matters. They
also found that this ignorance of law inter
feied with their ability to make larger
wages. SO they have baen studying with
bread and butter in view. They say that
their employers are delighted with the 1e-
suits of theiz outside labor.
Mrs. G.. X. Hood is the legal editor of the
Business Woman's journal, and has found
that a knowledge of the law was of consid-
cradle assistance to her in her work. Miss
Flynn is the daughter of Edward Il. Flynn,
OF the Evening Telegram. Her father be-
lleves that a young woman should know
VI alails, SO NC pun HIS oau2nue
IN the class. The Misses Titus are siste' 8
and school teachers. The elder Miss i titus
thinks of practlcing in the west some day,
but has nothing but vague ideas on the sub
ject as yet. Miss Dempsey is "a yong
woman. She says that she has found in the
past that her lack of knowledge of law and
other matters, of which men are supposed
to know everything. has been greatly to her
disadvantage. With the knowledge sho has
gained she feels that she may now talk en-
tertainingly to any kind of man.
Mrs. Sutro is the most enthusiastic of all,
and if her husband we're willing he would
find her ready to enter the firm. As a silent
partner and adviser he will find her of i'll
estlmable SOL vice.