The Lamar register., 1891-12-05
woMAN's WORK FOR THE rMs
Report of the Woman's Department
of the Colorado Board OF
ManaEers

L
o. C. French, secretary of the ard o.
Worlds Fair Managers of Colorado Of the
woman's department for three months en-
ing Nov. 10, 1891.
Owing to the condition Of the funds ap
propriated for Worlds Fair purposes, al
work of agents in our department "
stopped Immediately after the last guar
terly meeting Of the state Worlds Fair
Board, and we have therefore only to re
port what we have done individually.
AS this has necessarily been confined 70
writing letters, and ans wering very mum
erous applications for work in this State,
in connection with the Worlds Fair, and
also for places in Chicago during the expo
sition, this may not seem very important;
but it hos been rich in one result that Of
arousing in the women of the State an en-
thusiastic interest in the approaching Col
umbian exposition, and q desire TO do
credit there to the State which we are
proud to call our home.
When the executive committee Of our
board decided to appeal to the counties
throughout the State, asking them TO as
sumo the expense of collecting their own
exhibits for the exposition and appoint
their own agent to do this work, it seemed
to US but just, that each county paying for
this labor should also have the naming OF
the lady to take charge Of the womsn's de
partment of their county; and by permis-
sion of our executive committee, we wrote
to the various county commissioners to
this effect We inclosed to them q circu-
lar letter which outlined what the women
OF the State hoped to do, and wrote TO them
what part of the work for the State the
NaF, h.l ,fa4It
signed to US todo. We also wrote 10 one
lady in the most populous town of each
county, told her Of the authority vested in
her county commissioners, asked her to
| call meeting of the ladies, read 70 them
our outline OF work, and together decide
| upon an energetic, capable woman who
had the leisure and the interest in the
work necessary TO secure the best possible
exhibit for her county, a lady who they
would heartily aid and cooperate with
and this decided, to ask her appointment
by their commissioners, who would read
lily see the propriety of the ladies sharing
the responsibility Of the selection OF the
lady to represent them in this work.
In Arapahoe County a petition signed by
more than hundred prominent women Of
| Denver, asking that Mrs. Geo. L Scott
should be appointed to this work, was
presented to the commissioners on October
9Th, and they responded by appointing
Mrs. Scott that very day. They also
placed Is per cent. of their appropriation
70 the credit Of the woman's department
Ell Paso County has appointed Miss E.
A. Crowell, who has written me that she
will very soon begin active work. This
mornings mail brought me letter from
MIR. c. 5. Faurot announcing the appoint
ment of Mrs. Mary L. Carr of Longmont
1 have received letters from nearly every
county in the State, and there is certainly
no Lack of energetic, competent women
willing to undertake the work, but as the
assessed money will not come into the
treasury until January, there seems plenty
of time still, and some appointments have
doubtless been delayed for this reason.
A lack OF available funds embarrasses a
few counties, and others are so spsrsely
settled that we can not expect them to do
much. We hope, however, to send an ex-
hibit of some kind from every county in
the State.
In oraer 70 do this and yet not take up
too much space with duplicates, we have
thought that it might be possible to ar.
range plan by which each county can un-
dertake some special class of work and
pledge themselves to carry that portion to
completion.
For in stance, there must be some coun
ties in our State where dairy farming is
the leading industry suppose these should
pledge themselves to see to it that our ex.
hibit of butter and cheese should be sec.
ond to none at the exposition; that in
counties where bee culture is carried or
by women, these should make this indus,
try their main exhibit; that the prepara
tion of pantry stores should be given in
charge of other counties-the fruit grow
ing ones it might be-and so on through
the Industries. But that every county
might send the exceptionally excellent
work found in what we might term the
decorative arts, and in manufactures, and
in such lines of work as are unusual for
women.
The line of exhibits that the lady man
ayers have been especially urged to obtain
are of those industries where men and
women work together in order to show
how many employments are really open tc
women, that they may Judge what they
are best fitted for by their liberal or limit
ed education, what occupations are best
adapted to their time and strength, aud
which are most remunerative In other
words, TO make known to those who most
need assistance, where to apply for work
with a reasonable hope of securing it.
Much of this information must of course
be made known through statistics, and Mr..
Bodine, the commissioner of labor fol-
Colorado, has kindly offered to furnish US
with all needed information concerning
women wage earners, thus relieving US OF
the enormous task of collecting these
statistics.
Respectfully submitted,
SUSAN r. ASHLEY.