Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-15
A VERY DIRTY TOWN.
Pittsburg Women Now in Chicago
Sigh for the Joys of Home.
AIR THICK ENOUGH TO CARVE.
Meeting Of Leaders of the Sex to Discuss q
Reform in Dress
OPENING OF THE CLUB FEDERATION
rrRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT

CHICAGO, MAY 13-The sun has neither
risen nor set in Chicago-so far as anybody
knows-since the representatives. Of 10:
women's clubs have met ia council in this
great and dirty city. 1t has been rain,
rain, rain ever since their arrival, and moie
disagreeable weather has scarcely ever been
known. Everybody on the streets looks
damp and depressed. Of course, the same
old story is told over and over again-that
such weather is very unusual-that such a
season is the most remarkable in the his
tory of the "Windy City," but we accept
this statement with bushels of grains of al
lowance.
As presented, under such dark and lower
ing skies, with an atmosphere so thick with
moisture, smoke and SCOT, with streets so
dirty, muddy and water-sodden it is any
thing rather than an attractive or pleasant
city. The Worlds Fair buildings seem to
be located in a melancholy waste of mud
and water. How they are to come up to
the "great expectations" formed of them is
impossible at present to see. Mud scows
would seem to be a better system of locomo-
tion than carriages or cars.
To see the women in Chicago, both ma
tives and visitors, getting through the rain
is a sight for gods and men. At home in
Pittsburg it is bad enough, but here it is a
vast deal worse. Holding up the trailing
skirts with one hand and an umbrella with
the other constitute system of fatigue that
for general tendency to swearing mentally
and breaking down physically has never
been excelled in the worlds history. In
Chicago there is a constant struggle between
the wind and the umbrella The tendency
of the latter under stress and strength of
the mad wild winds is to turn inside out or
60 careering into space. Then the contest
between the desire to hold on to the un,-
brella with both hands and the dislike to
letting down the tail of the spring gown
into the filthy pools of the pavement begins,
and the dress has to suffer- The swish of
the trail through the mud and wet is sorry
sound, but the sight of it at home would
seem to take ''tbe breath out of the soul'
and TO make the stontest heart shiver with
despair What an absolute despotism is
that with fashion as its sovereign!
A rebellion has long been talked of to be
sure, and if it ever takes tangible, practical
form it will probably be in Chicago, where
dress reform seems to be more needed than
elsewhere. Whether it was the desperate
condition of affairs here upon their arrival
that brought this subject into prominence
even before the first formal meeting of the
Federation, we do not know, but certain it
is full meeting in council was called, and
an animated discussion was held to deter
mine the best means of circumventing this
most despicable decree of fashion.
An Immcdiate A ction on Dress Reform.
Mrs MAY Wright Sewall, of Indiana, a
most able and brilliant woman, was Presi
dent of the meeting upon this momentous
subject. Mrs. Ella Dietz Clymer. the hand
some ex-President of New York Sorosis,
was Vice President. Among the officers
was Rachel Foster Avery, the daughter of
J. Heron Foster, who founded THE PITTS
BURG DISPATCH; Miss Frances Will
lard represented the w. c. T. u;
Miss Susan B. Anthony, the Ma
tional Woman Suffrage Association;
Mary S. Lockwood, the Woman's
National Press Association; Mrs. NJ. A.
Davis, of the New Hampshire Baptist
Woman's Missionary Society, with many
other prominent women. Mrs. Parker, of
Miller, DR.. Emery, of New York, and Miss
Bates, of Detroit, presented their views as
to dress reform for women.
The matter was largely discussed, but
whether anything comes of it remains to be
seen. In Australia, women are prohibited
from wearing long dresses upon the street
as a sanitary measure, and those who follow
the fashion are arrested, and fined. In
Germany it is said that law has been
made to the same effect as it is the opinion
of the experts in bacteria and bacillus that
such stirriug up of the dnst and dirt of the
streets circulates the germs and thus spreads
Al
tinguished ladies propose to work for such
legislation in this country has not as yet
been announced, but they evidently count
on good results from agitation and cooper
alton. They intend to hold public meet
ings, to enlist the doctors and clergymen in
this fight upon the long-talled gown.
No Hope in Doctors and Preachers.
1t strikes US just here that these are the
wrong men-if they must have men to fight
this battle for women. The doctors are not
so much interested in the promotion of the
health of women as they are in having calls
made upon them for cure. Nor is the in
fluence of the clergy much more to be re-
lied upon in the matter of dress. They |
have tried to impose upon women the dull |
drabs of the Quakers, the severely plain |
attire of the Methodists for ], 800 years, but |
with very little effect.
doctors, medical boards are to be moved |
upon and municipal legislation is to be in
voked to pass laws prohibiting long dresses |
upon the streets, and subjecting all such as |
sweep the pavements in such fashion to ar
rest This sort of legislation it will be re-
membered was brought to bear on the |
Mother Hubbard" some years ago, but the |
Mother Hubbards remain, while the law is
null and void. However, the efforts of |
these thoughtful good women deserve sue !
cess. .
1t may be announced here that q new and |
convenient dress has been evolved, and |
when it has reached some degree of perfec-
ton it will be sprung upon startled world
somewhat "simullatiously," as Mrs. Mala-
prop would say. 1t will have pockets
short enough for all sensible people, and
pretty enough to fill the soul of Jenness
Miller with delight.
The Federation Of women's Clubs.
The Music Hall was crammed at the OPEN
ing of the Biennial of the Federation of
Women's Clubs A more handsome sight
perhaps the world has never seen. Multi
tudes of gifted intellectual women from all
parts of the Union gave promise by their
presence of noble and beautiful things in
the future: Massachusetts was represented
BY delegates from "a clubs-no lack of the
Yankee element. New York sent repre-
sentatiyes Of II clubs, Illinois of II women's
clubs. Pennsylvania showed roundly up
with II, among which and foremost are the
New Century Club, OF Philadelphia; the
Women's Club, of Pittsburg, and the Tray
slers' Club, of Allegheny
hall crowded with Intelligent women from
lm0St he |