Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-07-07
MISS MORGAN AND JOURNALISM.

worthy anu lSespecllui
And now word for Miss Midy Nor
gan.
There were women writers on the
press when she came here, but not many.
l met her in 1869 or 1870. We discussed
the question of women in journalism at
some length. My own experience in
that direction had been peculiarly happy
Upon the staff of the New York Star
the best writer on labor matters was
Mrs. Hanah Mel. Sheppard, who subse-
uuently became the wife of an erratic
genius named Wolf. She wrote for us
a series of articles on labor and capital
which attracted the attention of James
Gordon Bennett, who took the unusual
step of ascertaining who the individual
was who could SO aptly and ably handle
that tremendous question. Mrs. Cal
houn, | think. at that time was writing
on The Tribune. We had not, however,
the multiplicity of women, many of
whom are the merests chits of girls, in
the employ of newspapers. Some of
these young women today do excellent
work.
l think of the names of at least a
dozen who are quite the peers of many
of their masculine companions, and
whose work in some respects is as good
as any that has ever appeared in any of
the New York journals. When Miss
Morgan came it was different, and as
she found pleasure in writing upon a
subject which no other woman had ever
touched here, there was added to her
unique personality an element of sem
sationalism which made her very
much talked of individual
Breeders of horses throughout the
country, as indeed throughout the civil
lied world, knew her well by sight,
many of them had the honor of her per-
sonal acquaintance, and all read her
writings with respect. The ordinary
reader, however, probably never saw
her. She was quite six feet tall, notice
ably spare in figure, with very long
arms and very long legs. She dressed
queerly. | never saw her without an
umbrella in her hand and a package of
papers under her arm. She was indus
trious, reliable, intelligent and perfect
ly conversant with the details of her
speciality. Her death came to me as a
great surprise. 1t is but few weeks
since had quite talk with her, and
she seemed then as bright and as CHEEKY
as ever. l am glad to know that the
good woman saved some of her hard
earned money, and l should be better
pleased if l could also know that she
had spent it freely upon her own per
sonal comfort and convenience. But
the thought suggested by the report of
Miss Morgan's death is that during her
twenty-five years of experience here she
saw wonderful revolution in respect of
women at work.
The difficulty encountered by woman
writers is, first, the selfishness Of man.
l will give you brief illustration.
Some years ago a piece of work was
done which attracted the attention of
every newspaper in the city, subse-
quently in the country, and later on in
the world If that work had been done
by me, the paper would have cheerfully
paid all my expenses and $4,000 with
thanks. As it was, having been done
by woman, it was with great difficulty
she obtained $500 and the barest recog-
milton possible. In some newspaper Of
fees women are employed as solicitors
of advertising, coupled with the duties
Of writing up" the advertising estab-
lishment My own Judgment is that
that is not good policy, and my advice
to women writers is that they look at
the world precisely as their brothers of
the quill look at it.
The tendency of our fashion writers
and our society gossips is to gush, to
fatter, to beslather with fulsome praise,
which is often a source of great annoy
ance to the party written about, and
provocative of sniff of contempt from
the reader. There is no earthly reason
why the women who have to pay taxes
and bear their share of the civic burden
shouldn't have the right 10 determine
who shall be the ruler, who shall be the
servant, precisely as the men have it.
Common sense comes into all matters
and regulates in the ultimate everything
and everybody.
Women as doctors for other women,
as nurses, as matrons, women as tele-
graphers, stenographers, clerks, women,
in other words, for whatever they can
physically do, ought to be welcomed, and
are welcomed by men of sense and under
standing. If we can put the ballot into
the hand Of man who can neither read
nor speak the English language, If we can
intrust that high duty to a foreign born
individual after he has been in this coun,
try seven years, think we would make
no mistake in intrusting it to bright,
quick witted American girl after she has
had an experience of twenty-one years.
1t was Miss Morgan's privilege to see
her sex advance many steps upon the
ladder of improvement upon the social
scale, and to find hundreds of them lit.
orally in the paths which, when she be-
gan, she trod almost alone.-Joseph
Howard in New York Recorder.