The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-04
SHE LIVES IN HELENA.
May be tho next Accomplishment q
the State,

And May be the Next Attorney-Gsnsral Of
the state.
Tho spectacle Of q female attorney -gener-
al for y big state 10 among tho possibilities
In Montana. The peoples party nomi-
nee for that office Miss Ella II. Knowles. il
tho only womsn lawyer in tho state. Tho
older parties have not yet made their nom
nations for state officers. Tho 'constitu.
ton does not say that the attorney-gsneral,
or any other officer for that matter, shall
not be q woman, II tinfsrs ~ much by
speaking OF the attorney-generRl al "ho,"
and referring to ''his duties" but II Miss
Knowles should BY any chance get the most
votes she will take the office, unless the
highest court In the state or the United
enough to keep heH out Of 1t. She says so
herself. Lawyers OF the other sex say the
same thing or more. They say that in tho
event OF such . thing ss her election there
Wall be no occasion for 4 court to pass on
the question:; In other words THAT no one
would be bold enough TO contest hcr claims
TO the office. As one Of them puts 1t. mo
gentleman would make such q contest
against \ woman and 1t is to be presumed
that both the old parties will put gentle
mon on their tickets"
The nomination OF Miss Knowles was not
A!"ue W!tuout consuming neFs lne Iehueis
Of the Peoples party asked her il she would
run II nominated. She said she would.
They nominated her and she accepted it.
Now she says she is in the fight to win. II
will canvass this whole stats,'' she says.
The Peoples party nominee for attorney
general of Montana was born in Northwood,
Rockingham county. New Hampshire. and
is the daughter Of David and Louisa Knowles.
Her father still resides On the old home
stead in New Hampshire, In what Is known
as the Knowles district. Her mother died
when Miss Knowles was IA years of age.
Miss Knowles graduated from tho North
wood &c minafy At the age Of Is, and one
normal school. Afterwards she went to
Bates college. Lewiston, Me-. from which
she graduated in the class of "a. with high
honors, receiving the degree of A.. b. Four
years later Bates college conferred on her
the degree Of A.. NJ. When she entered
Bates college there were only four ether
girl students there. The prejudice against
admitting female students was still strong
at the college. but not SO strong az it had
been some years before, when the only girl
there was forced TO leave because the boys
decided to strike in a body unless she did.
So Miss Knowles has gone through
all the v%.riou. degrees Of ostracism
make their way in fields which the men had
been in the habit of considering peculiarly
their own. Not only did she do this At
school but she had to 90 through the same
ordeal here when she hung out her siRn.
Still she is not a man. hater. 1t is olso ia
DO noted that during her time at Bates
college she WAS the only woman in = party
of eight who took part in & political debate,
and carried off the prize.
In 1885 Miss Knowles commenced the
study of Law in the office of Durham &
Brown. Manchester, N. H. She prosecuted
her studies there about a year, when, on &C.
count Of i'll health, she came west and tool
the chair of elocution and Latin in an 1owa
college. Being advised by Physicians to Ro
among the mountains she came to Helena.
in the tall Of 1887. She taught one year in
the central school here. and then resumed
the study of law. There was considerable
prejudice against allowing her to practice.
So she went to work among the members OF
the last territorial legislature, that Of
1889, and had a bill introduced and
passed to admit women to practice law
She was admitted to the bar on December
|, 1890.