Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-07-15
Virginia Women's Interest in the
Worlds Fair.

Virginia Womens Interest IN the
Worlds Fair.
The Board of Worlds Fair Managers
OF Virginia has determined to give wide
circulation TO the following address to
women of Virginia by the lady assistant,
Mrs. w. r. Beale:
To the Uomen Of Virginia As onr sis
ters and sympathizers in the important
undertaking of forming worthy exhibit
nc the approaching Worlds Fair, the
Lady Assistant of the Board of Managers
of Virginia would make earnest appeal
for your hearty corporation IN the task
laid upon her, of which, honOring as it is,
she feels herself unworthy, and to which
she must be unequal, if deprived Of that
warm encouragement and helpful effort
which rs yours to give, and without
which there can be no success.
The State, not yet recovered from the
impoverishment OF war, and burdened
with a heavy debt, has been able to ap-
proprlate to the cause only the inadequate
sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, as
against the hundreds of thousands grant
ed by our Northern sisters. Bat, poor
though we be, let the wemen of Virginia.
with a patriotic pride that cannot brook
humiliation, tax themselves to sig1alize
This anniversary of the New Worlds birth,
and the occasion on which, for the first
time. our Federal Government has be-
slowed upon woman, as such, finanCi Al
aid and official recognition. At Chicag,
we must measure not only with the wO-
mon of other States, but OF the whole
world. in the achievements of industry
and originality in both the physical and
moral domain Remember that accOr-
dinglv our status will be decided, and
that beceforth we shall wear the badge
of p1ide or of shame. Shall not this
Thought quicken to vital energy every
mise of beart or brain Such thought
and pnrpore az will best help must begin
with the ind ridHdl and each woman must
set herself to inaugurate some scheme for
forwarding tie cause. whether by direct
pecrnary aid or by herself producing
some work of supreme eXc fence. or as
sistinp some other who has the talent bat
lacks the resources for 81 doing. Let us
re-ocho the prophetic cry of pet sister,
a browning, for "More room for woman"
and let MS do what we can to help her
Look to history, and we cannot Ise heart.
Comrare our status with what the past
can show. It has beeb enlarged it can
now be glorifrd,
Do not fear that any woman's exhibit
ton shall lose the credit of her labor
The Columbian Commission orders that
every article in whose production woman
has participated shall haye that fact duly
Indicated, and more over, Congress has
provided where such is the case, that one
or more women shall be on the committee
of award. According TO the plan Of
classification used by the National Com
mission, woman's labor is found to appear
in almost every department, and never
before has her industrial, as well as her
artistic work had such opportunity of
declaring its excellence. Then lst rs see
to it that every industry in which woman
is engaged is represented in its most per-
feet specimens. We desire to invite any
woman who has fallen upon some improv-
ed prInoiple or original line of work, to
communicate freely with us, that she
NAV be encouraged by any means within
our power. and we cordially invite all
societies of women, organized for the pur-
pose of forwarding any material or moral
work of woman, 10 advise us "a to the
best method of advancing their aims.
We see that in other States, statistics
are being gathered lllustrativeOt womau's
helm in the moral and intellectual progress
of the State, as well as her mere material
interest. Have Virginia women been idle
in these noble fields Have they not with
tongue aud pen urged reforms, suggested
expedients, educated and encouraged to
higher aspirations Is there nothing IN
The way Of the garden, tn, dairy, the
orchard. or of domestic ordering, that has
received special impress at her hand
And now let us urge upon all engaged
in this patriotic work, an earnest pTepar-
alton of this great object lesson-this un-
equalled educational panorama, so soon
TO unfold itself within our BORDERS. Let
us at this apt junctuIe, SEEK to bring
Virginia forward and give her high and
honorable record in the history OF our
nation,
1t is proposed to erect on the EXPOSE
ton grounds at Chicago. house for the
entertainment and comfort OF Virginia
visitors ard the display of her collective
exhibit, which shall be duplicate of the
home of our Wash ngtOn. To erect TINS
semblance of Mount Vernon 1t Will be
necessary to raise the sum OF not less
than fifteen to twenty thousand dollars
aud when we remember that il each OF
the hundred counties of the State Will
contribute the comparatively small sum
of an hundred to one hundred and fifty
dollars, leaving 20 the cities, towns and
corporations the remainder, surely that
does not seem too great an Offering for us
to make. For each county, let local COM
mittees be organized tor systematic work,
and let the Ingenuity of these committees
come into play in the way of teasts, fairs,
concerts, &c, to gather from willing
carts and open, though scanty purses,
the amount necessary to enable our own
Virginia to take her wonted place 10 this
grand assemblage of States.
At the centennial OF '7G. too fresh from
her woe, she lifted not her head, she gave
no sign, she was dumb. But let us now
feel and demonstrate to Others that to the
beloved cold land" lie has Indeed come
again, and that pot only to our eye is she
1.-THE fairest among ten thousand" but to
others, she is still "atogether lovely"
Now to secure this, all committee and
organic effort must resolve itself into indl-
vidnal action as well and each Virginia
woman must feel that she herself is the
Wlnkelried on whose sole arms hangs
victory.
Again asking the assistance and encour-
agement of my Virginia sisters, | anu,
Their co-laborer,
LADY ASSISTANT.