The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-15
MERcILEss AND vINDlcTVE.
Lady Managers of the Great Fair Elk
change Compliments

Chicago, August 14.-One of the mem
bers of the Board of Lady Managers OF
the Fair has given an account OF the re-
cent unpleasantness in the board. The
trouble is largely continuation OF the
Phoebe Couzins quarrel, which arose
shortly after the formation OF the board.
Mrs. Meredith of Indiana was an active
agent in the removal OF MISS Couzlns
from the secretaryship. Mrs. ban OF
Delaware was an equally active lighter
on Miss Couzins's side at the time, and
has ever since occupied posltlon with
the opposing party.
A few months ago the committee of
awards of the Woman's- Board was
formed, and Mrs. Ball was made mem
Der of it. She was afterwards elected
it's secretary. Mrs. Meredith was the
chairman Of this important committee,
which had the duty OF selecting the
woman jurors.
Almost as soon as the committee en-
tered upon its work the old antagonism
arose and soon caused strained relations
between its members. These five, Mrs
Meredith, Mrs. Ball, Mrs. Ginty OF Wis
consin, Mrs. Stevens Of New Jersey and
Mrs. Fosdick of Alabama, were unit
The public knew nothing OF the trout
BILE until it came before the board re-
Gently. Then, it is said, Miss Cunning
ham, a member from South Carolina,
made in open session protest against
the misrepresentation of the state on
the juries Of awards, charging Mrs.
Meredith, chairman of the awards COM
mittee, with malice in the matter.
This precipitated the first public row,
the Couzins faction rallying to the aid of
Miss Cunningham, and the conservative
element as speedily ranging itself under
Mrs. Meredith's banner. There was
much bitterness, excitement and recrim-
ination upon both sides.
Mrs. Meredith made a scathing ar
raignment of Mrs. Ball, the secretary of
the committee on awards. She said that
from the very outset Mrs. Ball had been
inimical to the Interests of the commit
tee, and openly allied with its enemies.
The nervous TENSION of the board was
now intensified by the general under
standing that Mrs Ball would speak in
reply, supporting Miss Cunningham 8
charges of malice against Mrs. Mered-
it'll
The opportunity for this speech from
Mrs. Ball did not occur and when it was,
nevertheless, published in morning
newspapers Of the following day, then
the fight was on indeed.
Mrs. Ball made another speech, even
more bitter than the published one. She
disclaimed responsibility for the latter,
and Miss Cunningham sprang up, amid
Kisses and loud cries of "Shame!' to
say that she was the person who had
furnished typewriter copies OF Mrs.
Balls intended speech to the press.
Mrs. Ball wound up with an indict-
ment of Mrs. Meredith as a "cruel, mer-
CHESS, vindictive woman" concluding
with an attack upon Mrs. Nancy Huston
Banks, the member of the board in
charge of it's press interests, whom she
charged with having given the article to
the reporters. sssss
Mrs. Banks came into the wrangle to
the extent of making statement of her
part in the affair. This was an earnest
effort She had tried to secure the sup
preston of the article in the line of her
duty as press representative of the
Board.
That let Mrs. Banks out but the row
went on with unabated fury, and a re-
port from there Committee on Awards
asking that Mrs. Ball ssbe excused from
further service" brought things to a
climax. This document was signed by
every member Of the committee excert-
ing, of course, Mrs. Ball, and was finally
adopted after aterrific struggle, consti-
tuting virtual impeachment.
On the following day Mrs. Meredith
withdrew the so-called report, thus re-
storing apparent harmony.