Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-01-23
New York
womAn's WORLD IN PARAGRAPHS
Martha >. Lamb. the Historian Who Can
Take Her Placer


Thirteen years ago the proprietor OF
certain publication in New York city IN
yited two members Of his editorial stat
10 meet each other for the first tiIae At .
dinner at his home. One Was the writer
hereof. tho other was Mrs Martha j.
Lamb. suddenly called TO another life on
tho first day OF 1903. Her tine. farreach-
iny Intellectual powers were IN their full
flower and prime. and the structure she
built with tireless pains and enthusiasm
4 The Magazine Of American History
never was SO imposing or 20 nearly per-
feet us when she left it TO return no
more. She had built eleven years Of her
brave, conscientious life into IT. and it
stands more solid than any memorial OF
stone or bronze that can ever TO erected
in her honor The Magazine OF Amers-
can History. Of which she was sole
editor, has been called with truth
tho leading publication OF its kind
in tho world Besides editing this
monthly. however. Mrs Lamb did much
other noble historical work. Her His
tory OF New York City Is standard
book of reference wherever accurate
and detailed knowledge OF Manhattan
Island is desired on any point. Her es-
pecial service in the field Of historical
literature has been in bringing to light
facts that had escaped notice from the
ordinary writer, and which often had an
important bearing on the decision OF dis
puted questions The acquaintance be-
gun thirteen years ago continued. though
| | only met Mrs. Lamb ut rare intervals
| She was one Of the hardest workers
ever knew and ore Of the most unas-
Stunning and quiet Of women besides.
| When have wished to encourage my
self by recalling the substantial work Of
women it has always been u matter OF
! pride and pleasure to me to think OF
/ what Martha Lamb has done to show
the tine. strong power there is in a wom-
ans brain. Bravely she bore her part
and well, and she died before her work
was finished. None ever struggled more
yaliantly with difficulties overcoming
as she passed.
Two brilliant. handsome young ladies
of my acquaintance are engaged in occu.
pations quite out Of the old fashioned.
ordinary field for women. One. a small.
plump woman. with flashing dark gray
| eyes, is manager and administrator Of y
large estate for widowed relative who
is eighty years old. My capable young
lady friend has not only made real es-
| tate and other investments that have in
creased the value Of the property in
trusted to her care, but she has beaten
in series of twelve lawsuits some pes
tiferous persons who were trying to get
the widows property away. The other
accomplished and brainy girl is an
assistant in a patent lawyers Office.
She examines personally drawings and
models for individuals who wish TO
secure patents. tells them whether
their ground has already been covered
and prepares specifications for them
| herself for publication in the Official
patent Office paper. Frequently she
makes journeys to Washington to rum
mage among the musty old patent Office
files for information and always gets a
cold when she does so, she says in those
| i'll ventilated vaults. She tells me that
the more intelligent an applicant for Il
patent is the more confidence he has in
her ability, but if an ignorant, down.
right lout and boor comes into the Office
| he says a woman cannot understand his
business and usually insists on seeing
the chief Just So Here are two cases
in which young ladies' have succeeded in
business generally given over to men.
and they are among the most attractive
girls know. Other girls can do like
wise But | sometimes wonder why
the young lady in the law Office does not
study for the legal profession and be-
come patent lawyer herself.
Our sex is even to have musical COM
poser in its ranks A fair and gentle
English girl, Rosalind Ellicott. has pro-
duced some musical compositions OF inn
portant rank. The first one OF these.
called the Dramatic Overture" was
written for and performed by full or
chestra at the Gloucester musical festi-
val Of 1885,
A woman lately said to Colonel lnger-
soil, You have no idea how much dir
ficulty ladies have finding servants
Colonel Ingersoll replied. "You have no
idea how much difficulty servants have
in finding ladies'"
Ladies'. dear ladies, don't spend the
time ut your clubs over Sanskrit poetry
or the old English dramatists, but 20
into the stndy Of municipal government
with all your might. You must rescue
it and redeem it. No man has right to
make living out Of politics. Do you
know what James Bryce. author of The
American Commonwealth" says, The
government OF American cities Is the
one conspicuous failure Of tho United
States?"
Did you over think that in the Ten Com
mandments there is nothing forhidding
women to covet their neighbor's hns-
bandsl Was IL because there was thought
to be no need Of 1t?
There Ia at last woman's law club
among the many others that have been
organized. IL is the Kempin club in New
York, and Mrs. Cornelia h Hood. OF
Brooklyn. is its president
ELIZA ARcHARp CONNER