The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-05-17
YHE WONEyS CONGRESS.
Topics from Dress Reform to
Evolution Discussed.
FAMOUS WOMEN PRESENT.
Seven Different Simultaneous Meetings
Held in the Art Palace.
Mrs. May Wright sewelI Presided Owe,
the Department on Dress Reform
An Ovation to Miss Lucy
stone-Papers Read.

CHICAGO, May 16.-There were lively
times today in seven different simultan-
eous meetings. All subdivisions of the
Women's congress in session in the great
Art palace on the lake front. The halls
and corridors of the structure were
crowded with famous women, and top
les ranging from dress reform to evolu-
tion were under discussion. Mrs. May
Wright SewalI of Indiana, president OF
the International council of women,
presided over the department on dress
reform. She appeared in the reform cos
tune with full skirts, cut eighteen
inches from the floor, and the limbs be-
low the border in neat fitting blue leg
gings. Other notable women on the plat
form were Lucy Stone, Francis M. Steel,
Anna JennessS Miller, Octavio Bates,
Francis w. Letter, Charlotte Emerson
Brown. A number of ladies in the audi
ence also wore the reform costumes.
Susan B. Anthony read a paper prepared
by Elizabeth Cady Stanton on 'tThe
Civil and Social Evolution OF Women. -
When Mrs. Sewall introduced Mrs.
Lucy Stone she was received with great
applause. Mrs. Stone, in giving her
"reminiscences of early dress reform, told
of her own personal experience in bloomer
costume in Boston.
There was perceptibIe fiutter when the
president announced that owing to the
absence of Frances E. Russell that LADY S
report of committee work would be read
by Rachel Foster Avery. Secretary Avery
is one of the ultra reformers, and the
ladies in the audience insisted on her
standing on table so that they might
see her costume. She climbed up and
there was a general chorus of "Ohs."
Her attire reminded one of the dress OF
Turks in the Midway plaisance. A skirt
OF blue fiannels came just below the
knees, where the garment was divided
and caught up leaving the ankles half
way up free and unfettered. The waist
was loose blouse. After the buzzing in
the audience had subsidized Mrss Avery
proceeded with the report.
Others read papers on the subject, and
Mrs. Henrietta Russell created another
fiutter in her illustration of chow beauty
makes reform possible. - With her form
arrayed in the adaptation of Greek drap-
cry, she was herself most striking expo
nent of the matter on which she spoke.
Then came Mrs. Hannah Karan, ma
tive of Syria. She said the bloomer cos
tune resembled in many points the cos
tune of her native country, but added:
ssYou must not think that because a few
of us prefer the native dress all do. The
women are the same in Syria as in all
other countries They copy the dress OF
Europeans, and as many as can dress la
mode"
A division Of the work of the congress
by saving many small simultaneous
meetings during the day and tonight
made possible the transaction of volume
of business that could not have been at
tempted had all the proceedings been con-
fined to one hail or one session. Indeed
the mere title of addresses and names OF
speakers, to say nothing of details OF
proceedings, would alone occupy col
umn of newspaper space. AT the differ
ent meetings among the prominent
speakers were Lady Aberdeen, j. Ellen
Foster, Mrs. Lozier, president of the
Sorosis, Jane Golden Irwin and many
more. The climax was the reception in
honor of the delegates. the board of lady
managers, etc., by the West End
Woman s club at the Illinois club.
In the department OF the International
Women's Christian association Mrs.
Charles Kendall Adams of Wisconsin read
an address on ''Pious Education.'