The evening world., 1894-03-06
IDA Van ETTEN DEAD.
Passed Away in a Paris Hotel
Early Yesterday Morning.
Heart Failure Given Out as the
Cause OF Death.
But There's a PItiful Story that She
Died of Starvation.

The report reached New York this
morning that Miss Ida Van Etten. the
well-known New York organizer of
working girls, died In Paris, at the Con-
tinental Hotel, early yesterday morning.
The cause of her death was given as
heart disease. II was said. however,
that she died of starvation.
Mr.. Eustis, the United States Ambas-
sador. has taken charge OF the case.
Miss Van Etten's body will be placed in
the mortunry chapel of the American
Church on the Avenue de rAlma to
await the Instructions VI her friends In
the United States.
The death OF Miss Van Etten removes
one of the most energetic and tireless of
advocates of the rights of her sex.
Slender almost to attenuation, and plain
almost to ugliness, she attracted to her
women OF all classes with Il magnetism
that was phenomenal. She was "A boru
organizer, "a direct. forceful speaker. and
possessed an executive ability seldom
seen In women.
Miss Van Etten was born at Van Eft
where every other person Is a Van Etten.
She came to New York early in 1881,
when labor was just awakening to the
necessity for organization for its "
protection and advancement.
Little had been done by or on behalf
of the horde OF women workers. and
presently the shopwomen were surprised
to learn that Mrs. COLTS /. Huntington,
Gabrielle Greeley. now Mrs. Clendenin;
Mrs. Courtlandt Palmer and other wo-
men of great wealth and social position:
Robert II. Cutting, G. L. Huntington
and other wealthy men were Interested
In them and were anxious to help them
to advance their interests.
Mrs. Josephine Shaw Lowell. Miss Aria
Huntington, Father Huntington, DR.. An
ME =. Daniel and others Joined In the
movement. and 1t had its first expression
In several meetings at Pythagoras Hall,
the object being to organize the working
Miss Van Etten was the leader, the
heart. the soul of these meetings. and
the Working Women's Society was or
ganized with her as Its secretary. a
chairman was selected at each meeting,
but the wiry little old maid from Van
Ettenyille was the real Chairman. the
cally "A quorum all by herself.
She made her first appearance and hit
as a public speaker at a meeting or the
DR.. McGlynn-Henry George Anti-Pov-
erty Society, where she presided at a
knights OF Labor table.
But Miss Van Etten's perceptions were
of ali the membership of the Working
Women's Society must not be limited to
women who toiled.. else 1t would not be
self disappearing, and next. that all women
were admitted to its membership or
were permitted to subscribe in aid of the
organization without becoming members,
These were the snags IN which Miss
Van Ettcn's ideal economic ship ulti-
mately foundered. In a lofty preamble
1t was set forth that the unwise. IN
equitable and defective features of the
economic conditions inevitably tended to
reduce all who lived by their own labor
to ,de9asing poverty and dependence
and also that mo remedy VIII remove
the source OF these evils until the condi-
tions under which men and women work
are 50 changed that all workers will
have abundant opportunity to employ
their labor and enjoy Its fruits"
Although this, translated, was equal
to saying that the rich who donated
would be helping to destroy the very
conditions under which their wealth was
enthusiastically in the work; ,00,
The Society was organized Jan l. 1888,
and on March l., when a removal to
huntington paid $500 rent for rooms In
the building of the Society of Humanity,
in Lafayette place, and bought the fur
niture for the rooms.
But the little enthusiast had no idea
of the value of money, and the funds of
the Society passing through her hands
got in a readful state, Nobody ever
simply as bad n business woman as she
was clever as a theorist and organizer.
She led the striking, feather-workers,
raised 5000 for the relief of these fair
strikers. refused to let 1t pass through
Miss Van Etten's hands, that magnetic
leader of women so worked upon the
sympathieS OF the almost destitute girl
strikers that they refused to accept the
money at all, and the strike failed in
consequence.
That was the beginning of the end Of
Miss a Etten az n leader OF New
York's female workers, although she did
much at Albany In promoting the pass
age OF THE Evening WORLDS measure
providing for women factory inspectors.
Mrs. Huntington refused longer to pay
the rent OF the Lafayette place rooms
and the WcrRing WSomen,s SOCIETY was
hired rooms at 81 Clinton place, In her
own name. and the Society continued
there till January, 1889. when they sought
to Dust Miss Van Etten from her posi-
ton. and instead got evicted from their
maid.
Sha organized another Society and be-
came II member of the Central Labor
Union, In spite of the opposition OF the
old Society. But she and her new So
ciety were evicted from y Clinton place
for non-payment of rent, in 1890, and she
disappeared for "A time. She returned in
January, 1891, and revived the Working
Women's Society, holding meetings In
81. GEORGES Chapel, stanton street.
street, r., f. Cutting furnishing the
finances. He withdrew after a time, be-
lieving that the funds were not being APP
piled as he had directed.
Ida Van Etten delivered n series Of
lectures on Socialism after that, but she
failed to gather the supporters she ex-
abroad, She ann ounced that she was
going under contract to visit the homes
Of Immigrants about to start for
ing their condition and fitness for re-
ception into America. She was to visit