The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-18
AN ABLE WOMAN EDITOR
cu<n.oyxx SKETCH OF BRIGHT
GRAcEFUL KATE FIELD.
cbld-Hsr Business and Ed
itoriai Rooms-Her Private omee-oA"
of Her Hobbies-How She "r'es'

pr,ch, graceful, versatile Kate fleiu
10. heen extensively written UP as lee
turer and musician. In her later ro'e Vi
editor and proprietor Of sprightly week
" notification she is not so widely kho"n'
ovcont to her subscribers and their
friends. To these, even. she is not ex-
pected 10 speak Of her own attractive
personality.
Az a child she was . favorite OK the
Brownings, and no less person than the
late George Eliot turned her youthful
attention TO literature and encouraged
her to write. ,,,uo
Her parents, Mr.. and Mrs. j. n. Riddle
were actors. Both excelied IN theu
chosen profession. Her mother was MISS
Eliza Riddle, Of Phiiadeiphia, anu olu
theatre-goers in the Quaker City Will re-
oaI ber az p very effective juliet. Miss
Field inherits her varied gifts from ooun
eides Of her house. She has Travelled eN-
tensivelv. of course, and is one OF the
most accomplished women In America,
She speaks several languages huenty' anu
Il a delightful conversationallst especlai-
" when one is willing for her 10 take .ne
floor and keep IL. Time has touched her
tightly and although there are a lew
WRINKLES on her face and ~eaieh u
iron-grav hair on her head, she Is Ger
tainlv much more fascinating thah shs
ever could have been as an ineNpeilen'e'
ot,l or even as a less mature and cui-
tured woman. High aspirations, loliy
| idoals extensive travel and desirable as
sociations have left an imprint on her
fine face far more pleasing that the mere
| freshness OF youth. Her appearance Is
| stril,inp She has sometimes the shdinS'
| siruoue movement of an Oriental; at an
other she Is quick, alert and 50 1ul Oh
| nervous energy that she almost lIhPol -
| some of ii 10 a sensitive person III any
crowd she would be marked out as els
| tineuished" looking. Her features ar
regular and delicate. Her race IS "nl'e
| and colorless except for her req hps' nv
great luminous grey eyes chanse anu HaS ~
as She talks. Her small, well-poiseu hedu -
carried on a pair OF square shoulders Win
| an air of absolute confidence which soine
| neopIe might mistake for hauteuf.
Her business Office is in the Corcorah
hridine where a staff, composed OF Two
u,omen-Vassar graduates-and sometimes
| ,u,o or more minor assistants, work
| rtese two Vassar graduates are MISE
| T.oorard whose speciality Is the adNeI'is-
| ing department, and Miss hngie, "hVso
| ann, is TO read correct, and reject manu-
| sori,t Roth ladies also contribute TO the
| oaqes Of Kate Fields WASHINGTON MISS
| Field edits the publication, ana Goes ma
| " all her work in her private ONCE ie"
- aistant. in the upper story or the
| Shoreham, hotel recently pui's a. "a
Vice- President Morton. Her Virlle anu
-, nen stamps Kate Fields Wash
tngton with the individuality when mas
Ia i, nonular and enabled 1t TO houfish
s., mis- traditional graveyard OF Ne"
Iapers. s,,.,ara1it,, and
...,,,,1ari,v may be estimated by those VINO
remember how much money the ~ "
~ Corcoran, ESQ, sunk In the Dhloii'
a,d how many thousands 81 collars ,he
Oemocrauc leaders spent in VAIN on ~
National Democrat paper s,ei 80, 49,
| here about four or Eve years ago ui.uei ~
business management OF ui nun Pr.
| srn ESQ. with accomplished lSu' -
! I,e--ars as editor. Kate Field W aS"-
t,,rton" has survived several summers
"a iudadng from its subscription isl ana
o9,-ortisements. II looks as II IL hao come
TO stay. -. ,ha hand
sor,est newspaper offices IN the "o'iu.
The windows command a MAJ S IN ~
view OF the Potomac; OF tne 'i .-
m
tnpton. with its massive columns ou'-
ii'ed aoainst a background or trees
yVasbineton monument is about the cen
80 az the view Far of 10 the leli
to,.ers the majestic Capitol Nearer Is
the citv with its broad streets PARKS
and fountains The visitor Woulu scdl0e
| Il, finger long over this panorama, teeh-
ing with beauty and historical interest,"
as II IS. The rooms are TOO HlNi''is
e They bear the imprint OF the same III
. | dividualitv which characterizes the pup
, lication inst referred to. In an alcov'
is one Of Chickering's grand pianos OVel
il hangs a hfe-sized portrait OF ka.'
r Field. bv Frank Millet, Of New YORK
? Alaskan baskets. Indian weapons. tapes
r tries. and tasteful furniture are dispose
a Of in every available space. one OF MIS-
Z Field's lectures treats Of Alaska, Wher
she spent some time and collected
, great many curiOsities. over the mamie
o. Is a woman's figure deity carved GU
10 of wood by an Esquimeau, evidently
( remarkable work of art. Bulgarian EN-
b broideries cover the tables and crap
chairs and sofas. Conspicuous anon
the pictures, which decorate the walls
Is a portrait of Vandyke by Gainsborougf
. and one Of Charles Dickens In his youti
by Sir VIM BOxhall. Beneath this is
RI nthograph of Alexander Pope and a
d" autograph acknowledgment OF none
T. received for the translation OF Homer
i Naid. There is a portrait OF Sir Thoma
j Lawrence, by himself, and a number {
II paintings by NIllet. Nedder and oth'
u well-known American artists, with a
> of whom Kate Field is a toast. 81
7. has a right 10 be. During the past Sc:
+ sion Of Congress it was through h
d instrumentality that a Congress OF Amel
y. ican artists met here. appealed 10 Coz
II gress. and had 10 per cent. duty taken O
- Of foreign art.
r She has a desk, Of course. but 1t
a. my private opinion that she writes q
"a a book or any flat-surfaced thing whiC
~ happens TO be handy for her TO hold
&c her lap, as she sits in a low rockir
r chair near the windows OF the frol
}" room, where the view is best. She lear
4 ed this habit from her gifted friend, Il
10 late Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
- one of Miss Fields hobbies is ant
prohibition. She despises an 'intempt
III ate Prohibitionist" That is how 81
phrases II. She is eminently cOnseTvativ
II especially about wines. She thinks vii
ought TO be served on American tabl
as il is abroad. She thinks such a poli'
would beat the Kelley Gold Cure as
L antidote for drunkenness. She is an c
pecial advocate OF seif-confessed Anne
a lean wines, as opposed 10 the alleg,
ffnparfa1 brap1e r.refprc Tafff1rfi