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 Pitiful Story that She
Died OF Starvation.

/
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. 1t was said, however,
that she died of starvation.
MIR. Eustis. the United States Ambas-
sador, has taken charge of the case.
Miss Van Ettens body will be placed in
the mortuary chapel OF the American
Church on the Avenue de rAlma to
await the instructions of 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 "A magnetism
that was phenomenal She was born
organizer. a direct, forceful speaker, and
possessed an executive ability seldom
seen in women.
Miss Van Etten was born at Van Et-
tenville. a little village near Elmira,
where every other person Is Van Etten.
when labor was just awakening to the
necessity for organization for Its own
protection and advancement.
Little had been done by or on behalf
of the horde of women workers, ana
presently the shopwomen We're surprised
to learn that Mrs. Coils 7. Huntington,
Gabrielle Greeley, now Mrs Ciendenin;
men of great wealth and social position;
Robert +. Cutting. {. 4. 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 s. Daniel and others Joined in the
movement, and 1t had It's 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
ganzed with her as Its secretary. A
chairman was selected at each meeting.
but the wiry little old maid from Van
Ettenvlle was the real Chairman. the
real Executive Committee, and practi-
, cally quorum all by herself.
She made her first appearance and hit
as a public speaker at meeting or the
DR.. McGlynnHen George ,Anti-Pov-
. erty Society, where she presided at a
. knights OF Labor table.
But Miss Van Ettens perceptions were
strong enough to convince her that frst
OF ali the membership of the Working
. Women's Society must not be limited to
women who toiled, else 1t would not be
self;supporting, and next, that Ma an Women
, were admitted to its membership or
were permitted to subscribe In AID OF ire
organization without becoming members,
These were the snags on Which MISS
Van Etten's ideal economic ship uiti-
mately foundered In "a lofty preamble
1t was set forth that the s,n mnwissf' tb n
economic conditions inevitably tended TO
reduce all who lived by their own labor
to debasnE poverty ro and wp remove
the source OF these evils until the condi-
, lions under which men and women work
are so changed that all workers VII
|, have abundant opportunity TO employ
heir labor and enjoy Its fruits
Although this, translated was equal
to saving that the rich who donated
would be helping TO destroy the very
conditions under which their wealth was
obtained, many wealthy ladies Joined
enthusiastica In the work; 1000
other quarters was desirable. Mrs.
Huntington paid $500 rent for rooms In
the building OF the Society OF Humanity,
In Lafayette place, and bought the fur
allure for the rooms.
But the little enthusiast, had no idea
the Society passing through her hands
got In a dreadful state. Nobody ever
accused her Of dishonesty. She was
simply as bad business woman as she
She led the striking feather-workers,
but when some wealthy ladies', having
strikers, refused to let it pass through
Miss Van Etten's hands, that magnetic
leader of women SO worked upon the
sympathes 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 Van Etten leader of New
Yorks 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
ready to disbaEd.. Then Miss Van Etten
hired rooms at - clinton place, in her
|, own name. and the Society continued
there till January. 1889. when they sought
| to GUST Miss Van Etten from her posi-
ton, and instead got evicted from their
quarters by the indomitable little old
, maid.
She organized another Society and be-
came member of the Central Labor
Union, In spite of the opposition of the
: Old Society. But she and her new So
for non-payment OF rent, In 1890. and she
! disappeared for time. She returned In
, January. 1891. and revived the Working
. Women's Society, holding meetings in
, st. Georges Chapel. Stanton street.
Quarters were secured at % East Fourth
street, Il. i. Cutting furnishing the
: finances. He withdrew after a time, be-
lieYing that the funds were not being APP
: piled as he had directed.
/, lectures on Socialism after that but she
failed 10 gather the supporters she ex-
. pcc;cd; Six months ,ag3 she wen,
t abroad She ann ounced that she was
/ going under contract to visit the homes
5 I'm