The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-02-07

and a cousin Of Mrs. Elizabeth Cady
Stanton, went to visit in Seneca Falls.
She wore costume which consisted of
short skirt, full trousers and an or
binary bodice. Mrs. Bloomer, looking
from her window and beholding the
queer toilet for the first time laughed
at it. In few days Mrs. Elizabeth
Cady Stanton appeared in short skirt
and trousers, and in week Mrs. Bloom
er was persuaded to discard her ordinary
garments and put on the dress which
thenceforth bore her name. Her first
reform costume was of figured silk, and
the trousers, which were gathered at the
ankle, were of the same material.
Nothing was more unexpected to Mrs.
Bloomer than the sudden notoriety
which came to her. Nothing was further
from her mind than the idea of setting
the fashion. She did not wish to pose
as dress reformer and had assumed
the peculiar costume merely for conven-
fence. But she calmly pursued her
work at the editorial desk and upon the
lecture platform, always ohampioning
the cause of women and never referring
in any way to her costume.
Under Presidents Taylor and Fillmore
Judge Bloomer was postmaster of Sen
eca Falls, and Mrs Bloomer was his
deputy. In the performance of her du-
ties in the postoffice Mrs. Bloomer
found her short skirt convenient and
comfortable. But the fame of her COS
tune spread rapidly, and the cirouIa-
ton of The Lily jumped from few
hundred to several thousand. Mrs.
Bloomer did not like the notoriety and
was often tempted to resume the heavy,
burdensome petticoats. People travelled
miles to see her and cast curious glances
at her ankles. Exaggerated and absurd
stories were circulated about her ANA
zonian form and masculine garments.
Thus the first American dress reform
movement was started 1t was not ses-
thetic, it was not graceful, and it was
finally lampooned out of existence.
Mrs. Bloomer abandoned the costume
to which she had given name after
wearing it seven or eight years. Why
she did so was never made public. 1t
is known, however, that it was always
a source of anxiety lest she should be re-
membered only because she once wore
an odd costume. She was also very SEN
sitive of the ridicule that costume had
caused to be heaped upon her husband.
In 1858 Judge and Mrs. Bloomer re-
moved to Mount Vernon, o., Mrs. Bloom
er shortly afterward disposing of The
Lily. In 1854 she was one of commit
tee to memorabilia the legislature of
Ohio on a prohibitory liquor law. In
1866 the Boomers removed to Council
Bluffs, where they have since resided.
In 1856 Mrs. Bloomer, by invitation,
addressed the legislature of Nebraska
on woman S right to the ballot The ter
ritorial house of representatives shortly
afterward passed bill giving women
the right to vote, and in the council it
passed to a second reading, but was
finally lost for want of time, the limited
session drawing to close. Mrs Bloom
er took part in organizing the Iowa State
Suffrage association and was at one
time its president. Poor health COM
PEELED her of late years to retire from
active work in the cause
In 1912 Mrs. Bloomer joined the Prot
estant Episcopal church, of which she
remained member all her life. In 1890 |
her husband and she celebrated their
golden wedding.