The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-05-08


her marriage at this time, and to the
man who has become her husband, seems
to have most surprised her friends and
associates. She is somewhere in the
neighborhood of 30, it's said, while Rob-
ert Seaman, the bridegroom, is ~.
Nelly Bly, was born Cochran and
christened Elizabeth. Cochran's Mills,
a small settlement in Armstrong coun-
ty, Pa, is her native place. There her
father owned the mills which gave the
locality its name, though he was no
miller, but lawyer, at one time filling
the associate judgeship of Armstrong
county. He died when she was child,
and his estate became much involved in
litigation. The daughters health was
poor during most of her childhOod's
years, and because of this she was taken
out of school in 1881 and thereafter de-
voted much time and attention to horse
back riding, becoming undoubtedly the
best equestrienne in Armstrong county.
After time, having three brothers
who resided in Pittsburg, she removed
thither with her mother. At Pittsburg
she began to write, first penning q re-
ply to an article in the Pittsburg Dis
patch entitled ''What Are Girls Good
For?" Though this was not published
the editor of the paper sought her out
and assigned the subject of 'Girls and
Their Sphere to her for a paid cOntri-
button Her now famous nom de plume,
Nelly Bly,, did not appear, however,
until her second article, on "Divorce, -
was printed. The signature was suggest
ed by the managing editor Of the paper,
- 110
For The Dispatch she did society and
dramatic" and made trip to Mexico.
About 10 or 1 years ago she removed to
New York in search of a wider field.
When she applied for work to the
managing editor Of The World, she pro-
posed that she should be sent aloft in a
balloon, but this was overruled, and she
was directed to be locked up as an in
sane woman in the city asylum. Her
description of woman's experiences in
balloon might have made very inter
esting reading, but certainly could not
have attracted the attention produced by
her account of the abuses she witnessed,
and of which she was one of the victims,
in the asylum. After the publication
! of that story, which was undoubtedly
instrumental in bringing about many re-
forms in the treatment of the insane, all
was comparatively plain sailing for
Miss Cochran. She was at once placed
upon the regular staff of the paper, and
it's readers soon learned to watch its col
unns closely for articles signed with
her pen name. No subject or parsonage
was too difficult or exalted for her pen,
no investigation seemed to be above her
| Iovana4E, Io g
she turned out was beyond the produc-
ing capacity of most men writer's, let
alone that of journalists of the fair sex
Undeniably the achievement which
contributed most to her fame was her
trip around the world, undertaken to
show that Jules Verne's romance
Around the World In Eighty Days.
was within rather than an exaggeration
of the possibilities. She started on this
journey on Nov. IA, 1889, and completed
it in 70 days hours II minutes and
IA seconds, and her progress from point
to point was closely watched by the
world at large.
Robert Seaman is a rich mana man,
who, despite his advanced age, has still
the reputation of being a shrewd, keen
business man, a man with hosts OF
friends. For many years he was engaged
in the grocery business in New York,
and though he has now retired from that
branch of mercantile life he is still ac-
tive in various enterprises, including q
bank, iron works, etc. He is a direct
descendant of the famous DR.. Valentine
Seaman OF Long Island.
The groom has a handsome city resi-
dence and a fine country house few
miles up the Hudson.