The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-12-24
AGAINST BLooMERs.
Crusade by an Eccentric Lady in Roches-
ter

A correspondent of the New York Her
aid writes from Rochester N. Y, US fol-
| lows:
1.-THE Lord is with me in this fight, and
He will sustain and direet my actions.
He has told inc that the wearing of
boomers by women is sinful. and that
for the honor and glory of His rame
they must be abolished.
Rochester is already wicked enough
without suffering the plague of bloom
ers."
With uplifted hands and in a ringing
voice Mrs. William Chisholm, the origin
ator of the anti-bl oomer crusade in Ro-
chester, made the above declaration at
the close of an interview with me this
| afternoon in her residence in Fulton ave-
nue..
Mrs Chisholm declares that she has
been inspired to attempt the salvation Of
women who wear boomers Not only
! boomers, but every article Of apparel
worn hV the new woman which in the
least infringes upon the time -honored
principles of conservatism is included in
her crusade. The new woman, che as
serts, Is sinful and pernicious sign of
the degeneracy Of the age.
Mrs. Chisholm sprang into prominence
as an anti-bloomer agitator last week.
when she called upon District Attorney
Forsyth and requested him 10 prohibit
the wearing OF bloomers upon the streets
of the city. Mr.. Forsyth informed her
that he was powerless to accede to her
wishes. She repeated the call on the
two following days and vainly urged the
district attorney to join hands With her
in the crusade.
Undsmayed by her unsuccessful al
tempts to invoke the aid of the law, Mrs.
Chisholm endeavored to gain the support
OF the newspapers. She was again un-
successful She announces that she will
carry on the crusade without the aid of
earthly beings.
Mrs Chisholm resides in a part of the
city that is oyerrun with cyclists The
bloomer craze Is at its height in Rocbes-
ter, and most Of the female cyclists pur-
sue the amusement unencumbered by
skirts. There are nearly as many knick-
erbockers worn as boomers. Mrs CHS
holm thinks the knickerbockers are less
indecent than the bloomers.
ut was the presence in this street of
scores of those shameless bloomer girls"
said she, that drove me to begin the
crusade They ride before my house all
day, Haunting their depravity before the
the hloomer girls attract men to Fulton
avenue by the score. 1 understand that
the same condition of affairs exist all
over the city.
Il know that some of the women oall
themselves respectable, she continued,
but they are not. No woman who ex-
poses herself i'll bloomers can be respect
able"
How do you intend to proceed with
your crusader she was asked.
II have been told that must erdeavor
to save these women, who are too care
less of their own welfare TO save them
selves by discardng bloomers. Many of
my neighbors have decided to join me.
If no other way offers l shall have some
of the bloomer wearers arrested on the
charge of disorderly conduct, and have
them tried in the police court. Shame
and fear of publicity will sometimes plo-
duce results when other means fail. If
it seems advisable I shall hod rubllc
meeting to discuss the matter.
81 do not believe in what they call the
new woman. She is unnecessary. No place
exists for her in this country. The old
woman is the one we want, and we want
her without boomers"
Mrs. Chisholm stated that the sentl-
ments expressed upon the new woman
recently by Miss Susan b. Anthony were
in part responsible for her crusade Miss
Anthony said here: "T Ike the new
Girl whether or not 1 like the new
woman. I like to see ner dressed in
costume fitted to bicycle riding, with her
head thrown back, not caring for horses
or man either"
Mrs. Chisholm is a widow, gray-haired
and matronly. She is comfortably well
of and is a regular attendant at the
Lake Avenue Baptist church. Never be-
fore has she attracted public attention.
The attaches of the district attorneys
Office think that she is unbalanced men
tally. Her appearance is that of a sane
person.
The bloomer girls are beginning to feel
a trifle worried at the crusade. Not a
b!oomer girl venturcd on Fulton avenue
today and only few were seen on other