The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-02
BLooMERs AND BUSINESS.
A New York Girl Who COntemplates
New Woman Colony I'm Ohio.

The new women, those who wear bloom
ers, want to establish farm or colony
near Lisbon. Some folks may object to
this innovation. but as the women compos-
ing the party are all of excellent reputa-
tons and who have money TO pay for what
they buy. they should certainly be well
coined. At the Hostetter House one night
last week was registered Miss Flora Smith,
of Syracuse y. Y. She made many inqur-
les Of Mr.. Hyde about property in this sec
ton and said she was thinking OF purchas-
ing. The Patriot, seeming an item, sent
UP his card, and in few minutes was
seated in the parlor opposite very pretty
was clad in boomers The offer was made
to assist her in finding property, and she
said:
doors, but when travelling or on the street
have over them a loose skirt. do this
so as not to shock you men and not TO
attract too much attention to myself, be-
cause I do not seek notoriety. What L
want to do is to buy large farm or tract
of land and form colony In which men
shall have no part Only females who will
bind themselves to life of celibacy while
members of the community and to wear
boomers for life. are to be eligible. They
will work the farm in all of its details,
plant and harvest the crops, dispose of them
in market and take care. of the stock.
I'VE shall live In large. commodious
prepared There will be every convenience
of modern life. / shall give my personal
supervision to the establishment. Members
forever will elect officers twice year to
conduct It, There will be an auditing board
to look after improvements OF the property,
and a governing board.
ut shall be the duty OF the chairman OF
the latter to report all infractions Of rules
by members. There Will be two Judges
chosen. One will have powers similar TO
a police magistrate; the other will have
position analogous to our general term
Those accused OF attractions OF the rules
will be tried by a jury of five, and II not
satisfied with the judgments OF the lower
courts they can appeal to me. l will SIT as
court of last resort.
There will be no imprisonment all pun
ishment will consist of withdrawal or priv
should get into our fold undesirable women
who fiirt and CAD about with men when they
go to market or on other occasions. they
will. after suitable warning, be expelled All
females OF good character between the ages
OF fifteen and thirty-five years are eligible
for membership.
Each member shall have a share in the
profits after the expenses for board and
clothing have been deducted. The remain
der will go into a general fund for better
ment and the purchase of adjoining lands.
IL it is deemed necessary and the communi-
ty grows as rapidly as think it will.
ANY member will, after three years in
the community, be eligible to retire. taking
with her the amount of initiation fee, IL
one has been charged, and seven-eighths
eighth to go into the general fund.
My great OBJECT Is 10 educate anu W
turn out new women, as the newspaper men
term them. While there will be a certain
amount Of farm work that will have to be
done, there will be many hours each day
for study and curriculum will be as broad
and extended as that in any of our uni
versities There will be frequent lectures In
a large assembly room that L propose to
have, and current literature, politics and
questions of the day will be discussed. The
members can ride bicycles, and a number
will be kept for their use.
There will be horses, but no side-saddles.
Ny girls will ride astride, as do the men,
and predict that three years of life in our
institution will make the members the peer
of any man physically and mentally. / will
not make rules that defye all the laws of
nature and exact pledges binding for life.
That of dress will be the only life pledge
that will be asked.
81 expect that many of those who come to
us will go forth from our tutelage to enter
the homes of men to become wives and
mothers. When such time comes they will
know how to be both, and how to raise and
educate families that will reflect credit
upon the nation and new women.
Miss Smith is particularly well pleased
with Lisbon and says that she will probably
return in the spring and look over the
farming lands near town. She was very
much Impressed with what was told her of
the fruit and vegetable advantages, and
said that she believed that by growing
strawberries that her promised farm could
be made almost self-sustaining after the
first