The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-05-30

him, followed their back trail to within
mile of his camp. They were IN the
best of condition, but empty, so that
may account for their boldness.
THE "BLooMER" COSTUME.
An Interesting Account of Its Origin by
Mrs. Bloomer.
One of the best abused women Of her
day, and perhaps one of the least under
stood and most misrepresented was
Amsda Bloomer, after whom the short
dress for women, known as the "Bloom-
or costume" was named The whole
story concerning this dress was told by
Mrs. Bloomer some years ago In the Chi.
caao Tribune, and is in part as follows:
lin january or February, 1851, an
rticle appeared editorinlly in the Seneca
county Courier, Seneca Falls N. Y, on
"Female Attire" in which the writer
showed up the Inconvenience, unhealth-
fulness and discomfort of wonan's dress,
and advocated a change to Turkish pan
falcons and a skirt reaching little be-
low the knee.
"At the time I was publishing a
mont hly paper in the same place devoted
to the interests of woman, temperance
and woman's rights being the principal
SUBJECTS. A the editor of The Courier
was opposed to us on the woman's rights
question, this article of mis- gave me an
opportunity to score him one on having
gone so far ahead of us as to advocate
our wearing pantaloons, and in my next
issue noticed him and his proposed
style in half-serious, half-playful arti-
Gle of some length. He tuck up the sub
ject again and expressed surprise that /
should treat SO important matter with
levity. | replied to him more seriously
than before, fully Endorsing and approx
ing his views on the subject of woman's
costume.
about this time, when the readers of
the Lily and the Courier were interested
in and excited over the discussion, Eliza
beth Smith Muller, daughter Of the Hon.
GerrittSmith OF Peterboro, N. Y, APP
peared on the streets of our village
dressed In short skirts and full Turkish
trousers She came on visit to her
cousin Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was
then resident of Seneca Falls. Mrs.
Miller had been wearing the costume
sons two or three months abroad. Just
how she came to adopt it have forgot
ten, ii l ever knew. But she wore 1T with
the full sanction and approval of her
father and husband. During her fathers
term in Congress she was in Washington,
and the papers of that oity described Der
appearance on the streets in the short
costume.
A few days after Mrs. Miller's arrival
in Seneca Falls, Mrs. Stanton came out,
in O dress matte in Mrs Miller's style.
She walked orr streets in q skirt that
came little above the knees, and trou-
sers of the same matsriai-black satin.
Having had part in the discu sion of the
dress question, it seemed proper that /
should practice as preached, and as The
Cournar man advised: ard SO few days
later L, too, donned the new costume,
and in tho next Issue of my paper an-
nounced that fact to my readers. At the
outset had no idea of fully adopting
the style; NO thought of setting fash
ion; no thought that my action would
create al excitement throughout the civ.
ilized world, and give to the style my
name and credit due Mrs. Miller. This
was all the work of the press. / stood
amazed al the furore had unwittingly
caused. Ths New York Tribune CON
tanned the first no tico ! saw of my ac-
ton; Other papers caught it W, and
AebiiNNOd ~ abonp 4bt CAOudukcS I'LL Adu
something to say. Some praised and
some blamed, some common ted, and
some ridlculed and condemned Bloomer-
ism," Bloomerites and Boomers were the
headings OF many an article, item and
squib; and finally some one-I dou't
know to whom l am indebted for the
honor-wrote the Bloomer Costume and
the name has continued to cling to the
short dress in spite of My repeatedly dis
claiming all right to it and giving Mrs.
Miller's name as that of the originator
or the first to wear such dress in public.
Had she not come to us in that style, it
is not probable that either Mrs. Stanton
or myself would have donped it.
My paper had many contributions en-
was for some time kspt before my read
ers. Mrs. Stanton was frequent contri-
butor and ably defended the new style.
She continued TO wear it at home and
abroad, on the lecture platform and in
tn social parlor, for two or three years
and then the pressure brought to bear
upon her by her father and other friends
was so great that she finally yielded to
their wishes and returned to loEg skirts.
Lucy Stone, of the W0man's journal,
adopted and wore the dress for many
years on all occasions; but sho, too,
with advancing years, saw fit to return
to the old style. We all felt that the
dress was drawing attention from what
we thought of far greater Importance
the question of woman's right to better
education, to wider field Of employ
ment, to better remuneration for her
labor, ana to the ballot for the protee-
ton of her rights. In the minds of some
peopls, tho short dress and woman's
rights were insspsrably connected.
With us the dress was but an incident,
and we were not willing to sacrifice
greater questions to it. | have
not worn the short dress for thirty years.
and it docs seem as though in that time
the. interest concerning it must have
died out My reasoEs for abandoning
l have in substance stated above"
Carrying Home Fish.