The herald., 1896-08-23
!. WOMAN IN JOURNALISM F;
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~~>NNoAa W OuiS IldTNelOuS ana
grand, into new worlds Of thought? De-
spite the past ages of environment,
bound within cloistered walls, ever and
anon some meteor from womans sphere
flashed across the orbit of man, startling
him with the possibilities dormant with
IN the imprisoned soul and mind. Ages
OIL education and hereditary qualifica-
tions have prepared woman for the in
evitable that now lies before her; gener-
atoms. of knowledge had been acquired,
| inculcated in the heart of families; gems
OF thought embedded in the mind found
expression through the world of letters
In the arena of journalism woman
| made her way, until she stands equal
with man in logic, versatility, resource
iul IN deed and beauty of diction. While
the old world had its galaxy of women
grand and great, its De Stael, Charlotte
Bronte, Harriet Martineau, George
sand, Elizabeth Browning and. peer of
any, George Eliot, our own land has
peen prolific In its wealth of woman's
tnought. Every circumstance in our ma
tions history has given birth to some
thought In woman's brain that led on to
higher ideals and grand results. Who
VIII deny this to our own Harriet Beech
er Stowe, so lately passed from lfe's
scene or action into the great unknown?
Ihe pioneer woman in American jour-
nailsm was Margaret Craper. of the
massachusetts, Gazette and News-Let-
Ter during the revolution; she paved the
way that has since given to our country
women who have made the literature of
the day broader, purer and grander for
the welding OF her pen.
Not until the year 1887 did woman enter
the field in active journalistic work, and
q 1H n t-s1 r-I.z I. i.
in the half century. after all the past
years considered inferior in intellect, in
capable of taking her place at the side
or her brothers. Once the bars down.
with one bound she stood al the side of
him who had so long looked with pity
and contempt upon her weaker intel
lect." while he held her back by super
stitfen, prejudice and calumny.
In 1887 Ann S. Stephens became the
editorial writer and literary critic on
the New York Evening Express. For
thirty years she held that post In 1857
Mrs. Elizabeth F. Ellet succeeded Mrs
Stephens as literary editor, her duties
elsewhere giving her time only for the
editorial department. In the inter-
vening years. other women had entered
the field and had made marked i'm
preston in the literary world by the
strength, vigor freshness and brill
liancy that our women of today, bright |
and gifted as many of them are, have
not surpassed, and not few Won name |
and enduring fame.
Among those women were Mrs. Sarah |
Josepha Hale, and the Grimke sisters, |
Sarah and Angelina. AS oppo-- |
tunities offered for women in journalism,
many held important positions on New |
York and Philadelphia papers and mag
azines.
In 1S41 Mrs. Lydia Maria Chlds, one
of the best known and read authors of
that day, entered the arena of journal |
ism as editor of the Anti-Slavery
Standard. Prior to this she had con-
Quoted the Juvenile Miscellany. For
eight years she conducted this pioneer
for children and established
her ability as a writer and manager. For
two years she conducted the Standard
alone, afterwards for six years in con-
junction with her husband. Her best |
work was as special correspondent for
the Boston Courier from 1912 to 1914.
sion. u,.
In 1S43 Miss Cornelia Wells waiter
took charge of the editorial departemht
of the Boston Transcript. What more
can be said than that her work Vas
accredited equal to any of her mascuilne
In 1874 Margaret fuller, !
of whom one writer says. To represent |
this modern Hypatia. this Yankee Co
rinue this feminine Socrates, ana nlEe-
teenth century Sybil as well-rounoe9
specimen of womanly perfectlon Woulo
be a monstrous mistake ana lie as |
we'll. To me she Is more like comet |
brilliant. fitful. irregular in orbit a lit |
tie dangerous if brought too near, quite |
and thoroughly fascinat- |
ing" but withal we'll beloved by those |
who knew her best. At the request or |
Horace Greeley she came from Boston
TO New York to become the literary ed
Ia 1Nvih n work
Tribune she set the standard of criti-
cisrn at high water mark. Before enter
ing upon the Tribune she had founded
and edited that famout quarterly, The
Dial, the organ of the transcendental
movement. At that time Mr.. Frothing-
ham said that next to Emerson Marga-
ret Fuller was the most noble represent
ative of this new departure, peer OF
the realm in this new world of thought
In this same year Mrs. Childs made
her brilliant entree in the world of let
ters Mrs. Jane G. Swissheln, in the
Louisville Journal, by her earnest, ag-
gressive, yet withal Vivacious mind,
stamped q new era for the Journal and
won her way to literary fame. In a
short time she became special cores
pondent for the Spirit of Liberty.
While the women of the east were wax
ing the thoughts of the people, western
girl startled the reading public into
fever of enthusiasm by her letters in the
Home Journal, Saturday Gazette, Sat
urday Evening Post and National Press.
Grace Greenwood yet in her teens took
her place in journalism as one of the
most brilliant, clear-sighted and versa
tile of newspaper correspondents. In
1868 Mrs Mary L. Booth took charge
of the initial number of Harper's Bazar
She won her reputation as historian of
New York and translator she rendered
in English Gasparin's famous Uprising
of a Great People.
Our list grows and where can we draw
the line, for contemporaneouS with these
women We're Mrs. Frances D. Gage, Mrs.
Nichols. Gail Hamilton at this time
made a brilliant dash into journalism
and Mrs. Pauline Wright Davis gave q
new Interpretation to the field of litera-
ture. In 1856 Miss Cunningham, famil-
lar to all as Jennie June, in a new de-
parture as a fashion writer in the Sun
| day Dispatch made her name a house
! hold word and for twenty-seven years
! she edited the Demorest Magazine.
, During the civil war Mrs. Rebecca
! Harding Davis, Mrs. Lucia Gilbert Cal
| houn, Mrs. Louise Chandler Moulton,
Mary Clemmer Ames. who ennobled
| journalism by her profound conviction
! Of its moral significance her work be it
poetry or politics, has always in it the
| inspira tional element" And can we
! pass by our own Kate Field, SO brilliant
| and versatile for whom we have lately
been called to grieve that her life work
is over, that the ready hand and fertils
| brain can no longer add luSter to the
realm of literary thought.