Evening star., 1896-07-07

many from the surrounding country would
gather in the streets of the town and spend
their time in idle conversation with men
and with each other.
After giving the subject a great deal of
consideration. Mrs. Washington secured a
vacant room over a large store, and caused
announcement to be made that on the fol-
lowing Saturday and at a given hour she
would be pleased to meet all the women
who chose to call there.
The hour arrived. Mrs. Washington was
In her place to receive visitors, but none
came. Finally a small boy peeped into the
room Mrs. Washington spoke to him kind
ly and he ventured farther In. Mrs. Wash
fngton asked the boy If he had seen any
women down the street, and he replied. lots
of them.
At Mrs. Washington's request the boy
went back to the street and told every
woman he met that there was lady in the
room who wanted to see her, and after
much persuasion about a dozen agreed to
go and meet the lady,
AS they entered the room Mrs Washing
ton, as she afterwaId told a friend, was
nlied with fear and trembling. She want
ed to tell them Of the plans she had formed
to help them to be and to do better but for
however, the words came to her. and her
hearers received her message gladly and
p, omised hearty cooperation.
club was at once formed and ever
since 1t has been meeting regularly. The
nandfui OF members with which 1t was
started has increased to more than 200 and
II is said that the amount of good that
has been done by the members is almost
incaiculable.
Some Who Are Expected.
Among those who are expected to attend
the convention besides those already named
are: Mrs. Frances F. w. Harper and Mrs
Fanny Jackson Coppin of Philadelphia,
| Pa; Mrs. Katie v. Karmand of New York,
| Mrs Adelini Donge. Albany, n. Y; Mrs. r.
Jerome Jeffery, Rochester, n. Y; Mrs. A
| A. Casneau. Miss Elizabeth Smith. Mrs. j.
| ST. Pierre Ruffin. Mrs. Agnes Adams, Bos-
| ton, Mass; Mrs. NJ. F. Pitts, St. Louis,
No; Mrs. Sylvania F. Williams, New Or
| leans; Miss Mary V. Cook, Cane Springs
| KY; Mrs. A. S. Gray, Mrs. NJ. G. Terrell,
Mrs. b. X. Bruce and Mrs. Rosetta Law
Denver, Col; Mrs Willie Layton, Los
Angeles, Cali; Miss Ida b. Wells. Mrs W.
| r. Matthews, Flora Batscn Bergen, Fan
| ME Barrier Williams, Mrs. Amanda Smith,
| others.
! Prominent among those who are expected
| to address the convention during it's de-
| alterations are: Mrs. Booker T. Washing
ton. Mrs. Francis E. w. Harper, Mrs. F. j.
| Coppln. Mrs. Matthews, Mrs. Jesse Law
son, Mrs. A. S. Gray and Miss Ida 3.
! Wells.
| Mrs. Booker r. Warrington.
Mrs Booker T. Washington, the wife OF
| the founder of the Tuskegee Normal and
| Industrial Institute, in the black belt of
Alabama, is a graduate of Fisk University.
| she was elected president Of the National
| Federation Of Afro-American Women in
| Boston in July last and has. through ear
nest and well-directed effort. kept the OBJ
| ject and aims constantly before the colored
| women of the country. She has accom-
| plished wonderful results through organ
| lied womanhood in her own section and III
| an incredibly short time the Tuskegee Wo
| IN han
| hundred members under her direction. Sa US
| she In an address to the women Of her
| race: 'TrLe honored womanhood. snlight-
| ened motherhood, and happy, comfortable
| homes can only be secured by concerted
| effort on the part of the women of cur
| land. Her ardent desire seems to be to
| unite the women of her race in a purpose
| noble and true, tending TO the upbuildine
| of the masses.
| She was first vice president of the Allan
| Ia congress and did much to add to the
| success of that organiZatton: is an indefati-
| gable worker along lines of intellectual and
| Industrial education, and woman of strong
| Christian piety..
| Mrs. Frances f. w. Harper.
| Mrs. Frances +. W. Harper was born in
| Baltimore, Nd, in 1875. Her parents were
| not slaves. and yet she was subjected to the
| inconveniences and ill influences of the
| slave law. which held within its grasp both
| bond and free. Before her third year her
| mother died, and from that time until she
| was thirteen years old she was cared fol
| by her uncle, who sent her to school.
Before she was of age her first volume
| Forest Leaves was published. She took
| a great interest in the slavery agitation
| and assisted many slaves In escaping from
\ bondage to freedom.
| Mrs. Harper has for many years been a
| most energetic temperance worker and has
| held sway with the Woman's Christian
| Temperance Union as no other Afro-Ameri-
| can woman has ever done, and her work
| In this respect has given the race grea,
| prestige before the world.
| She is regarded as profound writer ir
both prose and poetry: lecturer of no or.
| binary tact and ability: a master-hand a,
| whatever she applies herself Her pen is
| ever at work; her writings are many and
| varied.
Mrs. Fannie NJ. jackson Coppin.
OF Mrs. Fannie NJ. Jackson Coppin i,
| is said: 'She has a giant intellect and
| powerful force of character, with keen
Insight to duty, and a wise zealousness ir
| the discharge Of the same with well-devel.
| oped business capacity of unusual pro-
| portions, and supported by strong exec
utive and financial Abilities
Mrs. Coppin was born a slave in Wash
| ington. D. c., and was purchased by her
| aunt. Mrs. Sarah Clark. She was then
sent to Newport, r. l.. where she attend
cd school, graduating some years later at
| tne ltlgn ScnOol. Sne then entered Oberlin
| College, Ohio, where che took the mems
/ course, because in the course laid down
| for the women there were certain studies
| omitted. She proved herself equal to the
task and stood side by side, and shoulder
| to shoulder with the men, in whose de-
| partment she had entered.
| Mrs. Jackson has the honor Of being the
| first colored person to teach class a,
| Oberlin College, which she did with sue
cess for two years.
After relinQuishing her position at Ober-
| lin she removed to Philadelphia, where
| abe ut 1SSG-'SS she began a movement to
| have an industrial school opened, so tha,
| colored young men and women could learn
trades that would be useful to them in
| after life. She succeeded in purchasing a
lot of land at a cost of s17, 600 and erected
| thereon buildings in which nearly 4UU per-
| sons are learning trades.
| The men learn stone masonry, plastering
| bricklaying, carpentry. shoemaking. tail
| orinS anu typewriting, and the women
| dressmahing, millinery and cooking. This
| immense undertaking has been from its
| beginning the work of Mrs. Coppin, who
| has successfully carried 1t to completion
| raising by her own personal efforts eyeyy
| cent of the enormous cost of this indus
| trial work. She has. Travelled extensively
| in the United States and also in foreign
| countries.
Mrs. w. E. Matthews.
Mrs. w. E. Matthews. Victoria Earle,
hn g lad