The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-05-08
TRIBUTE TO A MOTHER.
what Charles E, PinlSham Says of the
Famous Lydia Il. Her Actual Persoh-
rlity and Her BenefnctiOns.

nlity and Her BenefncttOns.
(From the Chicago Times lIerald.)
lydia f. Pinkhan, who is so widel
known by the benign face in tn,
celebrated patent medicine advertise
ment, is not, as many people suppose
myth. To this fact there is no stronge
evidence than her son, Charles III
Pjnkham, whom the Times Herald re
porter had the pleasure of interview
ing today.
Lydia Pinkham's personality ha
probably never been described in an.
of the publications illuminated by he
kindly portrait. but that she was /
Living force in the world was positive
fact.
Charles II. Pinkham passed through
Chicago the other day ON his way Il
spend a vacation in the west To {
representative of the Times Herald hi
spoke feelingly of his mother and the
painful impression that prevails IN
some quarters as to her non existence.
"Of course" said Mr. Pinkham,
"the mere idea is absurd to me, her
son, who knew her to be the kindest,
sweetest, gentlest mother in the world.
| She was all her portrait speaks her
| to doing all the good she could in this
weary world. "
SIMPLE LIFE AND SYMPATHETIC.
''Her life was simple and her heart
full of sympathy and tender feeling.
A ftcr the business grew with almost
miraculous rapidity, she devoted her
entire time to it, or at least to that
branch of it which related to CORE
spondence with women seeking her adj
vice, and her pleasure was in that du'
ty. ! am proud to say that my moth
err was not myth, and that there was
not drop OF selfishness in her make
up.
Mrs. Pinkham was unique among
the makers of proprietary medicines.
She was the first to print her portrait
in her advertisements and that face
has seldom failed to warm the heart
of any one who has seen it. Mr.. Pink
ham carries portrait of his mother
in his inside pocket. It's the face of
the advertisement sure enough.
lydia Estes--that was her maiden
name-was born in Lynn, Mass, and
before her marriage she taught school
in the little Yankee town. Her parents
were Quakers, and it was in that sim
pie fraternity she exhibited her early
ideas of Kindness. Her husband was
successful rea-estate man, and pos
sessed considerable wealth. There
were four children, two of whom
Charles II. Pinkham and Aroline
Chase Pinkham- survive, and who
now own the business equally.
FIRST BREWING on A STOVE.
Mrs. Pinkham had for years brewed
the compound that now bears her
name. on her Kitchen stove, and had
given it away to her neighbors When !
the panic Of 1873 came Mr.. Pinkham, |
senior. lost his fortune. II was while !
the family were in straitened circum
stances that one day two ladies drove |
to the Pinkham residence and asked /
Mrs. Pinkham to sell some of her al I
ready famous compound. This fact /
suggested the bright idea of making /
the medicine in quantities and offer |
ing it for sale. What followed, every
newspaper reader nows. She insisted
% CARRYING on her own correspond
nnce, sharing her work with her
lau ghter. in law, Mrs Charles II. Pink
nam, and she soon came to be regard
I'd as public benefactor. This title
she deserved in ample measure.
When she died she bequeathcd her
place at the head OF the business to
Ter daughter, who today, with years
If experience and study, and by the
lid Of corps of assistants, personally
attends to the great mass Of CORE
,pondence that flows in and out of the
zig concern in Lynn ;and that bond Of
ntidence so thoroughly established
between Lydia +. and the women of ;
America, whereby they were enabled /,
o talk freely of their private illness
o woman, has never been broken. {
1t has been the aim of this great /
children to carry on the work I
egun by the mother in the same spirit {
( kindness that characterized her {
hole life. {
Lydia f.. Pinham is more than I
Ispenser of medicine. She is a fact '
\ history. /