The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-03-11
THE WOMAN'S PRESS CLUB
First Sessions Of the Second Annual
Convention Held Yesterday
Addresses by Popular Literary Women Of the
Coast With Readings Of Original Com.
poslfIons-Program Today

The first day of the second annual con-
vsntion of the Southern California Wo-
mans Press club held in the assembly
hall of the chamber of commerce yester-
day was a paving of the way for an inter.
esting program to be given today.
There will be three sessions; one in the
morning to be devoted to the election of
officers and to other business matters, the
second, in the afternoon al 2 o'clock, to be
of an instructive nature, at which number
of the women of the press will present
papers in different phases of literature.
Mrs. Jeanne c. Carr of Pasadena and Mrs.
c. M. Severance of Los Angeles will also
take part in the exercises with addresses.
The evening sessions will combine pro-
grams of literary character, Of musical
features, and Of q social element Read
ings will be given, interspersed with seiec-
tons by the Guitar and Mandolin club,
and speeches will be made by Mayor
RAIDER and number of men of letters OF
Los Angeles, to be followed by an hour of
general sociality.
At the convention yesterday business
session was held at 10 a ~, with the pres
ident, Mrs. NJ. Burton williamson, avs
chairman. The annual reports of officers
and standing committees were presented,
with other statistics, which were discussed.
In the afternoon at o'clock there was an
informal session of Rotations, readings
and talks on press lines. From the repu-
tation for literary eminence of the mem
bers of the Woman's Press club, a program
brimful of learning, brilliant with wit and
overlooking with wisdom might have been
expected. As it was, there was nothing
startling and the matter presented was in
perfect harmony with the keynote forming
the basis of the organization-a combined
element of entertainment and instruction
to confer both pleasure and practical ben
eft to each individual worker.
The Country Weekly. written by Mrs.
Arthur G. Mum of the San Jacintc Regis
ter and read by Mrs. M. Burton William
son, was the first paper presented. This
was intended to overthrow the common
idea that the country newspaper and its
editor today belong TO the rustic era of a
sleepy village, savorlng of COWS and dali
sizes, with ideal characters of sky-blue-eyed
maidens and ungainly youths. Humorous
sketches we're given of the old country
stores, pervaded with a farming element,
and of the air of idleness that character
lied the home of the country editor and the
newspaper office. 1.-The country hayseed,"
said the speaker. 'does not hold forth in
Southern California. The small towns
here are SO progressive that there is
nothing in common with the ordinary idea
of country newspaper work." Distinctions
were then drawn between the farmer of
the east and the ranchers of the west, with
the difference in education and attain
ments. Southern California country week.
lies were described with their latest ap-
proved appliances of machinery and man.
agement as not suffering from a compare
son with the newspapers of large towns
and cities. The feature that women were
becoming successful editors was also dwelt
upon.
A paper on Descriptive Writing, by Mrs.
Emma 5. Marshall of Oakland, which was
next read by Mrs. Mary NJ. Bowman of
Los Angeles, contained useful hints to
young writer's. 1.-THE skill of descriptions
depends not so much on the features of a
place, which may be time worn, travelled
over many times and done to DEATH she
said, las in vivid delineaton of impress.
sions. Two persons may be sent to de-
scribe pine forest the one sees poetry in
the gaunt trees which, for the other,m mar the
scene. The first writes as it impresses her,
she hears music in the swaying of the
boughs. She finds harmony in the sur
roundiDgs if she sees squirrel dart by. TO
her it Is a touch of life. She depicts a
scene combining the realistic and idealistic
with the practical. The second catches no
breath of the forest, no signing of the
tree, or the rustling of the leaves at her
feet. She drives away the squirrel and sits
down to statistics. To make perfect pic
tlIre is to throw about the deep shadows
of actual description the high lights of a
bright and absorbing vision" Suggestions
were also given in reference to the use of
the camera for furnishing illustrations
necessary for descriptive writing.
Mrs. Sadie i. Metcalfe of South Los An
geles read an original poem, pretty COM
position entitled The Scientific Man, and
Miss Gwendolen Overton, by special re.
quest, read an original love story entitled,
The False Mascot.
dosia B. Shepard of Ventura. was the next
number OH the program. On account of
illness Mrs. Shepard could not attend. and
in her place Mrs. Clara Spalding Brown
read an original composition, The Trials of
a Writer, which set forth in very natural
and witty manner the discouragements of
the present day literary woman.
Puzzleistic literature. by Mrs. Lila W.
Sickler of Pala, we'll known as An author of
this style of writing. under the name of
Atalanta, was next read by Mrs. Jennie
McMullin. 1t was explained that the OBJ
ject of pLzzleistic literature was to instruct;
that the puzzle element was introduced to
combine with the love of mystery, that
most people possess. desire for that re-
search necessary to solve an exit from O
labyrinth.
Mrs. johnson of Des Moiues, Ia. travel
ing correspondent of the Mail and Express,
who was in The audience, was called upon
for an address. In reply this very charm
ing woman gave an informal talk on liter
airy matters and women's press clubs gen.
orally that was most entertaining and was
received with much appreciation.