The Portland daily press., 1897-11-23
WOMEN'S COUNCIL,
Interesting Meetings at Chestnut st.
Vestry Yesterday.
REPORTS RECEIVED FROM THE
DIFFERENT SOCIETIES.

Good Deal of Good Work Done the Past
Year-.Fine Music From Favorite Sing
ers-Interesting Address of Mrs. Isa-
belle C. Davis of New York.
The audience that assembled in Chest
nut street church for the Women's Coun-
Gil meeting on Monday afternoon, was
not so large as it ought to have been, for
the reports of the II societies belonging to
the council were extremely interesting.
Mrs Hunt, the vice president at large.
called the meeting. to order, and the ex-
ercises opened with singing of From all
that dwell below the skies, /" aud repeat
ing the Lords Prayer.
In the absence of Mrs. Merrill, Mrs.
Hunt read an abstract of Mrs. Merrills
report, in which she spoke Of. the courtesy
OF various gentlemen in our city who had
kindly given their services for lectures
for the educational influence of the coun-
Gil. There have been two patriotic meet
ing at City hall, on Lincoln's birthday
and Fourth of July, at which there had
been eloquent addresses by Dr. Blan-
chard and DR.. Bodies.
The efforts of the Council SO far, in try
ing to.place women on the school board,
had been defeated, but the president felt
that the idea was now becoming better
understood, that the women did hot wish
to displace men in this work, but to
cooperate with them.
Mrs. Payson delighted the audience by
singing the Bonnie, Bonnie Banks of
Loch Lomond,'' after which Mrs. Jordan
gave her report for the Portland Fraterni-
| ty. Mrs. Jordan began by.saying that SO
much OF the work in charity is duplioat-
ed, that the branch of the Women's Coun-
| Gil which went at the root of the work of
the various organizations in order to find
out what each one Is specially doing, was
very helpful.
| Mrs. Jordan said that the Portland
fraternity now stood for social settle
ment work" and although the work is
yet in only formative condition, the
outlook is hopeful. For the practical part
of it there is a reading room, circulating
library, penny savings bank, cooking
class and sewing school for a hundred
little girls, besides the kindergarten and
social clubs. Another important feature
of the work is the visiting, which is done
in thoroughly fraternal spirit and
brings about reciprocal interest between
the parents and the teachers through
the children.
GAS one of the branches of the council
| is patriotic instruction. said Mrs Hunt,
''we will now hear from the delegates
from the Bosworth Relief Corps
Mrs. Gilman spoke of the deep interest
Of the Bosworth Relief Corps in the work
of the council and said that although the
society was perhaps not the Oldest in the
council, it may be the largest, as 1t repre-
sents three hundred and ninety -seven
banded together by the common feeling
of having lost ssomess.. near and dear one
in our great rebellion. The motto of
tho society is Fraternity, Charity and
Loyalty, and it is secret society, sub
sidiary to the g. A. r. The mem bers,
besides giving aid in charity, have the
sacred trust of assisting in decorating
graves of those who fell in. battle. This
society meets every Friday afternoon at
the Bosworth Post and is represented in
each ward by a, member of the Relief
Corps, who look into.cases where assis-
tance is needed.
Mrs. johnson gave the report for the
Temporary Home, which shescharacter-
lied as "far-reaching charity for it
not only helps some of the unfortunate
women in the world, who might other
wise become pest to the community, but
in the assistance givensthe children of
these women, the effect in the commu-
nifty for good, must be 'far-reaching."
Mrs. Albert Cole, in representing the
| W. q. L. u, gave a most interesting re-
port of the wonderfully planned work of
this organization in it's natural work.
Mrs. Cole spoke of the various depart
ments, divisions of the work, represented
in Evangelistic educational. social de-
partments, the temperance hospital, the
kindergarten branch, and also the depart
ment for scientific temperance instruction
in the public schools.
Mrs. Harrington spoke.for the Samari-
tan Association which, she said, is now
beginning its Goth year, and although
it has been sometimes hard to raise the
money, the gratefulness OF those helped
has more than paid for the effort. Only
deserving cases are assisted, and the in
vestigating committee has ever been con-
scientious and energetic IN its work, SO
the society feels its money has always
been we'll expended.
Mrs. Day represented the Woman's For
eign Missionary Society of Chestnut
street church which, she said, varied but
little in its work from year to year. This
money is given for a Bible woman in
India, as well as a school there, and for
a scholarship in Corea.
The work among the members them
selves had been reciprocally helpful as