Evening star., 1897-01-13
She Talks of Her Past and Of Her
Future Plans.
HER ONE AMBITION NOW IN LIFE
She Wants to Establish a Hospital
forsc Consumption.
PROGRESS OF DRESS REFORM

DR.. Mary Walker, famous throughout
the United States as the first woman to
adopt mans apparel In this country, is in
the city and was at the Capitol today. DR..
Walker was seen by Star reporter, and
to him she gave an account Of her present
ambitions in life
DR.. Walker still wears the dress that has
for years made her conspicuous every
where she has gone She wears high-top-
PED mans boots, frock coat, black
trousers, q top coat, and swings herself as
gracefully as she walks about as ever did
Ward McAlIster in his palmy days as a
gallant. Dr.. Walker believes that great
progress has been made among women in
throwing or the fetters of custom, which
has. IN her opinion, without warrant, kept
them In skirts these many years.
Progress Of Dress Reform.
Many women come to me- said DR..
Walker, land tell me how much they wish
they could adopt the dress / wear, II they
could only do SO without attracting public
attention and unpleasant comment. For
this reason they hesitate to be known as
women wearing mans dress. and for this
reason. too. very many women who have
to go out into the world to earn living
aoopt' the dress OF men and pass men,
when l was in Chicago a woman came to
me and said that for three years she had
a
large office, where only men could seek
employment, and that she was young
man among young men, She mixed with
them on equal terms and kept her disguise
a secret. "'
Many other women are doing this same
thing. You do not know when you meet
them but they have thrown off the thral-
dom or corsets and skirts, and, not wishing
TO nave 1t known that they are women, be-
cause itw ould make them conspicuous,
pass as men.
This is one of the ways in which the
dress reform among women, which I was
the first to introduce, has been gaining
LeadWay. But 1t has gained headway in
many other ways. The bloomer is an ex-
preston of the idea l have long advocated
only in form that seems to have been
more readily adopted by women Women
have adopted this form of dress for BIZ
cycling and for mountain climbing to a
very large extent. Then, too, the custom
prevailing at bathing beaches is partly an
oItgroWth of woman's independence In
dress
Years ago only few women would go to
the beach, put on bathing suits and enjoy
dip in the surf, Now any woman does
not think anything. of doing SO, and there is
no mock modesty about her. A man cannot
form any conception Of the Inconvenience Of
womans dress, but every woman knows
how her dress, drags her down, makes her
life burden, Through weaknesses con-
tracted by II and causes her face to
Not so Strong as Formerly.
you do notl ssem to change in appear
ance through the, course of years." sug-
gested the reporter.
"Oh, but I iam not nearly so strong as
when was in Washington formerly. It is
now between seven and eight years since
I left this city. had received a very
serious fall, which cracked the bone of
my leg in several places, and that con-
fined me to my bed here for year. Even
row | have tp bahdage my leg from the
knee down and ] cannot stand as much rs
l use d to- The doctors told me that my
leg would have to be amputatet hut told
them that I knew better and that would
not amputate it. But the suffering that
has come to me through this accident has
horne quite heavily upon me, and If
We're to give up most people do when
they are i'll would have died years ago."
II would not ask woman her age. DIR.
Walker" said the reporter, ''but as you
have thrown off all woman's weakness.
may inquire how many years have pass
ed over your"
"oh," replied DR.. Mary, little i'll at
ease, and laughing nervously, 4 am pretty
ear as old as Methuselah.
II see you have one of woman's weak
ness, even II you lave thrown off all 9TH
ers." suggested the reporter.
WELL" said DR.. Mary, Il do not tell my
age because it Is the weakness Of all men
to want to know every wOman's age, and
think 1t IL just as well not to satisfy their
curiosity.
What are your present plans2' the re-
porter asked. s,
A Hospital for Consumptives.
IT have come here" she replied, ito see
If can interest people in the establishment
Of hospital for consumptives. 1 have
piacs containing about thirty-three acres
four miles and half from our old home
at Oswego, NY, and before die hope to
establish there a hospital In which can
plant for time to come my methods for the
cure Of consumption.
IT have not any lymph to offer or any
thing of that sort to cure tuberculosis. All
this talk about microbes getting down
ones threat and causing consumption is
nonsense. That theory was put forth by
certain very emtnent''-with stress laid
upon eminent, and with a sarcastic turn to
her voice-"physfcians of Europe, and has
been adopted by other eminent physicians
in this country. But there is nothing In
it."