The herald., 1897-03-11
THE LADIES OF THE PRESS
Concluded Their Third Annual Couven.
tion Yesterday
A Large Variety Of Interesting Papers Read.
Good Health and Good Literature.
"Reminiscences Of Stevenson

The annual meeting of the Woman's
Press club closed yesterday with an aft
ernoon session, the usual morning busi-
ness meeting having been dispensed
with.
There was a good audience present
when the meeting was called to order
at o'clock. The first paper on the pro-
gram, entitled Good Health and Good
Literature" was written by DR.. o. $.
Eddy Orcutt of San Diego, formerly one
of the editors of the Southwest News,
published in Los Angeles.
The ideas embodied in the paper were
that good writer's were not, as a rule.
people of robust health. The most noted
names in the literature Of the past were
people of frail physique. Brain work Is
very exhaustive to the health, and those
who elect to follow the calling of wri-
ter. or newspaper worker, must pay the
penalty.
Mrs. Clara Spalding Brown followed
in an entertaining paper on "A Day in
Salem" She gave brief sketch OF the
history of the old town and the con-
spicuous part 1t has played in the early
settlement of the country. The day
spent there was in company with the
Woman's Press club of Boston. who
were cordially received and courteously
shown the many interesting sights to be
seen there They visited the museum
and saw numerous relics of the time OF
the Salem witchcraft, and rambled over
the old houses and buildings, so many OF
which are intimately connected with the
life and writings Of Nathaniel Haw-
thorne.
Miss Gertrude Foster favored the au
dience with a very finished recitation,
Archie Dean, and in response to the en-
thusiastic applause that followed. re-
sponded with Riley's Little Orphant
Annie.
Rev. Mia Tupper Maynard gave an
instructive address on Hypnotic Sug-
gestion."
"Hypnotism,' she said. has passed
the point of doubt. 1t is acknowledged
by scientists to be just as real as elec-
tricity. 1t is a mistake to suppose that
hypnotic subjects are weak or abnormal
in any way. In many Instances the
hypnotic suggestions were given. 1t Is
not vague thing, but a definite in
fiuence."
The speaker pointed out the danger
to society from the publication in ex-
tense of crime and suicide in the daily
press.
Miss Stella Kendall. Mrs. F. S. Day.
Mrs. c. S. Brown and Mrs. F. s. Munson,
a quartet from the Treble Clef club, sang
the old favorite, annie Laurie"
They were loudly encored and re-
sponded with a second selection, my
Native Land"
Mrs Carmen Austen read an interest
ing paper entitled Personal Reminis-
| cences of Stevenson" Mrs Austen
spoke with critical discrimination and
| appreciation of Stevenson's books and
4 1to kr,fk <.fh hi oh, ~
acter. Her personal acquaintance with
the novelist was during life at Honolulu,
| of which she was also resident AS
man he was peerless and was absolutely
without an enemy. Though possessing
fine musical taste, he could never be
persuaded to play on anything but a
| jewsharp.
One of the gems of the afternoon was
the solo sung by Miss Emma Powell Of
Atlanta, Ga. Miss Powell possesses u
| full, rich, vibrant voice, which has re-
| ceived the most thorough musical cult
| ure She sings with exceptional power
| and expression. Not waiting for the
usual tiresome encore and return to the
stage, she graciously kept her place and
| sang a waltz song to the delight of her
| hearers.
The last paper of the afternoon was
| that of Mrs. Williamson, formerly pres
ident of the club, Writing as Pastime."
| She made a convincing argument for
the scrbbler who writes for pastime
and showed very clearly that all the
noted names in literature were at one
time amateurs. While 1t Is true that
all amateur writer's Will not become pro-
fessionals, she said 1t is equally true
that all professionals were at one time
amateurs.
The performance concluded with
poem written by Mrs. H. Winthrop
| Waring of Montecito, entitled "a Santa
Barbara Day." read by Miss Lillian
! Whelpley. s,.sss
| The committee on resolutions consist
ing of Mrs Clara s. Brown, Mrs. s. A.
| Bowman, Mrs. Burton Williamson, re-
ported resolutions of thanks to the Y
M. c. A. for their auditorium, comfort
ably heated, to the newspapers of the
city, to the Santa Fe and Terminal
Railway companies, the Banning COM
pany, Darling, Pratt & Co., who pro-
vide for the clubs entertainment at
johannesburg. to Miss Delphine Todd.
Miss Emma Foster the Treble Clef quar-
| tet and all who generously contributed
| to the success of the convention.