The herald., 1898-03-03
CONVENTION IS CLOSED
THE MOST sUccEssFuL IN IT'S
HISTORY
Interesting Program at Yesterdays
Session Of the Woman's Press Club.
Banquet This Evening

The Southern California Woman's Press
club closed the most successful conven.
tion in the four years Of Its existence
yesterday afternoon. The morning ses-
sion was devoted to the transaction OF
routine business the meeting being opened
with a brief informal talk by the presl-
dent on the decided progress in growth and
strength in the past year, and pointing out
that the most serious obstacle the club
has to contend with is a permanent place
Of meeting. The membership being limited
to those actively engaged in journalistic
and literary work, the organization is'nec-
essarily small and the treasury corre-
spondingly lean, too poor to pay room
rent. Until some philanthropic soul offers
the club a temporary home the work will
be hampered.
After the reports of committees and Of
ficers, the club proceeded to the election
of officers, which resulted as follows:
President, Mrs. Mary A. Bowman; first
vice-president, Mrs. Clara S. Brown, both
reelected; vice-presidents for each coun-
ty Santa Barbara, Mrs. Emma M. Hard
acre; San Diego, Mrs. Lila w. Sickler,
Pala; Riverside, Mrs. l.. NJ. Reynolds; San
Bernardino, Mrs. Mary Linde Craig; re-
cording secretary, Mrs. Mary l.. Harris.
Boyle Heights; corresponding secretary.
Mrs. Jennie McMullin; treasurer, Mrs. S.
NJ Sweet, Pomona; auditor, Miss Mar
garet M. Fettee; chairman for program
committee, Mrs. Isabel Winslow, Pasa-
dena; librarian, Miss Belle Dem.
The room was filled when the hour arrived
for the opening of the afternoon session.
The first paper of the afternoon was read
by Mrs. Rose Hartwick Thorpe. THE
Story of the Curfew Bell" Mrs. Thorpe
prefaced her paper with humorous de-
scription of hobbies, and how the curfew
had been thrust upon her as hobby by
the newspapers and magazines. She has
related the history of how she came to
write it ten to twenty times a year in the
past twenty-five years. She is interviewed
by individuals and is compelled to tell the
story over again, and the recent revival
of the curfew ordinance has stirred up
magazines to demanding a new supply of
articles on the oft-told tale. She finds
herself called the "curfew woman" and
is sometimes introduced to strangers as
Mrs Curfew."
Mrs. Thorpe dealt with the history of
the curfew from the time of William the
Conqueror, when 1t is supposed to have
become a law or custom for protection
from fires, down to the present time. In
all those centuries the custom has always
obtained in some shape or other. For the
special story, as related in the poem, she
has learned from English authority
there is foundation of fact.
The next paper, Some People in Our
Yard" by Mrs. Elizabeth Grinnell of
Pasadena, with some notifications, was an
extract from book of that title which has
just been published by her. The people
in our backyard proved to be birds of
which the more commonly known kinds
were deScribed-the mocker, humming
bird. the California robin and the finch.
These were compared to people; the points
of resemblance and difference were very
cleverly taken. The thread of humor and
that ran through it was enjoyed
by the audience and the speakers ami
mated manner in reading held the interest
of her hearers to the end.
Uncle Rastus' Opinion of the New Wo-
man." humorous story in negro dialect,
by Mrs. Elizabeth A. Vore completed the
literary part of the program.
Miss Nell Connor played acceptably a
piano solo. Los Castagnette," by Kelten.
Miss Grace Hersee, pupil of the Willard
school, sang vocal solo. with Verdure
Clad" from THE Creation" Miss Hersee
has clear, pure soprano voice and sings
with rare feeling. AS an encore, she gave
"Tirzah's Serenade." from ben Hur," by
G. L. Osgood, a brother of Captain Os-
good of this city.
Mrs. C. NJ. Severance being called to the
platform, made brief but pertinent talk
and Mrs. Spring recited 1.-The Diver"
These ladies are both honorary members
of the club
This evening the club will give a banquet
to a few guests in the Friday Morning
club rooms, which will close the fourth
annual convention.