Omaha daily bee., 1898-05-15
MAIDEN MAYOR OF kENDRICK.
A Girl Os Twenty Two Runs n Whole
MuuiCt ua1ity in Idaho.

A Girl Os Twenty-TvO Runs n whole
Municipality in Idaho.
A bright faced girl presides over the des-
tinies Of Kendrick, Idaho, as mayor. She
did not, leading host OF offended femninity,
assault the battlements of man and wrest
from him municipal power; she was elected
b: the people-ali tho people--anl no voters
ever intrusted such pow,t with 50 much
confidence both in ability and the intent OF
the recipient thereof to faithfully and hon
estly discharge the onerous duties pertain
ing to public Office
Search the world over and it is doubtful
If a parallel case will be found In the
heyday of maidenhood, with the gayeties
and the frivolities Of life spread out before
her, Miss Jessie Parker, for such is the
name Of Hendricks mayor eschews them
all and assumes the perplexing cares con-
nected with the administration of the af-
fairs of a young western municipality, with
sidewalks to be laid, streets to be improved,
buildings constructed and frequent and
bothersOme meetings with men who pre-
sent all sorts of schemes for city advance
ment, from sawmills to railroads. Trials
and tribulations confront this maiden mayor,
but she has entered into the discharge Of her
duties with vim.
Miss Parker is very prepossessing young
woman With % years to her credit, she
bears all the freshness to which her age
entities her, and above all, she possesses a
keen intellect, with admirable faculties Of
discernment. All these attainments were
weighed when Miss Parker was nominated.
While for a year the women of Idaho
have exercised the franchise outside of
school positions, none of them has held Of
fee. Miss Parker is the first
1.-The men were very kind to me all the
way through" she said, land that counted
a great deal. think I should have been
tempted to have given 1t UP in the very
middle of the campaign If there had been
any disposition shown to make such fight
on me as l had known to be conducted be-
tween man and man. Strong arguments
were used against me and my supporters
and myself essayed to answer them. / say
strong arguments; they were only strong
arguments when viewed through the oppo-
sition eye, for they all resolved themselves
into the simple objection that women did
not have as much sense as men and there
fore were not qualified to hold office. or
course they did not say that in SO many
words They were very polite about 1T, and
we as politely informed them that our
humble judgment was that not all the
knowledge of the world was to be found
beneath unfeathered hats.
"As to my plans for the future, l have
not yet had sufficient time to fully deter
mine. l am only one of five and while
expect to exert an influence with the coun-
cil still my duties are limited. l Will have
a voice in all matters looking to the ad-
vancement and Improvement OF the city
and will appoint policemen. etc, but am
without a voice, of course, excepting in case
of a tie. However the council and myself
are in harmony on the general policy OF
our administration and I anticipate no dis
sension."
Miss Parker was elected as an independ-
ent on the trst Tuesday in April and has
taken hold in manner that fully justifes
all the claims of her supporters.