Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-29
YEARS In TROUSERS
DIR. NARY WALKER TALKS ANUS
INGLY OF HER EXPERIENCE.
She Has Been Shocked Sometimes, She
Says, by Young Girls Try
ing to Flirt With
Her.

the United States who wears trousers and
doesn't wish she were a man. says the
Philadelphia Inquirer.
That is her boast. and she has made an
international reputation by pursuing her
fad.
There is really nothing mannish about DR..
Mary except her clothes. and in wearing
them she is bound to have her own way.
which is distinctly a feminine trait. She
is 81 diminutive creature, with the thinnest
of treble voices. sharp features. abbreviated
hair Just turning to gray. and spectacles-
Her ordinary dress is 4 plain black suit
of broadcloth, with frock coat and silk hat
For street wear il the winter she has L
heavy brown overcoat with velvet collar
and j cape.and at all times she carries a
stout cane with a silver head fully as large
as her fist.
If she wore skirts she would look very
like a little old maid. As it is with her
walk she seems like a boy dressed a little
beyond his years.
Something DIR. Mary Won't Tell.
She has been wearing trousers for thirty
years and longer. Nobody knows exact
ly how long, for this is a point on which
the doctor resolutely closes her mouth
She can never be induced to reveal the
time or place when she forsook the garb
of w~omanhood and adopted masculine at
tire.
IF I were to tell you that you would
guess how old l am" is her feminine Tor
m m'n d 1or re6ufh1 1g, the she n ebanrs came anne
about by degrees. She admits. too. that
she was wearing trousers for some years
at the beginning of the civil war. The
only reason she gives for adopting the garD
is the convenience of trousers over the
cumbersome skirts which were In vogue
.This is a free country" she said. 'and
as I was not responsible for being a wom-
- a. 10 ~ancnn n
should be compelled to endure the dlscom-
forts of skirts for a lifetime simply be.
cause I didn't happen to be born a man.
was an acting assistant surgeon with the
rank of first lieutenant, and she dressed
the same as other officers. She wore trou-
down the side Of the leg. a felt hat with
gold cord, and an officers overcoat. her
coat was not like that which she has since
adopted. but was shaped like a p!ouse cut
loosely about the neck
when I had on my overcoat. though
she said. proudly. II looked every inch a
the only woman holding a commission in
the army of the United States, and ! am
the only woman who has been granted a
duty As she said this the little doctor
pointed to the bronze medal fastened with
E bl 1,s r Gidenan to the piia ap anu Of Z her her coat al ON
the back of the medal was engraved the
legend: Presented by the Congress Of
A the s ua' { s t. S. A AZ way e aux
"Do I ever have unkind things said to
me?" she said. Yes. Of course, by iiibred
which they come and attribute them to
very few experiences Of this kind, and
ant I usually have something to say In re-
turn, which makes US quits: You would Pc
surprised to find how little trouble I really
have. And then think what a relief It Is.
when one arrives in a strange city, to Be
able to pick up ones grip and walk up
street without bothering anybody. and
come up with q smirk and Is there any
thing 1 can do for you, miss?', Oh. I tell
you. trousers are a great thing!
The Chinese Minister'S Curiosity.
'The other day at the White House re-
ception I met Mr.. WI. the Chinese min
lister. who was there with his wife; When
why I wore pants. 1 saw the question was
suggested by the natural inauisitivsness
Oft Of the a1 As,aa DC y ana wear asp skirtsa. 'he same
because it is the custom Of my country
to wear Them he replied Well said
/. I wear pants because this is a Tree
country and people are not hampered with
customs Then he said: They say you
are a doctor. If I were sick l would nor
send for you: but II my wife were SICK l
tend his wife or him, and. would you be-
lieve it, he has sent for me to see Nine:
WI, and I have paid her q professional
visit. How was she dressed? Well, that Is
the funniest part of it. She had broadcloth
pants and a tunic- She was dressed just
about as I am"
Some Funny Experiences.
ST have been taken for a priest a good
many times" said DR.. Mary. More than
once people have sworn to me that ! was
Father So and So. and they wouldn't listen
to a denial. Once at the White House a
man hailed me as Brother Brown. Of his
church in Atlanta, and when I told him
he was mistaken / couldn't get him to
believe me. Sometimes the mistakes have
been very funny. Young girls have tried
to firt with me and ! have been simply
shocked by the brazen enrontery OF some
women whom I have met while travelling.
One of them actually asked me how often
I shaved. She thought 1 was a boy. and
wouldn't take my word to the contrary:
Some women delight in asking me why 1
don't dress like them. l always tell them
I buy my own clothes and / really don't
see why I can't have them cut as I like
about them. I tell such women that IL
they will send me their gowns 1 will wear
them. I take very good care not to say
send me any, I am saved the trouble OF
explaining. One lady promised to send me
a skirt and asked me If I would wear it as
she wore hers. 1 told her l wouid put II on
over my trousers and then mold it up as
she did so as not to interfere with my walk
ing She was angry and left me. I sup-
pos she gave me up as a hopeless case"
"Who IS my tailor? Well, that depends.
I dent patronize anybody in particular.
and L suppose I am like other people
When I have money I go to the best tailor
I can And and have my measure taken just
as you do. When I as q little hard-up.'
as you would say. I go to a big clothing
store and get a suit ready made. I can
usually find just about what i want in
the stock on hand. The only trouble is
with the sleeves. They always have to be
cut off, because my shoulders are narrower
than most mems. In other ways they are
be called mems clothes when they answer
Just as well for women. And that reminds
me-. Why should young fellows who have
been born since / grew to womanhood talk
about copying after them. 1t strikes me
that they are the ones VINO are copying
after me.
Indifferent to Style.
"I don't pretend to be a dude, and I don't
care very much about following the latest
STYLES. I don't care whether my trousers
are cut on the American or the Persian
or the Russian pattern. All I ask is that
they look well and fit comfortably.
II really don't know" she added, in
answer to a question, "how many pairs OF
pantaloons I wear out in the course OF a
year. Not a great many. though. 1t de-
bends on the quality Of the goods, and that
depends, In turn. on the pocketbook, so.
YOU see, it Is a variable quantity. In the
practice of medicine. of course. one doesn't
have to wear out ones clothes very rapidly.
and. besides. ! think I am careful of my
clothing. Somebody asked me once whether
I made my own clothes. OF course I don't.
nave too many other things to do"