The times., 1898-05-08

Der includes only clubs that are regu-
larly organized and federated. and not
the hosts of social literary. educational
and musical clubs, or patriotic societies.
which, from time to time, are absorbed
into the federation. that is ever increas-
ing, like a gigantic snowfall This club
movement began in 1852, with one or
two small societies. has extended
throughout the United States. and has
branches in Africa. South America. IN
dia, England and Australia.
Women's clubs may be divided into
three great classes: Those organized
for self-improvement Of their own mem
bers; those whose object is practical ef-
fort in the furtherance of some cause
believed TO be good, and those which
work for mutual Improvement and the
advancement of social conditions in the
home and in the community. The great
department clubs. which might aptly be
compared to a pineapple. all OF whose
separate points combine into a whole
like the Sorosis clubs. are. perhaps. the
most typical In addition 10 the study OF
art, literature, music and drama they
are engaged in practical work on the
lines of philanthropy, social economics
| finance, parliamentary law, and nearly
all of them have standing committees
on school legislation travelling libraries
| night schools, kindergartens sewing
schools. etc. Maine was the first State
to take up the special work of educa-
tion, and so great IS her power noN
that in 1897 twenty-five bills were passed
Z. =. -.
| legislature for the benefit of the schools.
Minnesota, Iowa, Utah and Colorado
| have been very active in the cause Of
/ education and village and town improve
! ment some OF the Southern States.
| notably Georgia and Tennessee. are do
/ ing much in the way of educating the
mountaineers by means of reading cir
/ cles and travelling libraries; the WOm-
! ems Club. of New Orleans has estab-
/ ished night schools; and the education
/ committee of the New York Federation
/ which consists of Isl clubs and nearly
| 25.OG0 women. has the best plans fol
carrying on its educational work
The organization Of the women's clubs
/ is like the little nests Of Japanese boxes
that fit one into the other. or perhaps,
We may say a wheel within wheel
! The individual club has its officers, its
| line of work or study. its badge, its
emblem, its own character and its own
! life. 1t joins the State federation Cor
sometimes the city federation), which
! has its special officers. committees.
badges. emblems, etc. and broad lines
! OF work. and all the State federations
again belong to the general federation
! of womens clubs. which has it's officers,
| board of directors and honorary mem
bers, well as its committees. and its
chairmen of correspondence.
/ The president of the General Fedora
ton is Mrs. Helen NJ Henrotin. of Chi
cago; the vice president. Mrs. Alice Ives
Breed. of Lynn; the treasurer, Mrs
Frank TrumbulI. of Denver: the audi
tor, Miss Annie Laws, of Cincinnati. anG
the secretaries, Mrs. Philip y. Moore. ot
st. Louis; Mrs. c. 2. Barnes, of Louis
vile. Ky. and Miss Anna ]. Hamilton
of Louisville, Ky. The honorary mem
bers include Lady Aberdeen, of Canada
Lady Emilia F. s. Dixie, London; Nine
Isabelle Bogelot, Paris; Nine Yakoo
Sarruf, Cairo, Egypt; Fri Helene Lange
Berlin; the Countess of Meath. Miss An
ma Swanich. London; Baroness Berth.
Won Suttner, Austria, etc.
Although Maine was the first State Il
lead the way in an organization of fed
Grated women's clubs for mutual bene
mt. Kansas claims the honor of possess
ing Il more clubs than any other Stat,
in the Union. Three hundred and on,
clubs in all is her boast, with a member
ship of 2,543 women. New York Statt
comes next on the roll with go, countin:
2S.39O members. Iowa is the strong third
with 1871 clubs and 5,9& women on he
roll call. Ohio. Illinois, Massachusetts
and Maine follow in regular order. Will
North Carolina. South Carolina, Vir
ginia, Delaware and Mississippi bring NJ
a very lame rear with only one cluI
each.
Every one of the far Western State
makes a fair showing, for New Mexico
even, has four clubs. Utah II, and Cali
fornia 26 1t would probably make tn
grandmothers of these club wome