The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-04
CAREER OF JESSIE SCHLEY.
From Nun to a Novelist and the
Latest q Peace Envoy.

Madrid as the emisSary OF the Peace
League of Paris. has been made I'D Of
Quixotic enterprises and philanthropic
failures.
Miss Schley has done so many unex-
pected things in the last few years that
her Milwaukee friends were not sur
prised when she crossed the frontier OF
Spain and travelled to Madrid to en-
deavor single-handed to put a stop to
the war. Miss Schley made her debut in
Milwaukee society, but soon grew tired
and within few months entered a con-
vent at Albany. But before she had
taken the black veil her health failed
and she was obliged to give up the re-
hgious life for a time. Later. however,
she Joined the order OF the Sacred
Heart in st. Louis. Here she was again
Frustrated and was obliged to with
draw permanently from the convent.
Her next enterprise, and the one
which first brought her before the pub
lie, was home for working girls in st.
Paul. She collected the money to start
the home from people in northern Min
nesota. and Archbishop Ireland was her
patron and adviser. She bOughtIa prop
erty. which was placed in her own
name, and for ten years she conducted
the home in accord with her own ideas,
which seemed to grow more eccentric
as time went on. 1t became known as a
sort of matrimonial bureau, and fire.
quent dances and receptions were given
to which young men were asked. The
parties became more and more fire.
quent, the house brilliantly lighted at
very late hours. and the sounds Of rev.
elry by night disturbed the neighbors
and destroyed their rest. They pro-
tested, and the house was closed. Then
began Miss Schiey's long legal and
newspaper controversy with Arch
bishop Ireland which brought her so
prominently before the public.
Her next freak. after a few months
of inactivity, was publishing a book
called Fanny Davenport" This vol
ume was not a biography of the famous
actress Of that name. but was a love
story. The narrative opened in Ma
ison, Wis. and then skipped to the east
and across to European cities. Her
father. Charles Schley, has not often
been impressed favOrably with ne per-
formances of his eccentric daughter.
but he admired her novel so much that
he bought I'D the entire first edition
without telling his daughter that he
had done so. In a fortnight another
edition was ready for the book stores,
containing a note of thanks from the
author to the friends and readers who
had so quickly bought up the first edi-
ton.
This piece of, fiction terminated. as 1t
had begun. Miss Schley's literary ca
reer. She now turned to painting. Her
drawing was weak and her pictures
never exhibited any greater talent than
that possessed by the average amateur,
but she took up art with her usual en-
thusiasm. Her brother, Bradford
Schley, had committed suicide in his
Office in Milwaukee from unknown
causes. and had left large part of his
property to his sister. Jessie This
money enabled her to go to Paris.
where she entered the atelier OF the
painter, Julian. to perfect herself in
drawing, which she considered her
weakest point
Here 1t was that~she began 60 be in
terested in the Peace League. This new
fad replaced her delight in painting and
she planned her trip to Madrid as en-
voy OF the Peace League She was
treated with great courtesy by the Of
ficers OF the frontier. as she herself has
acknowledged in several interviews.
and proceeded to the capital She went
at once to convent. where the nuns
received her with every kindness.
Here she made her home during her
short stay in the Spanish capital
1t is now definitely known that Miss
Schley was received by the queen re-
ent, although it has been many times
denied II is said that Queen Maria
Christina received the American envoy
from the Peace League with royal
courtesy and read the papers which
Miss Schley presented with great care
During the discussion of the queS-
ton of peace. the queen regent ex-
pressed herself as deeply touched
by the beautiful resolution in favor OF
peace, but said that she was not able
to extend Miss Scnley any assurances
as to the success of her mission
Miss Schley then called on the Span
ish secretary of foreign affairs, Duke
Almodovar del Rio and, not being adj
mitted to his presence, left her papers
long letter, in which he said that the
energy and determination which she
had displayed in making this journey
into a strange land for the sake Of
peace convinced him that she would be
a powerful and beneficent influence in
the United States. This polite and flow
cry evasion was all the notice which the
secretary took of her mission or the
Peace league.
The people of Madrid learned in some
way that the American woman was
visiting the convent on the edge OF the
city. There was much excitement and
many rumOrs said that she was the
daughter of Commodore Schley. A mob
threatened to break down the doors Of
the convent and it was thought best
to get rid of Miss Schley with all Sc
crecy and dispatch. The British am
bassadOr furnished her with an escort,
and she was hurried out of the Spanish
capital.
Her father, Charles Schley OF MIL
YANKEE has been much chagrtned over
this freak of his eccentric daughter.
and has many times repudiated her err
rand. He believes that the Peace
league is the iInpracticable dream OF
band of enthusiastic women, and says
that it is peculiarly appealing to his
daughter, who has always been inter-
ested in all philanthrOpic movements
In a recent letter, he says: 1T is not
difficult to account for Jessie's afftlla-
ton and prominence in the Peace
league. She has ALWAYS been enthu-
siastic for any philanthrOplc cause and
is a warm-hearted, sympathetic girl
Since her graduation from school she
has cared little for society and has de-
voted the larger part of her time 20 re-
ligious and charitable work. TO all her
previous projects I have given all the
support 1 could But 1 most emphat-
ically disapprove Of the plans and aims
of the Peace league. 1 have cabled ner
to this effect, and she is now on her
way home.
CAS- I have said before. her mission
to Madrid to see the queen regent was
impia.tical. nOnsensical and absurd
There could come no possible good out
of it. because representative OF gov
eminent will give consideration TO none
but representatives Of governments II
is so absurd as to be farcical- The IN
deriving, motives prompting the mis-
60, are Grand but the practicabiIty
SAoA- 60 Az do