Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-05-11
The Club Federation at Burlington.


They are organized for various objects
Forty are purely literary, Thirty our
are historical. Fifteen study parlimen-
tary law. Fifteen study current events
Thirty-nine take up travel. Two study
political economy. Three take the Bay
View course. Eight the Chatauqua
course Three study Shakespeare alone,
eight Shakespeare and other studies
Two study art exclusively. Ten are
practically Art Clubs. There are two
Press Women's Clubs. two Musical clubs
twenty. nine miscellaneous and fifteen
departmental. This year the Domestic
Economy Department and the Mothers
Meeting Department were taken up and
made permanent features OF the FEEDER
alton. Library extension is q feature
of large percent of the clubs, but we
learned OF no other club in the state
which unasisted by any tax or epdow.
ment supports library and FREQ read
ing room open every day in the week.
We believe Audubon women can claim
this distinction. Villagesimprovement
has been successfully taken up by many
clubs and sanitary conditions greatly
improved. But whatever the line Of
club work it looks in every case to the
broader culture Of women, the better.
ment Of the home, the purifying of the
moral atmosphere, the better physical
and intellectual development of human
ity.
The program was one grand feast Of
things from beginning to end. Mrs.
Illick, president OF the Burlington Fed
GRAFTON of Womens clubs most gracious
ly welcomed the convention and Mrs.
Peters, Of Des Moines, responded. The
state president, Mrs. Van Vechten, of
Cedar Rapids, is gracious, practical
womanly woman and. presides with
grace and dignity. Her address was
practical and inspiring, holding up the
ideal club and club woman, warning
against the dangers and setting forth
the work and conditions that confront
Iowa club women today.
The session conducted by the Iowa
"Press Women" was without question
the brightest, wittiest, most original OF
the whole convention. A wide-awake,
up-to-date, happy go-lucky atmosphere
seemed to surround these women and
practical common sense to point their
every utterance A motion prevailed
that Our Press women be given per
manent place on our Federation
programs. One OF the most unique
and original numbers Of the convention
was talk by Mrs. Sara A. Hubbard, OF
Chicago on "Our Kinfolk in Feathers"
She is dainty. frail little lady of eighty
eight years with bright eyes, clear sweet
voice and halo OF snowy curls. She
talked most entnrtainingly OF birds, their
habits, intelligence and friendship and
gratitude to mankind, telling many
stories and showing many specimens to
illustrate her points Her enthusiasm
was so contagious we all felt like going
home and organizing at once an "out
door club" for the special study Of birds.
Miss Gertrude Coburn, of the State
Agricultural college at Ames, ably pre-.
scented her work in training girls for
woman's duties. She urged upon clubs
the practical study Of household econom-
les, contending that a woman, rich or
poor, should know these things and. that
US the homes are so will the men be.
One-half day was devoted to Mother
work, and if we could take up one ses-
sion Of the convention and set it down
before our home women in its entirety,
this is the session we would choose.
Here the master hand touched the
mightiest work Of women and the elo-
quent faces and fearful eyes of that vast
audience showed that alike under satin
or calico beat the loyal mother hearts OF
Iowa. Mrs McGrath, Of Keokuk, Mrs
Payne, OF Nevada, Mrs. Stoutenborough,
OF Nebraska, Mrs. Little, of Burlington,
and Mrs. Baily and Mrs. Hills, of Drs
Mones, occupied the time to such effect
that many clubs declared their intention
of organizing mothers clubs and report
ing at the M others Congress to be held
in Des Moines next winter. A cumpul-
sorry education law was discussed at
length, bringing out full expression
from the convention. The work OF
fartherng such law was finally adopt.
cd by the convention to be distinct
feature OF club work in the next two
years.
Perhaps the treat of the Federation
was the privilege Of seeing and hearing
Miss Alice French, Of Davenport, the
Octave Thanet" so well known in real
istic literature. She spoke on the peril
and opportunity OF American club wom-
en-, and her measured sentences had in
them much food for thought. She has,
as all who are familiar with her stories
know, a great gift for reaching tears and
laughter and common horse sense" and
her audience was most appreciative.
Many musical treats were given the
Federation, Mrs. Burke, of Des Moines,
Miss Wyman, of Burlington, and Miss
McNett of Ottumwa, excelliDg in instru
mental and Miss Cameron. of Davenport,
Miss Reade, of Mason City, and Mrs.
Schramm, OF Burlington, winning en-
thusiastic applause as vocalists.
Burlington ladies were untiring in
Al ,lro.l. o. h., ,a,, O. ,,l .NInn.,,.,