The evening times., 1899-04-10
WORE B1oon1Rs FORTY YEARS.
Career of Miss Fowler, the Pioneer
of Dress Reforns.

Career Of Miss Fowler, the Pioseer
of Dress Reforn.
vineland. n. j.. April 10.-Miss Su-an
Pecker Fowler. who has worn boomers
for over forty years arA who is perhsps
the Oldest new" woman In the State. has
decided that the feminine sex Is sufficient
~ far advanced now ito permit her to
withdraw from campaign work. She pu.-
poses retiring from the active new wom-
an" field and settling down to a Literary
career, feeling that, as she is seventy -fve
years old. she deserves Little leisure.
Miss Fowler wears a close fitting coat
with skirt reaching just to the kness, and
beneath these knickerboekers of corduroy
or cheviot She adopted this costume in
1854, when she was one of the beauties OF
her native town. Amesbury. Mass, partly
because she thought it hea- -thful and part
ly because she considered ii a step in the
direction Of emancipating her six. Thirty
three years ago she came to Vineland,
where she has preached her doctrines in
cessantly without gaining a single convert.
When she arrived here she was much an
noyed by small boys, who followed her
through the streets and pelted her with
stones. Trainmen greeted her with shrill
blasts Of locomotive whistles. and every
one jeered at her. But that was long ago,
before the town got used to her.
She owns five-acre farm at Chestnut
and Malaga Avenues, where she lives with
little yellow dog. She saws wood. plows,
. seeds. hoes. and attends to the stock. On
market days she stands at her stall and
sells her produce. Last year she culti-
waited 5000 sweet potato plants, 1,6OO Of
which she put in hills in one day. She
nfTnr fRxntV tvS -I1<
recently announced her intention of buy
ing bicycle this summer
reporter who called upon the bloomer
champion found her doing her spring
plowing. She put her horse into the barn.
showed her visitor into the parlor. where
she sat at a roll top desk and said: We'll,
go ahead. Interview me-
What are your political views?" she
was asked.
Il never pay tax bill unless under pro-
test. Taxation without representation is
robbery. and women are not represented.
"At the beginning Of the civil war I hap
pened 10 go through Baltimore in my
! bloomers. when a Massachusetts, regiment
was there. My costume made people think
l was the daughter Of a regiment and
an angry mob followed me through the
streets. The police saved me from serious
injury by locking me up. The poet Whit
tier secured my release. / knew him well
when girl. and Longfellow. too.
II am an advocate Of free love. i be-
lieve in that freedom Of love. that seeks
the highest good in elevating. ennobling.
and spiritualizing but most firmly advise
chastity OF life. both inside and outside of
the marriage bond. i trace nearly all the
wrorg and suffering in the world to igno-
rance in regard to the nature and respon-
sibilities OF parentage.
Il do not think my style of dress has
been an obstacle to my having offers Of
marriage. Several times where profession
al and business men have expressed de-
sire to prolong the acquaintance and pro-
posals seemed imminent ] have nipped
them in the bud. If man was sufficiently
attracted 10 marry me he would do so
hoping and expecting 10 be able to induce
me to dress like other women.
Miss Fowler recently received a proposal
of marriage through the mail from a
wealthy retired Western farmer twenty
years her junior He was SO persistent
that she was compelled to write that she
| would be mother to him, but not a wife.
She said in her letter:
If you look upon the marriage relation.
as generally accepted. as a holy institu-
ton. you may be somewhat shocked when
| tell you | look upon it as legalzed i'm
morality and quite unworthy to be entered
into by any woman of advanced thought.
Il would like very well to live in a CO.
operative home with few congenial sPir-
its. but think it would be the height OF
| folly for woman of seventyfiye TO mar
ry. l am old enough to be your mother.
and / think it would be much wiser for
me to take a position Of adopted mother
TO you. Only few advanced thinkers hold
such radical opinions as do. 50 there are
plenty OF good women for you to choose
from who have not outgrown the popular
ideas of marriage. And. therefore, If your
past record is good. if YOU are man OF
kindly nature with no bad habits. I am
! sure you will find no difficulty in getting
| a wife TO suit you
| Miss Fowler though she weighs only
| eighty four pounds. is in robust health.
! which she attributes partly to her reform
/ dress and partly to her belief in mental
science. She is a pupil in a mental sci
ence school here. She believes implicitly
| in the curfew law recently adopted and
! was Que of its warmest supporters.