Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-01-08
Mrs. Laura G. Fixen Of Chicago
Talks Of Her Work,
IN WORKING W0MAN'S HOME
4 Benevolent Institution for Wage
Earning Women OF Chicago Inn
pressed with what She Has Seen.

Mrs. Laura G. Fixen, prominent
worker IN the W. c. T. U. cause OF
Chicago, also business manager OF the
Working Woman's Home. Of the same
city, has been spending the past two
days in Salt Lake. She is registered at
the Kenyon. She spent the day in visit
Ing the leading points Of interest In the
city, In company with Mrs. EmmeHne
b. Wells, whom she met, with other
prominent Utah women. at the National
Council Of Women at Washington last
winter Mrs. Fixen has as strong a
face as It Is ones privilege TO meet In
her firm countenance Is depleted
character that faces adversely with no
thought Of giving up the object for
which she has set out, and an executive
ability that controls affairs with mas
ter's hand She Is an accomplished lin
guist being perfectly familiar with SIX
languages.
In addition to the work already IN
dicated, Mrs. FlXen edits paper which
she styles Diamond Dust," " referring 10
It as being small but precious. The
paper might be termed the organ Of the
home, for 1t has proved benefactor TO
many homes representing an institution
that finds employment, and gives shell
ter to 500 or 900 women.
When asked the real purpose Of the
home, Mrs. Flxen said, ii was to find
honorable employment for girls who
have drifted into Chicago from various
parts Of the country In the hope d bet
tering their conditions In life, IL costs
a young woman s. 80 per week to live
at the home, which is far superior TO
the average home IL Is kept scrupu-
lousy clean, and q high moral atmos-
pheFe peryades, 80 that there Is nothing
In the girls surroundings that would
tend to tempt them to a life of shame.
An excellent library Is connected with
the home, also baths, and bed pro-
vlded for each girl. Aside from
the city institution the home
has a summer resort about 30 miles
from Chicago, on the shore of Lake
Michigan at which any respectable
working woman In the great city, ire
spective OF creed or class, whether a
beneficiary OF the home or not, may
stay two weeks, absolutely free.
Mrs Fixen Is one Of the promoters Of
the institution, which has been estab-
lished twelve years, and in that time
has furnished employment TO thou
sands There arc now twenty-One d.
Tectors 70 the home. There Is a free
dispensary for the sick connected with
this most benevolent institution where
medicines and the like are admins
tered gratuitously II any woman
comes there sick or without money she
is never turned away, for to be shut
out. and driven back into the crowded
streets Of the city would mean almost
certain destruction
Are you evsr imposed upon?" was
asked Of Mrs. FiNen.
II think not" was the reply. AT
least not very often" and the tender
lines Of her benevolent face would as
sure any one that she was indeed q
lover of her humanity, especially Of
her sex.
Are we imposed upon when we give
a meal to a girl when she has so cents
or a dollar In her pocket? think not F"
she said in answer TO her own question.
supplemented by, "the poor girl needs
II for something else so we have no
trouble OF the kind spoken Of"
In this home a girl Is never chided
or scolded. they are ruled with the all
masterful power Of love.
Mrs FiXen spoke Of her meeting with
the Utah women at Washington as be-
ing very pleasant and she has looked
forward TO her visit to Utah as one OF
terday she attended three meetings Of
the brightest events in her life. Yes
the Saints, the German meeting in the
morning, the Eighteenth ward In the
afternoon, and the Tabernacle In the
evening. She was greatly impressed,
she said, by what she saw and heard.
affirming that she never before beheld
such conscientious earnestness and
sweetness OF spirit IN religious gath
erings as she saw yesterday. To see
husbands with their wives and chill
dren together at meeting all actuated
with the same thought was. she said,
something new 90 her. She was aston
ished 10 see so many men at church
for In non" Mormon" communities the
women were the principal church go
ers.
II was particularly impressed with
the sermon Of President Joseph r.
Smith last evening" and Mrs Flxen
Never before have I heard the Gospel
OF purity so strongly proclaimed as II
was I'm his sermon"
Mrs. Fixen viii leave tomorrow for
the East, with the consciousness. she
said. OF knowing that one OF the most
pleasurable events In her life has Just
taken place in Utah. She left her home
on December 18th, and has visited New
Mexico, Arizona and California, she is
now returning from the coast, on her
way home She win be IN Denver next
Sunday, Kansas City the Sunday fol-
lowing and in Chicago one week later.