The age-herald., 1901-05-06

and so he is in the hospital.
 Although Captain OBrien is likely to suffer for some weeks his condition Is not perilous.
 MRS. 6LooMER IN HER OLD AGE. From the New York Herald.
 In an Indiana town there has just died Mrs. Mary D. Lewis, the last of the orig inal 'bloomers." In 1850 the bloomer costume was invented and created a great flutter among all womankind. The ques- tion, ''To wear or not to wear bloomers?" was on every woman's lips. In the course of evolution that same bloomer fashion can be seen today in modified form in the golf and rainy day skirt.
 The bloomer advocates advanced one strong argument in favor of their inven- tion-convenience. The smart woman of the twentieth century advances the same argument in favor of her rainy-day skirt convenience
 This Mrs Lewis whose death Is Just re- corded was so steadfast in her convic- tions that she wore the bloomer costume to the day of her death She was born in Wilkesbarre, Pa, in 1919, and moved to Ohio in 1S49, where she became inter ested in the publication of a periodical called the Lily.
 This was the first paper in America de- voted to the woman's rights cause, and it was edited by Mrs. Mary Bloomer, who gave her name to the much derided cos tume
 The bloomer craze extended to England and it's deciples were the objects of great ridicule in that country. Numbers of Punch in 1S51-52 are filled with caricatures of the bloomertes. boomer ball which took place in London in 1851 created great curiosity Judging from the alterations in morning costume, 1t was reasonably style would be exceedingly piquant
 On this particular point expectation concluded that an evening in the same was disappointed for the only remarkable things in the ball costumes of the few bloomers who attended the festival were the large hats, which were evidently adopted with the intention of equalizing the balance and of covering the head as a kind of compensation for uncovering the feet.
  culine habiliments worn by the ladies on this occasion was curiously exemplified by the fact that several of the gentle 1 men present were forced to reiterate to the crowd assembled at the doors ener- getic assurances that they were not boomers before they were permitted to pass.
 Among the many contributions to the late suffrage bazaar were three or four numbers of the Lily sent by this Mrs. Lewis who has just died. Upon receipt of thme Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, the President of the National Suffrage Asso- citation, fell into reminiscent mood and told the following anecdote of an inter- view she had had with Mrs Bloomer short time before she died. "I was doing newspaper work at that | time," said Mrs. Catt, "and happening to | be in Mrs. Boomers town requested an l interview with her I not only thought | I could get a good story from her, but I was curious to see the woman who had originated the bloomer costume.
 "On the day appointed l went to the house. Of course I was prepared to meet a large, masculine, forcefu1 looking wo- man. in keeping with all I had heard and read of her teachings and work. The suffrage woman of 40 years ago Cat least SO I have been told) was strong minded, | large of frame and loud voiced. Imagine my surprise when Mrs. | Blomer entoered the room, to find her | the daintiest little Dresden figure of a wo- man I had ever seen. She was gowned in the latest Parisian fashion. web-like lace fell over her pretty little hands. A cobwebby piece of lace set off her beau tiful snow white hair. The lace at her geek was caught with a pearl pin. Her little feet. as they peeped from under her silk gown, were shod in French kid slippers with Louis XIV heels. Her stockings, as she sat down and her dress lifted a little, showing her ankles, saw were of open-work silk.
 ''She was the picture Of everything wo- manly, everything frivolous. as far as dress was concerned. I could not recon cile myself to the thought that this ex- qusite creature was the woman who had originated the much derided boomer cos tune.
 Her mind. though, had lost none of which fell from her lips were words of wisdom indeed, and before I left her she had given me advice which has been of the greatest service to me in my suf- | frage york;