The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-03
NOAAN'S CLUB IN CHINA
AMERICAN LADIES HAVE AN Or
GANIZATI0N WHICH is WELL
MAINTAINED
FOUNDED BY MRS. GOoDNoW
Meetings Are Held in the American
Consulate and Are Attended by
the Swell Set of
Shanghai.

When it is borne in mind how women's
clubs have multiplied and prospered in
the United States it will not be difficult
to realize that others are springing up
wherever American women have formed
communities in foreign countries
Shanghai is called the metropolis of the
far East The official circle, which re-
wolves about the consulates, takes pre-
cedence socially, after which come the
wealthy bankers, merchants and ship
owners. In all these circles Americans
are largely represented, the American
consul being the dOyen of the diplomatic
corps.
English women living in Shanghai do
not go in" for culture or intellectual
distinction to any marked degree; alb
sorbed in entertaining. dancing, card play
ing and attending the races, they read
little ard have a general horror 1t is
said, of being accounted clever. The
American women, however, are true TO
their traditions; they love books and,
although cut off from friends and coun-
try, they do not propose to retrograde
The club which they founded in Shang-
hal in 1888, and which has been well sus-
tanned, is evidence Of this. AS the
American consulate is common ground
the meetings have been held in the large
drawing room, which will easily accom-
modate several hundred people The OBJ
Jcct Of the club, as stated in it's constitu-
tion and bylaws, is to promote a higher
and broader intellectual culture and to
unite more closely the women of the
American community in Shanghai It is
called the American Women's Literary
society, and any American woman may
become a member who has been recon-
mended by the executive committee and
receives a two-thirds vote of the mem
bers present at the meeting in which
her name is proposed.
The programme is arranged for the
year by a committee, but is subject to
revision at the discretion of the society.
to which it is submitted as a whole. The
annual elections are held in May, and the
officers chosen serve for one year. The
meetings are held at o'clock on the
first and third Mondays of each month
and on these occasions there NAV be
seen waiting before the main entrance
Of the consulate not a line of carriages,
but of jinrilIishas. Non-residents ONLY
can be invited as guests but once year
at least, the club gives a reception or
dinner, to which the husbands and
friends of the members are invited
The club was instituted originally by
Mrs. Elizabeth Goodnow, the wife of Con
5ul General John Goodnow, who was aided
In the work Of organization by Mrs Alice
H Rich, Mrs NJ. w. Ferguson, Mrs. Lii
Han J. Lyman and Miss Emma Silver It
was organized with a membership Of
Twenty-Five. Among the members are
Mrs. Alice II. Rich, contributor to sew
eral American publications; Mrs. Y. ].
Allen, the wife of one of the pioneer mis-
slonaries and an official In the society
for the Diffusion of Christian Knowl-
edge, and Mrs. Rose S. Williams, a
translator of scientific works for the i'm
perial government
ut was prophesied when the club was
founded that it would die very speedily
Of hamilton" said a traveller who has
Just returned from Shanghai. 'but, on
the contrary, 1t has grown in numbers
and efficiency, and bids fair to exert a
lasting influence in Shanghai, and viii
probably be an incentive to the forma-
ton of other clubs in Yokohama,
11ongkong ana Manila. It has an espe-
cial mission in the far East, where
women are cut oft from so many means
OF amusement and recreation to be en-
5oyed everywhere in the Occident, and
once firmly rooted the club IS destined to
become permanent feature in the
American colony wherever sucn a colony
exists"