The age-herald., 1901-11-08
WOMEN WHO HATE MEN.
Curious Examples of Extremes to
 Which This Feeling Is Carried.

Henry Chevsller, in the Chicago Chroni-
 cle.
 It is not unnatural that suma women should have no great reason for loving the sterner sex. but few happily carry Fraulein Marie Irrgang. who died in Vienna few weeks ago.
 Fraulien Irrgang claimed the remarka- ble distinction of being the champion manhater'' of Europe, and no one has ventured to dispute the right to her title. She was loyal to her antagonism to the last, for she left the strictest in- functions in her will that no male should be allowed to take part in her funeral procession to the church of Lichtenthal.
 But even Maria decree could not pre-. vent the mere males from looking on, and the streets of Vienna were densely packed with men and boys curious to gaze on such unique procession Her corpse was followed by an enormous crowd of women of all ages and positions and by deputies from every female society in Austro-Hungary. But, alas, the ban ner of the Austrian Jungfrauenverein was so heavy that no woman could carry 1t and it was actually borne proudly aloft by a man, the only male in the process sion.
 Fraulein Irrgang had a rival in Frau lein Gretchen Marie Schurlt, an old maiden lady, who lived for very many years In suburb of Berlin, and who was known throughout Germany as the man hater.' Gretchen had love disappoint- ment nearly half a century ago and took a solemn VOW that she would never speak to or, if possible, look on a man again so long as she lived and as she was a woman of some wealth she was able to keep her VOW to the last.
 She bought a suitably retired. house about half dozen miles from Berlin and equipped 1t from basement to attic with furnishings specially made for her by womens hands. "No male hands," she declared. should contaminate anything she touched" quite forgetful. poor wom- an, that the very house she lived in was built by her enemy.
 She surrounded herself with a chosen band of women. each of whom took a similar vow of hatred against the sex and so iskillfully managed matters that jfor nearly fifty years she neither saw hor spoke to a male of any description.
 On headstone in a Yorkshire church yard in England may be seen thi. strange inscription: Sacred to the mem. ory of Ada Harrington. who died or March 1s, 1Sl, After a more than com. mon experience of the falseness and frailty of man she spent twenty years of happy life without holding any com. munication with any member of the sex she had such good reasen for despising. [,
 This good lady. of whom many strange and some amusing stories are still cur rent In the district. had perhaps suf. ficient reason for holding men in low esteem: for. as a child. she was cruelty treated and abandoned by her father: as a girl she was basely deceived by lover to whom she was ardently devoted, and of her two husbands one dissipated her fortune and abandoned her and the sec ond attempted to take her life.
 An amusing story Is told of a persist ent vicar who made several determined efforts to interview this strange parish oner. She equally resolutely refused to admit him. and on the last occasion dropped a note at his feet from an upper window. On 1t this message was written ''so away! You know l hate men, and you parsons are worst of the lot" The parson never called again.
 Fortunately perhaps, the majority of these manhaters are content to allow their antagonism to die with them, but Mime. Marie Lenoir. who died a few months ago in Paris was not of this or der. By her will she left the whole of hre estate. amounting to 75.000 francs, in trust to two lady friends ''to use the in- terest theheof in waging warfare in such ways as may seem fitting to them against the selfshness and tyranny of man.