The St. Louis Republic., 1901-01-18


who are meeting at Kansas City. along
| with prominent club women from all the
States OF the Louisiana Purchase, are, pre-
| sumably. giving their attention TO other
| and more timely topics. When they come
| home there will have TO be reckoning.
The Wednesday Club IL determined TO
discover where 20 put the blame concerning
| the mysterious disappearance of Its official
| communication to the Worlds Fair Bureau.
The facts are these:
Last March. at regular bimonthiy
meeting CT the Wednesday Club. though not
| specified business meeting. Mrs Fralk
Richey. president OF the club at that time,
| and since succeeded by Mrs. George H
| Shields. presented to the club. In the form
! of a resolution. an indorsement OF Mrs
Philip " Moore as the clubs choice Tor a
position at that time. presumed to oe the
official head OF a Woman's Department
| namely a board of women managers No
reference whatever was made TO the presi-
dency OF such a board. The "Wednesday
| Club asked merely for recognition and
| named its choice.
There was an unusually large attendance
at this meeting OF the club. so members
| who were present are able to recall. and the
| resolution was passed without dissenting
voice Several very influential and active
members who were out OF town at the
time. and knew nothing Of the resolution
until some time after il had been passed.
would doubtless have had considerable 10
say had they been present They were not'
however.
THE LETTER
THAT NEVER CAME"
Instigated by the Executive Board. at
| that time consisting Of Mrs. Frank Richey.
| Mrs. Emma Eames Chase. Mrs. w W.
BOYD, the two secretaries. Mrs. Charies
Harris and Miss Wilkerson. and the direc-
| tors. Mrs Norris B. Gregg. Mrs Theodore
1 Edwin HarrtSOn ana
Mrs John Dwight Fflley; properly signed
and sealed by the president, Mrs. Richey;
delivered into the hands Of the secretary
Mrs. Harris for mailing or messenger. the
letter supposedly went its way with all pro-
priety to Ex-Governor Francis, to whom 1t
was addressed
II was never received Not only did IT
fail TO reach Governor Francis in person,
but II made nc appearance at the Norlo
Fair Bureau, where all such matter Is care
| fully opened, acknowledged. and hiec for
reference The bureau never heard OF sucn
a document until a week ago, when dliiseht
| inquiry was begun on the part OF Wednss-
| day Club women as to its whereabouts i ne
| fact that IL was not acknowledged a, the
| time that il was supposed 10 have oeen re
| ceiyed should have been significant or us
miscarriage: though the club women. proo-
| ably being in ignorance or the very eAact
and careful methods employed oy tne
| bureau apparently did not attach any IN
nortance 10 the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF
| their letter.
Some time prior to this-indeed. as far
| back as April 25. 1894 request was sent
4 out from Ex-Governor Francis and William
| III. Thompson to the Wednesday Cluo. ask
| inc the ladies to solicit as far as they were
| able subscriptions for the Worlds Far
| stock: realizing that the club was large
I and that many women who are property
| owners IN the city might be thus reached
| and induced to take an interest In the SUD
| scriptions; and hoping that canvass mignI
| be thus melted. The gentlemen were muen
| surprised TO receive a very prompt reply
| 10 their letter inclosing the "Wednesday
| Clubs check for $500. This correspondents
| OF two years ago Is all that the Worid'
| Fair Bureau has ever had with the
| "Wednesday Club, and has no bearing what
ever on the present situation
| GUESSES AS
Now the wednesday Club Is distractedly
| inquiring into the mysterious fate OF IT'S
| letter.
.sInce the bureau never received It, where
| did II go?' say the ladies'
is Uncle Sam to blame, and did II mis-
| carry in the mails?
"Did the sprightly messenger boy 10
whom IL was intrusted-supposing that 70
| be the case-prove unfaithfui to his COM
1 mission?
.sWas-pertsh the thought-the letter given
| TO some preoccupied husband to post. anu
| so passed into that bourne from which no
letter ever returnsT
Delegations are daily besieging the bureau
| on Locust street, and more delegations are
interrozating Ex-Governor Francis The
excitement for the last few days has been
al fever heat. for II is only very recently
thai the lost letter came up for considera-
t,on many prominent members. until they
read yesterdays Republic. supposdng that
II was safely on file and ready TO bear fruit
at the proper time. Their chagrin at tne
failure OF their hopes Is natural
Mrs George H Shields. president OF the
Wednesday Club when asked as to what
action the club would take regarding the
missing document. and whether another
wouId be formulated on the same subject
to take its place. replied:
CLUB HAS NOT
nECIDED WHAT TO DO.
.'It Is impossible for me to say Just what
will be done by the club on this matter.
have all along supposed that the letter was
a settled fact. and would receive proper at
tention from the Worlds Fair Board at the
proper time. My astonishment on reading
Yesterday of the diappearance Of the letter
was great.
.srhe wednesday Club stands pledged to
Mrs Philip n. Moore for a place on the
Board of Lady Managers of the Fair. NO.
the club has made no designation as 70
what place she shall occupy. We merely
v,ont rscocnitisn for her understand that
the Morning Choral has named Its candi-
dsta Mrs James l. Blair, for the nrst
,Iace on such board. That will In no way
| conflict with our desired position FOR MIS-
Nyooye Chicago had twenty-five women on
Ire hoard did IL not, during the Far IN
1856?
.arh. Wednesday Club prefers no board
at all; that is to say, no separate ana uis-
| ttnct denartment for women Chicagos best
| exhibts-as. for example. the Rosa Bon
beur pictures-were with the mems work
| IN the women have any merit 1t viii ex-
| hibit itself In two weeks the matter VIII
he definitely settled The wednesday Clup
| does not expect to hold a business meeting
until March We have only three such dur
| ing each year..
The opposition, with Mrs. James L. Blair
as its choice. led by the Morning Choral
| and abetted by scores OF the best-known
wor,en of 81. Louis. in all social literary
| and educational lines. Is as busy as the
proverbiaI bee The Query Club met yester-
| day morning, and. having already Endorsed
| Mrs blair in an Official statement to the
worlds Fair Bureau. proceeded to aftix
| signatures to the club circular. along with
many others. which were Immediately dis
matched 10 Kansas City, to be held In readi-
ress should the Wednesday Club begin to
boom its candidate. About $50 names from
St Louis and the suburbs are now signed to
l this circular.
MRS. BLAIR'S
FRIENDS ACTIVE.
Miss Grace Taussig. secretary of the
Morning Choral, said yesterday. with ref
| erence to the activity being displayed:
I'VE have every reason to feel greatly
gratifed at the enthusiasm which appears
| on every hand when Mrs. Blairs name as