The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-25
A DRESS REFORMER.
"Reminiscences of Fannie Wright, Who
Figured Once at New Harmony.

New Orleans TimeS-Democrat.
at ran across an interesting bit of gossip
in an old history a few days ago." said
bookworm, land it caused me to believe
that / had discovered the pioneer in the
modern movement on the part of woman
to get lust as close to mans wearing ap-
parel as possible in the matter of dress.
l am inclined to believe that Fannie
Wright set the pace. She was remark
able character who came over to this coun-
try early in the last century, with the
hope that she could do something for the
negro race, then in bondage. She was not
a wild-eyed revolutiOniSt and did not ex-
pect to wipe out the institution OF slavery
at one fell swoop, as the saying goes. She
wanted to go about the thing in a gradual
sort of way. She was young Scotch
woman and had many striking traits of
character which made her different from
other women. She was inclined to be man.
nish at time when woman was above all
else womanly. Nine. Bloomer had not at
that time appeared on the horizon of fash
ions with her picturesque ideas of the
proper thing for women to do in the matter
of dress. Fannie Wright came to this
country about 1926. She was wealthy. She
passed through the South. The condition
of the negro race appealed to her, and in
1927 she conceived the idea of colonlz1ng
the negroes and freeing them by gradual
educational processes along industrial
lines. She had the Booker T. Washington
idea in regard TO the education OF the
negro. She wanted to teach him how to
use his hands to advantage. She bought
200 acres of land in West Tennessee, out
some distance from Memphis and which
has since been known as the Neshoba
tract. She began to clear the land, built
houses on it and managed to get few
slaves. While she was making this ex-
pertinent she returned to Europe, and on
her return TO America brought with her
Nine. Trollope, the English authOress. who
wrote entertainingly on domestic manners
in America, and who was the mother of
Anthony Trollope, who is better known
TO the present generation. They passed up
the river on steamer. and finally landed
at Memphis. This was in 1898. Fannie
Wright had already become well known
through her philanthrOpic efforts and be-
cause of her many peculierities. 1t is not
TO recall the fate of her colonization
scheme. 1t failed, of course, and Fannie
D'Arusmont having married a distin-
guished French count
But l had in mind the peculiarities OF
her dress, he continued, and II what
some OF the writer's have to say about her
in this respect Is true she was indeed a pio-
neer in the reform movement which has
caused so many women to take to clothes
like men are wont To wear Fannie Wright.
or the Countess D'ArusmOnt frequently
appeared on the streets of Memphis, and
her mode of dress and her reckless disre-
gard of conventionality in this respect ex-
cited much comment among the denizens OF
the budding Tennessee metropolis She IN
sisted on wearing a mans hat. Ii was the
plainest kind or hat, too, and her ap-
parel in other respects was thoroughly in
harmony with this departure. The basque
and skirt she wore were wonderfully plain
and black in color. She was utterly indif-
ferent to the public gaze. What attention
she attracted made no difference 10 her.
Life was a business institution, and as she
walked down the street she looked neither
to the right nor 10 the left. She simply
went about her own business in her own
way She was handsome, magnificently
proportioned. with a tall and willowv fig