The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-14

ONE ladies in journalism and
- literature, chief among them
Mrs. Jennie June Croly and
49, Alice Cary, established the So
rosis club in New York IN 1862
Previous to that there appears to have
been only one woman's club proper IN
existence, and that naturally was IN
New England and in Boston. from
these beginnings feminine organizations
spread like the fire from Samson's fox
es till they girdle the earth The latest
one heard from is at Skaguays Alaska.
Women's clubs have been working
now not quite 40 years, long enough Tor
it to be reasonably asked what they
have accomplished for womanxind ana
for mankind in general. Something
they have not done Is the feature that
impresses one most TO start with OF
the hundreds of women's clubs that
meet annually in the general fedora
ton not / per cent of them have a roof
of their own to cover them; that, too,
though woman is considered to be that
one-half of humanity that cannot exist
without home. One of the Oldest and
most widely known as well as one of
the wealthiest clubs in the United
States, certainly the one whose MEM
bers dress most richly and fashionably,
meets twice month in hired rooms in
d AOAG4, the rest OF the time tlc A14SAt-
bers having, as q. club. no touch with
the world or with each other. In time
daughters have been born to members,
have grown, have come of age and in
turn been made members of the good
old club, yet today, so far as appears,
not a finger can be laid upon anything
of note or of especial good this rich and
fashionable club has ever DONE
The well known women's clubs that
have homes may be almost counted
upon the fingers of one hand, though
you look all over this great country.
Curiously enough, too, the clubs most
distinguished for doing something are
those that have houses Of their own.
The Woman's Century club of PhiladeI-
phia may be taken as a type of the
best. The ladies have a handsome four
story graystone building, with a spa
ciOus front entrance, covered on Occa- j
sion with an awning out over the side
walk In the interior are restaurant
accommodations, a great audience haIl,
reception rooms and committee rooms.
OF course it is expensive to maintain
all this house room for one club, but
the ladies have proved themselves able
to finance the enterprise. They let out
their audience hall and other rooms
that are wanted for the meetings of
homeless c1ubwomen and for lectures of
particular interest to their own sex.
rived from ladies who hire space for
private receptions. A woman wishes
to receive her numerous friends on a
given day She does not want the bore
and worry of it in her own house,
where all things viii be thereby turned
upside down. She therefore rents for
an afternoon some rooms in the hand
some clubhouse, where there is every
convenience for entertaining a number
of people. A private reception or en-
tertainment in a public apartment is |
now altogether the chic thing in cities |
large and small. In New York, with all |
its wealth of opportunity for women. |
there are few really progressive ladies'. |
clubs. One of the few is the Profess |
sionaI Woman's league, which numbers
many actresses in its membership The |
p w. L. has a neat house all to itself, |
open always to members. Like the ste |
reotyped feminine society it has
monthly meetings, where the members |
in presence of one another and of in |
vited guests, exploit their musical. dra-
matte and oratoricaI talents, which. in |
truth, appear to be the main reason for
being of many such assemblies. This |
is well enough, for it undoubtedly gives
the average woman practice in writing /
and speaking, in parliamentary usage /
and in power to face an audience, which /
perhaps a majority of the sex would /
not otherwise get So far. then, wo-
mems clubs have done good
But the Professional Woman's league +
was founded by a very live woman,
Mrs. A. NJ. Palmer, and it does much /
more than hold monthly meetings, to I
which women come dressed in their best /
and read papers. This admira BILE or
ganization maintains classes where its
members may get instruction in almost
anything, from cooking and the French /
language to singing and fencing A
valuable library has been gathered.
and the rooms are constantly open. A /