Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-16
WOMAN IN CLUB AND CHARITY

The st. Louis woman's club is about TO
now into a clubhouse Of its own. July l
having been set as the date for the cele-
oration Of the event-and II is TO be a cele-
bration, toe. one that promises to be a So
cial affair Of more than ordinary conse-
quence. The club includes among its mem
bership Of 200 some OF the city's most
fashionable women, Mrs. James Blair
among others. As a member has expressed
It, some are deep thinkers and others
Only brilliant butterflies" The clubhouse
Is one of the old st. Louis mansions and
is located out on Washington avenue in a
res'ful, quiet neighborhood that is still
easily accessible. The rooms are spacious
and the interior finished in walnut and
mirrors that extend from floor to ceiling.
The furnishings are massive and rich.
after the fashion of that period OF sub
stantial comfort. There are in all twenty
odd rooms, the first floors being admirably
arranged for a clubhouse, the drawing
rooms opening together in an ideal assem-
bly, salon, and on the opposite side Of the
hall there is a parlor and dining room. In
addition to these, and a plan that savors
strongly Of the social. is a ballroom to be
erected on the rear Of the lot. It will be
100 feet long and forty feet wide and is to
cost $4,000. 1t will connect with the drive
way through a porte cochere and will be.
when completed, the finest ballroom in st.
Louis, which is saying much. Upstairs
there are large rooms, 1sx22 feet, that are
to be used as clubrooms and meeting
places for the various literary clubs that
may rent them for assembly occasions. All
together the clubhouse promises to be an
ideal one, one Of which ST. Louis club
women may well be proud when they come
to entertain the iennial Of the General
Federation next spring.
It Is recorded of the women's clubs of
Memphis. Tenn, that their work has been
OF a most practical nature n that nu-
merous public philanthropic and other in
situations stand to their credit, such as the
handsome new city hospital. a home for
aged men and another for aged women,
kindergartens, day nurseries and numerous
other things OF like value. While this is
indeed an enviable list of achievements, II
Is after all nothing especially unusual, ex-
cepting that the women Of Memphis are
especially fortunate in having gained the
cooperation of the municipal authorities
and others that has made It possible to
carry out their plans. To the observins
person it is an old story. for wherever the
"S"A@A . 49, ~ AOaAA1 81 Aohhu va oil
EFFORT at least to establish such provision
for the comfort and well-being Of the de.
pendent. There are scores Of cities and
towns over the country that boast similar
institutions and many others, for which
they are Indebted to their women's club
and besides all of these. there is the score
Of popular movements rapidly gaining
prestige and influence, many of which have
had their origin. and all their chief source
of agitation, in the omen's organizations
Among these are the Consumers league
Juvenile courts, legislation for abolishine
or controlling child labor, civic improve.
meut, the preservation Of historic places
and of native forests, the establishment o.
libraries and museums. legisla ton for pur,
food and other things equally vital to tn,
well-being of the people. In fact, Their,
are few cities or villages, and even IN,
rural communities are rapidly being in,
cluded, that have not similar achievement
that are the ~outgrowth Of the organized
EFFORT Of the women's clubs.
There will be a union meeting of tn,
Presbyterian vomen's missionary societies
Of the city held at the Second Presbyterian
church on June "A.
Inc park commissioners have assumed
the responsibility of the flower garden OF
the lot next to the public library. starteC
last spring by the city Improvement com
mittee Of the woman's club.
At the recent meeting Of the woman'I
Christian Temperance union $50 was votes
to be expended for temperance literature
This is TO be circulated about the cit!
among the IRE engine houses, Salvation
Army headquarters and ~workingmen'
hotel, Volunteers headquarters, and som,
left with the ministers for distribution
The next meeting OF the union will b,
educational and will be conducted by tn
franchise department under the superin
tendenoe OF Mrs. Patterson. The incom,
from this high school lunch stops with tn,
close OF school, but the financial condition
OF the union Is good and the summer worl
will be carried on as usual. The member
ship IL larger at present than for som,