The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-07-31

did at the University of Michigan,
after being graduated from the normal
department of the University of Nash
vile. AT Ann Arbor she was one of
the editors of the college daily, which,
though she did not know 1t, was the
breaking In for the work that was be-
fore her
After leaving college she Joined her
parents in Florida, where, as she says,
abe began writing of things in which
l was especially interested-toward the
upbuilding of the state" Rather an
unusual subject for a girl to be inter
ested in, that was. But In the Dodge
family is an ancient patent of land
rights given to one of her ancestors,
who was brigadier In the Revolu-
ton and the friend of Washington.
The document says the patent was is
sued to General Ebenezer Learned,
who did valiant service for the pub
lie good and encouraged his heirs and
SUCCESSORS to continue in like virtue
and noble conduct"
Continuing in like virtue and noble
conduct, therefore, his great-great-
granddaughter became very early in
terested in the public welfare Her
giriish letters ON the "upbuilding of the
state were published in a Florida
newspaper. Giriish though they were,
they spoke the power and spirit of the
woman. Awhile after she wrote them
Miss Dodge went to Tampa to visit
friends, and while there she was in
vited to become member Of the staff
of daily paper-and there she is at
present.
Technically Miss Dodges post is that
of society editor of her paper, but she
has bFoadened her mission till ii In
cludes all that goes to the lettering and
identifying Of Tampa and that part of
Florida This is what newspaper wom-
en- and all other women In America
might do and ought to do in their re-
spective localities, but too often do not.
Miss Dodge became society editor of
the paper some two years ago and at
once felt that ON her it was incumbent
to give good justification to all the PEG
Pile OF Tampa for her selection. She
widened the duties Of society editor to
take in the schools and public institu-
tons OF Tampa. She founded mu-
steal club and an art club. She herself
is a singer of fine gifts.
Part of the labor of love she imposed
on herself was to visit personally the
Tampa schools and report items con-
corning them that interested the public
in their progress. She made O tour of
the schools about once every six weeks
during all the last school year.
The largest Of her undertakings, how
ever, were the planning and successful
carrying through of a Tampa May
musical festival. Tampa needed an
orphans home Miss Dodge resolved
to start a fund for its establishment,
To this end was the musical festival.
1t lasted through three days, and Miss
Dodge arranged ITS programme and ev-
cry detail and managed It herself. The
exercises included children's concert.
old folks concert and military and
minstrel matinee II was the first May
musical festival Tampa had ever given,
and IT went off with a whirl At its
close, when all It's affairs were settled,
Miss Dodge laid down several hundred
I
dollars as starter for the orphans
home fund Considering the size of
Tampa, this was an admirable result.
Then the young lady dropped back
into the public spirited society editor.
But the people of Tampa appreciate so
well her good work for them that they
cannot speak too highly In her praise.
Miss Dodge has now in hand a project
for the erection of free drinking foun-
tain for her city.
She says modestly Of herself that she
rs not so much literary as interested in
public affairs and that she was drawn
to newspaper work primarily because
1t offered so many opportunities for be
ing widely useful
MARCIA CAMPBELL.