Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-04-17
Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

lfuhabIE no popular wrtor Is more
thoroughly read and admired to day
for versatility OF thought and sound
judgment than Ella Wheeler Wilcox,
who writes for the Hearst papers, pub
lished in New York, Chicago and San
Fraucisco-the journal, the 4 merican
and the Er4biiaer. Their combined
circulation gives the writer an immense
power for education of the masses on
the practical subjects which constitute
the basis OF her philanthropic work.
Mrs. Wilcox has been, the past few
weeks, on n visit to California and Ore
gon, and has met with an ovation
wherever she has tarried long enough
for the people to enable them to ex-
press their high regard for her. 1t is
improbable that any woman ever has
found her way 10 the hearts OF so many
people.
As she may not come this way, it is
quite probable that our people will
not have an opportunity to join in the
general acclaim. SO we take from the
Oreg0nian few lines expressive OF the
hypnotic influence she yields over her
brothers of the easy-gliding pencil.
The talented writer is travelling
somewhat inc0ynit0, the name on the
register OF The Portland, Robert NJ.
Wilcox and wife," conveying to the
ordinary eye very little if any realiza-
ton of the fact that is embraces one
OF the best-known moulders OF popular
opinion of the age.
Mrs. Wilcox is pictured as sitting
in an easy chair, at The Portland, the
embodiment OF charming womanhood,
while her replies to the man OF words
show the command of that wonderful
brain.power which has made her name
so famous.
She was clad in jet-bespangled
dress OF which the reporter says, the
details no man would attempt to
describe, and even her fair sisters
could not amplify without the aid and
inspiration of the Nine MUSES..
So it will be seen that the proverbial
" first impression" was decidedly with
the fair woman.
She told the reporter that she wears
a 81 glove, 81 shoe, weighs 100
pounds, is 5 feet 81 inches high, and
he saw for himself that she had tawny-
hair, was contralto-voiced, possessed a
fair skin and a lithesome figure. She
likewise informed him that she ate
but one meal a day, with little fruit
and milk, at odd times during the
twenty-four hours.
The conversation that ensued shows
that she is as sprightly in repartee and
entertaining in oral expression of ideas,
as she is in her articles on live topics OF
the day. She had been i'll of la grippe,
and as the reporter says, with ad-
mirable judgment" selected Califor-
MIA as good place for that unpleasant
experience. When questioned about
her illness, she said: al never was
sick in New York, but then 1 have
the New York habit l think there
is only one place to live, and it would
not do to be sick there. Everything
has its advantages. however, and now
when the conversation lags, l cough
at the gentleman"
The adroitness with which she
evaded direct questions she does not
care to answer, is apparent in her
reply to the query. made with diplo-
matte delicacy, regarding the little
book which made her famous, her
Poems of Passion" ais the book
which was to have been bound in
asbestos" he asked, "the work by
which you would be remembered, had
you the choicei"
"Those poems," was the reply,
"were the product OF an era in my
life. They must have had some other
quality than that which suggests an
asbestos covering, or else they would
have cremated themselves long ago."
And that is as near as the question
was answered. She branched off on
her present work of "preaching" to
5000, 900 people every day. which she
very properly thought was an oppor.
tunity to do much good, and of which
she seemed to feel a pardonable pride.
A question, delicately suggested, as
to her age. elected the reply: az am
at high noon; 1 have been there for,
Oh 1 don't know how long, and
shall always stay there. have stopped
getting old. 1 take good care of my.
self. My mother has forgotten my
childhood, and as for me, l have long
since adopted the pleasant habit OF
ignoring birthdays"
And that is az near as this talented
|" Priestess of New Thought" as she
is called, came TO giving her age, and
the reporter hazards the guess that
she is between 40 and so.
AN instance of wo nderful generosity
comes from Helena, Mont. A plum.
Der discovered beneath the cellar of q
house in which he was making some
repairs buried treasure to the amount
of Sis 600 in tin cans which showed