The San Francisco call., 1904-09-14
BY LAURA BRIDE POWERS.

1ne Cdl1Ornla CluD wants cluD-
house. Likewise it wants $4,000
clubhouse instead of a proposed $4,000
structure-for the club itself has so
declared-that is, the majority of those
who didn't run away at roll call. And
there's a strong suspicion abroad that
this time the club really knows what it
wants-and wants what it can get.
And therein lies some good philosophy,
cleaned, it is true. from some hard
headed bank presidents, they who
would be called upon to advance the
necessary ducats on the clubs Clay
street lot But it's good philosophy,
none the less.
The meeting of yesterday was pur-
posely called to reconsider what was
thought by many conservative mem
bers to be a rash proposition-that of
committing the club 10 a $4,000 bor-
row. And there were many who had
haunting fears of personal RESPONSE
bility'-a bugbear of purely masculine
origin and wholly beyond the realm of
possibilities. Ye gods! How women
scare at h0bgoblins!
If the women who cast the die didn't
know what they were voting for-which
they frequently don't-'twas not the
fault of the newly installed president,
Mrs. Aylett r. Cotton, who read to the
club a most comprehensive and sue
cinct statement of what the club could
do in the way of fund raising and the
expenditure Of the sum to be raised.
Every possible point was adequately
covered, save the amount to be raised,
which might be any sum within $4,000
s-the club to decide the amount
BANKING PROBLEMS.
At the conclusion of Mrs. Cotton's
statement, Mrs. c. r. Johnson took the
floor and gave a clever disquisiticn on
banks. liabilities and other unfeminine
things and then the fun was on.
Soon were Russell Sages, Disraelis
and Depews on the floor, each the CEN
ter of an admiring group of con-
stituents.
In quick succession came discussions
by the following members-in the main
to the point or to some point: Mrs.
Sara E. Reamer. Mrs. Virginia Brad
ley, Mrs S. L. Strickland, Mrs. M. c..
Sloss, Mrs Hadwin Swain. Mrs. J. G.
Campbell Mrs. Charles William Moores,
Mrs. Lowell White, Mrs. Rosa Poult-
ney, Mrs. A. M. Burns, DIR. Dorothea
Moore, Miss Mary Fairbrother (who,
being the parliamentarian, kept fair
weather), Mrs. Wallace P. Angels, Mrs.
George H. Dyer, Mrs. Louis Hertz,
Mrs Arthur Cornwall and quite a few
others-all of which eloquence served
to elucidate the matter after the man
.ner of the octopus clearing the sea.
However, out of the mystic depths
came the great question, embellished
with an amendment, placing the sum
to be raised and expended at SIS, 900.
MOVED FOR ROLL CALL.
Remembering the votes taken last
May, many of which were promptly re-
pudiated under fire, Mrs. Arthur Corn
wall moved for a roll call, which was
carried. Now, would the printed word
tell the tale, compelling all who would
knock" to forever hold their peacei
But alas! There was the open door.
Just at this juncture some of the
members needed ozone-others didn't
find the need of it until the secretary
got down close to their names-and
they, too, fioated into the air. When
the fatal spot in the roll had passed
they had sufficiently recovered to float
back and to participate in the rest Of
the very interesting session.
Just as the open door beckoned some
member suggested the closing of the
same, when Miss Fairbrother reminded
the club that There's no law in Amer
lea to force a man or woman to vote
That settled it. But when the count
was taken the score stood SO for and 40
against-the ozone quest notwithstand-
ing-and the question carried.
And thus the California Club declares
it wants $4,000 club house. For that
amount some patient, cheerful tele-
pathic, sympathetic, omniscient archi-
tect can build a pretty clubhouse
Here's to him. Recalling the while
Pope's deduction, Woman is at best a
contradiction still"
But suppose some Of the women did
vote "yes-no," still therein they
learned better. And that was precisely
the way that men learned the lesson
of life-just by experience. And that's
the way that women will learn in spite
OF Shakespeare, who says, "A woman's
fitness comes by fits"