The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-22
Dr. Ida J. Brooks Has Spent a Week in
 Montgomery. High School Class Day
 Exercises. Social AffaIrs and Personal
 Items.
MRS. ,. M DE COPIES.
or CATHERINE COLE.

OF CATHERINE COLE.
 The people of New Orleans are plan n1ng to build monument to the late Catherine Cole perhaps the most dis tingmsned newspaper woman the South mas yet produced, a woman in whom the whole South feels an interest--a loving interest for the part she played particu- lariy in the cause of the wage earning women and generally in the cause of all women who needed champion, or a helping hand. Her part in life was to uiscover need, an injustice, a flaw, and then work to rectify 1t.
 It Is not generally known that one year or Catherine Coles's girlhod was spent in country home in Alabama near Monte vaiio Thirty-three years ago an Ala pama woman was spending some time in New Orleans and in the house she boarded was young girl of sixteen, Miss Mattie Smallwood with her parents. The young matron took quite fancy to the young girl whom she found wonder fully wise and thoughtful for her axe, and Tor whom she thought there might be a bright future as she already gave promise or brilliant conversational powers, and gave evidence of keen understand Ing. Between the two there deveIoped A great friendship and when the Alabama woman returned to her home she had persuaded MT. and Mrs. Smaliwood to let their daughter go with her. In this home she remained near a year which time was devoted to writing and studying. Shortly after hef return home to New Orleans she began her newspaper career on The New Orleans Pieayune with which at that time her father, Mir smallwood was connected. Her writing soon began to attract attention and in short time New Orleans knew her and she became power because she had space at her disposal and used 1t in such way as to set the public thinking
 When she had gotten the attention of the people she began to unearth social ills and to tear to pieces Where she found social evils she handled not with gloves and by striking straight from the shoulder made some persons quake while she gained the applause of others. She became, as she was more and more we'd ded to her work, absolutely fearless and as is always the case had reward for her bravery-the reward of gaining her ends and of having, her work and its value recognized. The people of New Orleans are building monument to Catherine Cole because of the good she did by using the power of the press to the end of bettering humanity, to the end of correc- ting abuses, discovering needs and sup plying them, stopping popular injustices. living bare humbug and recognizing good work It was she who finding the great good being done by Sophie Wright in her free night school for boys placed 1t under seach light of printers ink and held it up to public view until it was recognized as great philanthropic work, received assistance and now ff- teen hundred boys are being educated there.
 Catherine Cole was thoroughly Bohe- milan. Her home always open to the literary world. Even the boys" from the city room found there at any time a cherry welcome and cheering cup of tea. In the last years of her life she never went out, but her friends were drawn to her by her magnetism. She was charming even when an invalid when an invalid chair was her throne and the admiring friends who came to enjoy her were her loyal subjects.
 Catherine Coles married name was Mrs. M. R. Field. She left one child. a daughter, Flo Field" with whom the readers of The New Orleans Times Democrat are familiar. This mother and daughter were all and all to each other. The golden thread of their love ran through Catherine Coles entire life and writings after Flo came.
 Flo Field" who for few years through her childhood and girlhood was the pet and idol of the literary
 
 newspaper work in New York
 The New Orleans people are famous for noble recognition of womans ef- fort. They built a monument to Mar garrett the kindly benefactor of home less children; they have recently rec ogntxed in @ heart-stirring way the many activities for the betterment of Humanity set in motion by Sophie Wright, by the presentation to her of a loving cup before an audience of 10000 people at Audubon Park, at the same time gladdening her heart by the pres entation of $l0,000 to further her work
 Tn the building of monument to .'catherine Cole the people of New Or leans are giving evidence of apprecia. ton of all she did for the relief of suffering. the uplifting of the sorrow full, and the encouragement of strug- Riing humanity.
 DR. IDA J. BROOKS.
 Every age has its feminine ideals of womanliness.
 In our, grandmother's day these ideals portrayed in the novels they read, were an impossible tumble of weakness and strength, very knowing and at the same time very ignorant; oftener below sixteen than above It. indeed not interesting unless very young; very cowardly and very deli cate. They were to be relied upon to faint at every emergency; often shut m in some far-away castle waiting for a lover to come and rescue them, but never making the slightest effort In their own behalf. And after they had