The Oskaloosa herald., 1904-06-02
CLUB WOMEN AT
ST. LOUIS FAIR.
GREAT GATHERING FROM ALL
PARTS OF THE WORLD.
OBSERVED BY MRS. oGILvIE.
Former oskaloosa Lady Writes En-
tertainingIy Of Remarkable Con-
vention and Other Points of
interest at Exposition.
Special Correspondence.

Op6Cldl SOTTSSpUuuSuGe.
st. Louis, May 24.-The great con-
vention of women, the General FEEDER.
alton meeting Of club women, has
ended and many a hard worked dele
gate drew long breath Of relief.
For it was hard work; four III room
at the hotels, the noise and dust and
heat Of the city and the long sessions
OF the convention, where they listen
ed to wisdom from the lips of women
of high estate for hours at stretch,
sandwiching all this with flying trips
to the Exposition Grounds. 1t was a
great convention. No doubling that
fact. The women were representa-
tive, from every quarter of our domin-
ion, Cuba, Philippine Islands, Hawaii
and Alaska, and every state from
Maine to Washington.
From Monday morning until the
middle of the week the delegates
swarmed into the Union station, eacn
with knot, of blue ribbon on her left
shoulder. The st. Louis women,
wearing blue badges on which was
printed the word TRAINS" met and
directed the guests arriving. Bag
gage was piled mountains high, for
no well bred club woman would go to
a General Federation meeting without
trunk.
The first meeting on Tuesday after
noon found most of the delegates in
their travelling gowns, with anxious
lines in their faces engendered by the
fact hat neither love nor money could
buy up the expressmen to deliver
their trunks. But on Wednesday
anxiety had flown and the crowd had
blossomed out in silk shirt waist suits.
A more splendidly dressed body Of
women surely was never seen. The
paesident Mrs. Denison, was in diff
,rerelt attire each day, and her ex-
ample was followed by all who could
I afford II, except those who could af-
Word not to. There were few of
&8ese. Helen Gould, for example. All
OF the officers were women of wealth
; and position. No poor woman, no
matter what her gifts, could have an
Office. And each woman in high place
must have the backing of Some man
of note, usually in the financial world.
Mrs. Denison, of New York, Mrs.
Burdette Of Pasadena, Mrs. Fox OF
Detroit, Mrs. Cord of Rapid City, Miss
Poppenheim of Charleston, Mrs. Won
Vechten Of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Mrs.
Noyes of Milwaukee,-all the world
has heard of their husbands or faith.
ers. Not that the women who hold
offices can be nothing in themselves,
but-they must also have a male
backing. No poor woman could swing
the presidency, titfough the treasur-
er's report showed that each board
meeting cost over thousand dollars.
heard that Mrs. Denison, whose hus-
band is not an expert financier, said
that had she realized the expense of
the position she would never have be-
come president. The new president,
Mrs, Decker, is quite wealthy.
Wheter this is as it should be, l
leave you to judge for yourself. Mrs.
Denison is a most charming, femi-
nine woman and deservedly popular.
She presided with much praciousness.
Women like sweetness and softness
as well as firmnes in leader, and
Mrs. Denison has these qualities.
The program included papers look
ing after the welfare of the whole hu-
man race. Most OF these papers were
practical. Few aeronautic flights
were indulged in and very little spec
ulatiVe philosophy. Here are few
Of the topics:
Compulsory Education Laws and
Their Enforcement" "Child Labor in
America" Organization Among
Working Women" rs the Ballot of
Real Value to Working Women" !"
Education and Democracy" "The
School as the Ally of the Home, /"
Home Destroying Industries, ""Wom.
en- in Outdoor Art" Forest Preser.
walton Problem of the Day" These
give the reader general idea of
what they talked about. And they
talked we'll and earnestly. Some of
them could not be heard-most of
them had unpleasant voices. But
the intellectual excellence was there
and it must have compared favorably
with the productions of the brains of
any body Of men the world over.
A few prominent men appeared,
lecturers upon special topics, who
were paid goodly sums for their talks.
But the pleasure of the meetings was
given by the women. On Tuesday
afternoon, the Wednesday Club of st.
Louis gave reception in their rooms
in the Y. M. G. A. building. There
was crush, but was destined to see
greater one later on. Ices, cake ana
frappe were served, and the affair well
managed.
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