Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1905-03-29
A REMARKABLE WOMAN.
Mrs. Stanford Of Retiring and Charitable
Disposition and Strong il
Will Power.

Although Mrs. Jane Lathrop Stanford
had been before the public for moro
than decade. in connection with the
great university at Palo Alto, Cal,
which her husband and she planned to-
gether and the policy of which, since his
DEATH she had controlled, few but her
relatives and friends had any accurate
notion of the qualities that made up this
remarkable woman's personality. \
most charming hostess in Washington
and San Francisco. and a broad sym
pathetic and generous woman, she yet
continued to maintain reserve toward
the public which was never lifted.
Of a naturally retiring nature she en-
jOyed reading, particularly books on edu-
cation and religion, and there was moth
ing she liked better than to have her
house filled with young nieces and
nephews.
In point of resolution and will power,
Mrs. Stanford was probably the equal of
her husband. They tell story which IL
lustrates her calm way of getting around
difficulties. 1t was after Mr.. Stanford
perhaps the happiest period of Mrs.
Stanford's life-that the latter decided
to give some big function in the palatial
mansion they had built on Mob hill, San
Francisco A few days before the date
she sent for a decorator and consulted
gllded moulding, feature in the decora-
tons of the drawing room which she
wished to be reproduced in the reception
room adjoining.
and | want it done immediately" she
added.
''Impossible." replied the decorator.
1t would take two men at least six
weeks to do it,
'Oh, then. it's not impossible at ALL"
was Mrs. Stanford's quiet but decided
answer. IF two men can do it in six
weeks, twelve men can do 1t in one
week, and twenty-fOur men in three
days. Please have twenty-four men
here tomorrow
The reception room was brave in its
gilt moulding on the night of the recep-
ton. three days later.
Mrs. Stanford numbered among her
intimate friends many prominent women
like Mrs. z. S. Grant and Mrs. Benia-
min Harrison. She was what is called
q 'Woman'S woman The hOmely yir-
tues meant more to her than those more
commanding and snowy, and her man
ner remained quiet and transformations
Although Daughter Of the American
Revolution. with plenty of good old New
England fighting blood IN her veins this
woman of millions liked to talk of the
days when she did her own work and
took boarders, ''to help along"
While Mrs. Stanford believed firmly
IL,
dependence of character prevented her
from identifying herself openly with the
SuftraglStS She never came out in ia
Vor OF equal suffrage, maintaining to the
end that, while women should have 2
voice IN the protection of their own prom
erty, homemaklng was their highest call
ing.
Her action in limiting the number of
women students IN actual attendance at
Leland Stanford, Jr., university, to 800
caused people to say that she opposed
the higher educa ton of women. This
however. was entirely contrary to the
truth. She herself gave her reason for
doing so explicitly. She said she was
afraid that if the number of women
should ever exceed the number of men
the public would come to regard the uni
yersity as a university for women in
stead of for men.
This was not my husbands wish
she added. nor is it mine, nor would
it have been my sons
Her attitude toward the TEMPERANCE
movement was equally conservative and
not less disappointing to the extremists
IN the temperance ranks. Miss Frances
Il. Willard and she were devoted
friends, yet Mrs. Stanford believed in
temperance-that is, moderation-and
not III total abstinence, and the Califor
MIA wines that she used on her IN h1a
were often those that had been made in
her own cellars from the vineyards of
the great Nlna ranch, in Tehama conn
ty, which later she decided to the unIver
sity.
Her interest in kindergartens was gem
uine. SO enthusiastic was she over the
kindergarten as an agency for the civil
ling of the slum child that she gave
100000 to the kindergartens of San
francisco.-New York Tribune.