The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-01-10
of Interest to Women

of New Orleans. Known and loved IN
that city as the friend of the poor,
she is called the first and best citizen
of New Orleans.
This little woman, frail in body, a
cripple since she was three years old,
living in a steel harness and walking
ON crutches, has done more for New
Orleans than any other citizen. Be-
| ginning her like work of philanthro-
! ply with no money, no influential
! friends and nothing but an indomitable
spirit to win success, she has estab-
lished day school which earns her
! living and the money to maintain a
free night school. and paved her way
into the hearts of all people.
1t is said that ont of the approxi-
! mate 100000 White men and boys of
New Orleans, 1900 are absolutely
dependent this year for their education
on Miss Sophie Wight. 1t is estim-
ated that six out OF every ten of clerks,
ers in New Orleans have been pupils
of the Sophie Wright Night school.
And this woman is not rich, but poor.
Yet. were her work by any sad hap
penins to stop. l l-2 per cent of New
Orleans male population would be de-
prived of their chance of advancing
their station in life.
She was born into the poverty of
the year 1866, and from three to nine
years of age was so badly crippled that
she was strapped into her chair, UNI
able to move. When she was nine
years old she could hobble to the day
school on her crutches. At IA she had
completed the public educational
course and opened a school herself.
Her terms were so cents a month for
each pupil. and as soon as one pupil
was assured Miss Sophie announced
she would support herself and assist
her family. To learn more herself,
she engaged TO teach the beginners in
an afternoon school in return for in
struction in the languages. So at 16
she was teaching in two schools and
studying in one. Her school grew
so rapidly she was forced to secure
larger quarters and did so by borrow
ing the money for the first months
rent from a money lender at - per
cent per month interest. For 500 she
paid back at the end of the year 1920.
1t was when she was is years old
that circus was stranded in New
Orleans, and among those left hunting
York was young acrobat who had
run away from home when he was a
boy and had no education: some sort
Nf n,ir
held, and if he only know how to read
or write he had some hope of a liv-
ing. He happened to stumble on
Sophie Wrights sign, "Day School for
Girls" and there he pulled the bell.
She had only sympathy for one more
a cripple in the worlds work than
herself, and she told him to come
back in the evening. That door, open
ed to the poor men of the city, has
never been closed.
In the first years the day school,
now grown into home institute, with
principal and staff of teachers and
boarding department, was the chief
thing, and the night school sort of
supplement. But now the Home Insti-
tute has become means to an end.
Her boys-for though some of the
pupils of the night school are girls,
she fondly calls them her boys-are
her life, and her hope is to get the
work as we'll established that at her
death or sooner the public schools
will take it over.
Miss Wright has had two strokes
of paralysis already, and is expect
ing the third, but her fear is never for
herself, always for her work. She is
interested in all things philanthropic;
through her efforts 100000 was secured
to erect an annex to the Home for In
curables for crippled children. She
started with night school and now
has the city of New Orleans.
No greater ovation could have beAl
given loved woman than the one
given her when she was awarded the
Picayume's loving cup, given each year
to the person who has done the great
est work for the city. On that day a
certified check for $4,000 was slipped
into her hand to lift the mortgage on
her school
Frail in body but strong in spirit,
she keeps up her work. Every day of
her life has been sunshine for some
one. Could woman ask a more
wonderful thing to be claimed for her?
The princesses of the English royal
family-as lovely and womanly a bevy
of fair creatures as the example of
, good Queen Victoria could have vouch-
safed-are rapidly making conquests
and are dividing up the royal spoils
of Europe. The presence of Queen
Maud of England serves as a reminder
of this fact and makes it interesting
to note how many of the Queens of
Europe have been drafted from these
shores. The Czarina is the daughter
of Princess Alice. King Edwards
sister; the Queen of Spain is the
daughter of the Princess of Batten-
berg. Queen Victoria's youngest daugh-
ter; the Crown Princess of Roumania
is the eldest daughter of the Duke of
Edinburgh; the Queen of Norway is
Princess Maud that was; Princess
Margaret will one day be the Queen
of Sweden; niece Of King Edward
is the Crown Princess of Greece.
There are other English princesses
designed for similar peaceful con-
| hor &c