The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-20
Stories of American Women
By Frederic ]. HaSkin

The Daughters of the Republic of
Texas have every right TO be proud OF
their society, for IL is n most dlstlnctlVe
and unique organization, There can be
none other like il in this country, be-
cause no other portion Of our land ever
passed through such an interesting his
tory, or enjoyed so checkered career
in its $50 years of life as has the Lone
Star State. The Daughters Of the
Republic of Texas was formed at the
home of Mrs. Andrew Briscoe of llous'
ton, Tex, on November o. 1881. MRS,
Briscoe was the widow OF ono OF lhe
signers of-the Declaration OF lndepend-
cncc of Texas. and it was fitting that
she should take the initial step Ill so
momentous an historical work. One OF
the charter members was the widow OF
Anson Jones, last President of the
Republic One of the first important
pieces of work done by the society was
the removal of the remains of Genera |
Sidney Sherman and David G. Burnet
To the cemetery on Galveston island,
where they could be properly cared
for, 1t members interested the state
in the purchase and preservation of the
battlefield of San Jacinto, and were IN
strumeptal in having statues Of stephen
L. Austin and Samuel Houston placed
in Statuary Hall in the Capitol at
Washington.
Miss Gertrude Beels secretary of the
welfare department OF the National
Civic Federation, was one of the first
women in this country TO he engaged
as ''social secretary in a large es-
tablishment. an Office that seeks to
make the life of the employees better
and to bring them in closer touch with
In this position Miss Beeks became
deeply interested in the question of
child labor in factories and she un-
dertook n personal investigation of the
situation. She. visited many mills in
North and South Carolina, and later
made the same kind of tour through
the mines of Pennsylvania and the
Middle States When the National
Civic Federation met in New York last
December, the members from all parts
of the country were uusparing IN their
praise OF Miss Beeks and her work.
Each speaker complimented this young
girl, who has done more than any other
woman 10 place the question of wei
fare work in factories in its truest
light.
The independence Of modern woman
asserts itself in many and unexpected
ways. One innovation that bids far
to be popular is that of married women
retaining their maiden names after
marriage In order that their own iden.
titles may not be lost in that of their
husbands. Mrs. Lydia Kingswell Com
mander, the talented wife of Herbert
y. Casson, chooses TO use her own name
with the matronly prefix, in preference
TO using that of her husband. Both are
writers and each has made name in
the world of letters. Another evidence
of independence is found in Miss Lii
Ian Mary Small, who has the distinc.
tion of being the only woman marine
observer She has succeeded her father
al the North Truro station, Cape Cod
highlands, on the Massachusetts coast,
where she continually scans the horizon
with her glasses. reading the flags of
the passing -tessels and reporting them
10 the Boston Chamber Of Commerce.
Miss Anna Adams Gordon. the re.
nowned W. G. T. L. worker, has for
many wears made her influence felt in
the work Of her organization, not only
in this but in other countries. For
twentv-one years she was secretary to
Miss Frances Willard. the, founder of
the organization. and from her i'm
hibed many helpful ideas. which, when
added to her own attalnments have
made her an acknowledged leader Miss
Gordon was the thoughtful one who es-
tablished the dime collection for
children. the aggregate sum of which
was used TO build a memorial fountain
before Frances Willard Hall in Chi