The San Francisco call., 1908-09-03
THE SP|NNERS AND
BENEFICIARY CLASH
Miss Ina COOIbrit1 and Her
Friends Charge Bad Faith
by Organization
Lack of Appreciation Is Alleged
as Basis of Difference
Over Money

':The Spinners"-that very small or
ganization which does big things-is
smbroiled in a controversy. 1t is a
. controversy that centers about the
spinners' benefit fund, and so acute is
the stage il has reached that Miss Ina
Coolbrith, the beneficiary of the fund,
q is openly charged with having shown
sn utter lack Of appreciation for all
the efforts that The Spinners have
made in her behalf
The benefit fund came into being
after the fire, being made up at that
time, for the most part. of royalties
on successful book published by the
organization the year before. This fund
was placed at the disposal of members
who had suffered losses. loans Of 5000
each being made TO the needy ones.
Some members wished to turn the en-
tire amount over to Miss Coolbrith, an
honorary member, and while this was
given up, It was decided TO establish
permanent fund. of which she would
be the first beneficiary. Circulars were
accordingly sent out, soliciting contri-
buttons and setting forth that the fund
should be a permanent one.
BOND BOUGHT WITH FUND
Contributions amounting TO s6s9.4S
were received in addition to The Spin
ners' contribution Of SSO0.~and then an
additional $40 was voted to make up
$1,000 for the purchase OF a guaran-
Ieed Western Pacific bond. Amounts
saved in the purchase were put into
the fund and the interest has been paid
regularly TO Miss Coolbrith Anxious
70 increase Miss. Coolbrith's income,
The Spinners- brought out The Spin
ners Book of Fiction now on the
market. and the first accounting Of
royalties added s4S13O to the fund.
The Spinners contemplated adding
enough money to purchase another
,hond, but in view of the unqualified
expression Of disapproval by the bene-
fciary it was decided to await the re-
.ceipt Of further royalties
In cases where donors asked that
their -confri ributions be paid directly to
Miss Coolbrith. instead of being placed
IN the fund. this was done. and many
- Spinners acted individually to aid Miss
CoOlbrith. One member gave her a
home. absolutely. free OF. expense; until
she was obliged to leave for Europe.
Miss Gertrude Atherton. besides giving
$500 TO the fund, arranged for a reading
AZ the Fairmont hotel, which netted
$1,000 for Miss Coolbrith. while Miss
Eleanor Davenport appeared before the
relief committee and secured $500 for
her use.
BAD FAITH CHARGED
While this was being done. efforts to
give Miss COolbrith the. grati1cation
ard comfort OF adding something per-
sonally.to what has been given her are
said to have been unavailing Another
member of The Spfnners made arrange
ments for her 10 live comfortably at
Carmel by the-Sea, where she would
have received a small-salary for a few
hours work each days in library. This
she refused wishing TO live in San
Francisco. and in. one particular part
Of tt
=: How, despite the interest of The Spin
ners as an organization and as indi-
viduals, Miss Coolbrith and few of her
friends charge bad faith on the part Of
The Spinners. They want the existing
bond sold and the money paid over;
also they want the entire royalty from
D.. The Spinners Book of Fiction"
The SpiHners have sougth legal ad-
vice and will carry out their original
suteptions of making the fund a per-
manent one by following the course
planned in the beginning. The commit
tee originally in charge Of the fund con-
sisted Of Miss Mary Bell, now Mrs Nor
wood Of India; Miss Grace Llewellyn
Jones. now Mrs. Robert Gibson; Miss
p Sara Dean and Miss Eleanor Davenport