Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-27
NEW YORK GIRLS
FORM "DoT' SOCIETY
HOPE THUG TO ENCOURAGE
MATRiMoNY
Girls Adopt Plan Which Is Designed
to Enable Them to Bring powry
to Prospective Hus-
bands

corporation of the Dot society are now
being prepared by Lawyer John A. An
derson of Temple Bar, Court street,
Brooklyn. The incorporators are Miss
Abba Nowlin Brown of IA West
Eighty-third street. New York city;
Miss Charlotte NJ Robson, Boston,
and Miss Louise Gardner Phillips, Phil
adelphia.
A plot of land has been secured at
Northport, L. l., to raise mushrooms.
flowers, honey, chickens and garden
produce. This is saying nothing of
the various art crafts which the mem
bers of the society will practice, and
to which they will in the main look
for the accomplishment of their am
billions, which will be the acquisition
of their individual 'dors,' or marriage
portions. And now the reader Is put
next to the why and wherefore OF the
name of the organization.
Judging by the remarks of the pres
ident, Miss Brown, 1t has come to the
understanding of herself and her COM
panions that q good many young men
nowadays fight shy of matrimony be-
cause they haven't the price and not
because they are wanting In inclina-
IlOQ. AHQ as LIl6 tltuSS dhG eSteiAH sAsA
the more strenuous with the passing
of years. while the cost of wedding
rings and canaries and chatting dishes
and other necessities Of married life
show no signs of abatement, 1t be-
hooves the girls to do something to re-
lieve the situation.
"The trouble with the average girl
is that she wants to begin where her
father or the father OF her fiance left
off," said Miss Brown. "Of the girls
OF their acquaintance to all sorts OF
good times, and flowers, and candies
and all the rest of 1t. But on the whole
we (and you'll please notice that /
don't exclude myseifl are given 20 e *
pecting too much. Now. 1t has seemed
to us, I mean the members Of the So
ciety, that matrimony is q sort OF mu-
tual help institution and that there is
no reason therefore why the woman
should not do her share in the financial
end Of the matter as well as the man.
| At all events she should assist In start
ing the home that Is to be. In this re-
spect I think that we could we'll take
| n lesson from France, where, as you
| know, no girl is considered marriage
able unless she can bring her husband
a dot or wedding dowry. no matter
how small the latter may be. We pro-
pose to initiate our French friends as
| far. as in us lies. and hence the name
Chosen by us--the Dot society,"
ORGANIZATIONS Plans
Miss Brown then went on to tell with
some detail the plans of the .organiza-
ton. The members, so she explained:
are limited to twenty, the projected
| quarters at Northport not accommo-
dating more than these. The most de-
sirable type of members" she declared,
were girls already engaged, because
they were working with an object
| Asked IL she herself was pre-empted,
| Miss Brown, with a pretty blush, de-
| clined TO answer on the ground that tho
query had nothing to do with the So
ciety.
"By a cooperative plan Of working
and living" she went on 70 explain
"our expenses viii be reduced to q
minimum. Plain clothing, a plain but
wholesome table, the total elimina-
ton of nonessentials and the constant.
as we hope, lucrative work, VIII ENABLE
us to save money and so get the dot
| We have worked the thing out to our
satisfaction on paper, ana, unless W. ~
are very much mistaken. a couple OF
wears of association with the society
| when once 1t begins work, ana a
| faithful observance OF It's rules anu
regulations, will give each member the
needed sum-"
The young woman was asked whas
| the members considered uos VI
reasonable proportions.
"That." she replied, sis one or the
things that we must decline TO MAKE
public. We don't propose ana neitner
do we expect to bring our huspanos-
which-are-to-be, fortune. But as l
have already intimated, we do nope 20
bring him-them, I mean-enough 10
start the home comfortably, on paid
m basis. Which, am assured, is one
az the conditions of a happy married
life. I believe that there are more
homes wrecked through being built on
credit foundation than from any other
cause. The constant strain to meet
payments and the possible failure to
do so, get on the peoples nerves--irri-
tation, harsh words and estrangement.
follow and then the divorce courts
Miss Brown went on to say that the
society's members will each furnish a
small initial sum, toward the expenses
Iof the quarters. and that subsequently
a certain proportion of their earnings
will he set aside for. their maintenance.
The remainder would be invested IN
their own names In a New YORK saw
ings bank ana ", Nuia cons'''u'e 'he
AS far as the art crafts are con-
earned some New York firms had al
ready promised to take all the output
Of the society. A large proportion OF
the food of the organization would be
produced on the land of the society.
"And," added Miss Brown, enthusi-
astfcally, mot only will we bring him
Fthem--our husbands) dot. but that
which Is even more valuable, health,
CHEEKY dispositions and that knowledge
of domestic affairs without which there
can be no home in the truest accept
ance of the term. Oh, yes, forgot to
say that practice in all things which
appertain to the home will be possible