The San Francisco call., 1908-09-18
CLUBWOMEN ENJOY
TALK ON OPTIMISM
Benjamin Fay Mills Declares
That Pessimism and Unbe-
Lief Are Synonymous
Outdoor Art League Proposes
TO Publish History and Pic
lures of Monuments

resolute. buoyant optimism was
the keynote OF the little talk given by
Benjamin Fay Mills TO the members
and guests Of the California club under
the auspices OF the optimist section yes
terday. Mills began by defining op-
timism as synonymous with faith and
pessimism as only another name for
unbelief. The pith Of his half hour s
talk was concentrated In the question
with which he concluded il.
In asking you this, said the
speaker, Il pay a great tribute TO the
intelligent and the spiritual advance of
the ladies OF the California club. This
is the great question to which optimism
and optimistic writer's are inevitably
leading us. At what point shall men
and women cease 10 be involuntary and
unconscious factors in the development
OF the world and rise TO intelligently
take charge of the march of progress?'' %
The fact that thousands of intelligent
people Of San Francisco are unaware of
the Significance of the many monu-
ments, statues and historical landmarks
situated in various parts of the city has
reused the members OF the outdoor art
league of the California club. A num-
Der of committees were formed yester-
day when the league met In the Cali
fornia club. whose duty 1t will be to
investigate the history of the different
marble and bronze tributes that are
erected in the streets and in the park
and 10 ascertain the expense that would
be involved in issuing a book contain
ing their pictures and their histories.
II was suggested by Mrs Lowell White,
who presided yesterday, that such a
book would be useful in schools, public
Libraries and civic libraries and that.
this being understood, the city authori-
ties and various organizations might
be willing TO pay part of the cost OF
production
About 500 women gathered in Cen
tury club hall yesterday morning for
the first fall meeting of the San Fran
cisco musical club, one of the oldest
and most popular of the cIty's organi-
cations of women. The reunion was
marked by q musical program, most of
the performers in which We're selected
from the clubs list OF members. 1t
was opened by Mozart-Grieg's fantaisie
in { major, arranged for two pianos.
The players were Mrs. George L Alex
ender and Miss Edith Bonnell Miss
Clara Rauhut played two piano solos.
a baRade by Chopin and Liszts sixth
rhapsodie- Miss Edith Bonnen rendered
two short selections, Liadow's 'Ber-
ceuse" and LISTS Sonnet of Petrarch. -
Perhaps the most enjoyed number of
the program was a trio of Heise's short
songs by Mrs. Frank Van Ness Cox,
whose exquisite contralto was never
heard TO better advantage. The ac-
compenists were Miss MoIlie Pratt and
Miss Ada Clement
The first social meeting of the Cap
and Bells club yesterday afternoon was
enjoyed by more than 200 prominent
club and society women The musical
and dramatic program was opened with
a selection by the clubs mandolin or
chestra under the direction OF Richard
Carpenter, Leybach's Nocturne V Mrs
FELTON, Taylor then read several selec-
tions and Carl Windrath of the David
Warheld company gave several fine
mandolin eolos, accompanied by Her
man Perlet- Mrs. J. Shank gave a piano
solo and Warmers pretty milking song
was delightfully."- sung by Mrs. Thomas
H Crothers, Mrs. Harry Franck. Mrs.
Walter Ernest Janke and Mrs. Norton.
The program concluded with a farce
by Margaret Cameron, The Klepto-
maniac in which Miss Elizabeth Nav
hew. Mrs. Walter Carroll. Mrs. Will
PaTdy, Mrs. William SawtelI, Mrs. d.
Z. F. Easton and Mrs. Frederick Sam
uels took part Among those present
were.