The Democratic advocate., 1908-06-12
A BUSINESS WOMAN
CANADA PAPER PAYS TRIBUTE TO
MISS emma STEINER
A Former Westminster Woman Makes
a Good Impression

Woodstock has had a visitor for the
past week whom to know is a great
privilege and delight. I refer to Miss
Emma r. Steiner of New York, who
has been the guest of her friend, Miss
Mitchell, of this city, who, it might be
remarked in passing, with no inten-
ton of flattering, is also very bright,
we'll read and talented woman. Miss
Steiner gave a very entertaining and
instructive talk on Alaska, illustrated
by moving pictures, depicting scenes
in that region. One of the most ex-
citing scenes was a walrus hunt. The
EsquimauX hunt these walrus for
their tusks and it certainly is an eX-
ceeding hazardous occupation. This
picture, the only one of its kind in eX-
istence, is insured for $4,000, it having
cost over $4,000 to get the picture. 1t
was, of course, difficult matter to
find one who combined the necessary
courage to risk his life and the ability
to work the Photographic machine.
Miss Steiner has spent the past
seven years in Alaska, way up in
Nome. 1t takes ten days to go froom
Seattle to Nome, via the Pacific, in
favorable weather and by the Yukon
would take over month. During the
last four years Miss Steiner has been
engaged in mining and owns at
present a tin mine near Nome. Miss
Steiner Is a woman who does things
and does not spend her time in dream
ing dreams and seeing visions.
though of the latter when she favors
you with a musical performance you
know she has the dreams and visions
all right, but she doesn't stop there,
she gives them out in musical COM
positions and through her finger tips.
The truism that in order to reach
perfection in any one art one must be
we'll versed in many is beautifully ex-
emplified in Miss Emma R. Steiner. 1t
is not until one has spent some time
in her presence, as it was my delight
full privilege to do, and heard her
converse with perfect ease and knowl-
edge on various subjects, one loses
sight of her musical gift and feels the
magnetic presence of the woman. Miss
Steiner is not only gifted but she is a
very beautiful woman.
In conversation with Miss Steiner
learned many interesting things about
her that gives one valuable insight
into the strong personality of the
woman.
Miss Steiner was born in Maryland,
of which she feels justly proud. One
could tell she loved her native soil, as
she thrilled out maryland, dear Mary
land" Truly one never before real
ized all the music in that word, Mary
land" AS a baby she never cried as
other babies and her mother took her
to a doctor to learn what was the
matter that she never cried. have
since heard that Japanese babies do
not cry. l wonder if that accounts
for their peculiar eyes. Miss Steiner's
eyes have not suffered in beauty on
that account.
Her mother was a brilliant pianist
and used to put little Emma in chair
while she played the piano. The neigh
bors thought the child was neglected,
but evidently Emma was absorbing
music, the music of the birds and the
music of the flowers; yes, think there
is music that one feels, even If it be
not audible, in everything that is beau
tiful.
When Miss Steiner was eleven years
old, she composed her first opera.
This, mind you, without instruction;
her mother told her where middle G
was on the piano and the rest she
studied out for herself. Her father was
opposed to opera on principle and re-
fused to look at the score. A musical
friend, however, pronounced it correct
ly written. She has composed the
music of seven operas, one OF which,
called "The Alchemist," she gave at
the Ladies' Musical Club on Monday
afternoon. She has also conducted
over seven thousand performances OF
orchestra She has, too, wonderful
memory and has conducted for diff
ferent opera every day in the week,
and carried the entire score in her
head. About seven years ago Miss
Steiner's sight failed from too close
application to music, and it was then
she conceived the idea of going to
Nome, hoping to make money that she
might be able to get some OF her
operas produced. 1t takes, of course,
as everyone knows, several thousands
of dollars to produce an opera, and
though men are often able to manipu-
late loans on questionable security, 1t
is not an easy matter for woman to
do so.
In the course of conversation on
financial matters it drifted to banks
and their method of doing business.
Miss Steiner is believer in govern
ment owned banks. That each should
have equal privileges to borrow money
from the government. Conversation
turned on Cassie Chadwick" Miss
Steiner firmly believes that Cassie
Chadwick's method of business was
just as legitimate as Andrew Carn-
NIT q l.