Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-28
LEAVES THE PL0W TO
OPPOSE AFFINITY
Mrs. Ella Voorhees, Cast off by Hus-
band for Another-Pleads Man-
uaI Labor Places Her Below
His Station

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 3.-Like old Israel
Putnam. hero of the Revolution, Mrs
Ella Culver Voorhees, of Upper Alton
has been called from the pillow to fight
the battles of her life. Her husband,
Professor George L. Voorhees,. former
instructor in the Western Military
academy, and now principal of the
Samuel F. B. Morse scheel in Chi
cago has sued her for divorce. He
charges that she does farm work and
that she is below him in the social
scale. He frankly admits that he has
a woman friend, Miss Geraldine Farrar,
whom his wife calls his affinity.
For five years Mrs. Voorhees, has
toiled in the fields and devoted her
self to the care of her eight children.
Life Easy Before Marriage
cit wasn't that 1 liked farm work,
she says: '.before my marriage my
hands were fair and white. | did no
harder work than to practice my music
and cultivate my mind.
but when Professor Voorhees, and I
separated 1 had this farm and had
eight children to provide for. l have
tried to make this property yield all
1t could. l have driven a team to the
/ pillow and to the harrow. have MIXED
nineteen COWS.
I have given my children a mothers
care. l have had to be both father
and mother to my little ones. And
am not ashamed that this has prevent
ed nv going into society. as ] used to-.
Meanwhile Prof. Voorhees, is charged
with having been cultivating the new
thought of which Ferdinand Pinney
Earle has been looked upon as the em-
bodiment. He admits that a man of
his culture and refinement fround farm
life exceedingly distasteful-the farm
4
home before he departed for Chicago
Husband DIsdains Toiler
He confesses that he does not con-
slider a woman who works afield, be-
hind the pillow, and who tolls in the
barn where the COWS are kept, % fit
person to be the wife of one occupying
such a station in life as he does.
The professor says frankly that Miss
Farrar, daughter of his former land
lady, is a very charming woman.
Mrs. Voorhees,, in the cross bill to his
petition she has sent to Chicago,
charges that the professor has beaten
rugs and washed dishes in the Farral'
home and that he has escorted Miss
Farrar to theaters and other places of
amusement.
The publication of news stories about
the Voorhees, divorce suit has set law
yers for both sides to work up wit
IleSS6S. NtlSHbplS anu S'hobi NiiiihINti
will testify Tor the professor and friends
of Mrs. Voorsees will testify in her
behalf
VOORHEES, denies that he did any sort
of domestic work in the home of his
former landlady, whose daughter Is
named by Mrs. Voorhees,. He also de-
MES that he has any thought of marry
ing the young woman dubbed his 'af-
tinity."
The professors lawyer says that the
young woman is a friend of Mrs. Noor
hees.
courtship at University
To a Dispatch reporter Friday.
Mrs. VOORHEES, told the story of her
life. She said;
81 had a happy girlhood. My parents
were well-to-do and OUR social relations
were most delightful. My home was
in Madison, Wis. ] met my husband
at a reception to the faculty of the
University of Wisconsin. He was q
poor boy who was working his way
through college.
MY parents did not approve of our
friendship. He had no prospects then
and our courtship was almost clandes-
time. L loved him and when he asked
me to marry him 1 eloped with him
gladly on August 5, 1879.
THE first few years of our life to-
gether were happy, although the shock
to my mother of our marriage caused
her to have a nervous trouble from
which she never has entir~ly recov-
cred