Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-02-03
- Ole FTSf -
6gIon,on'S In anfrY

as men. Then do the same duties-do
military service"
I'VE are tired Of hearing you men
throw this up at US whenever we de-
mand the right Of suffrage. We acill
do military service. You assume that
we cannot endure military hardships.
We can do our part-that is, the light
er part. Our arms and accouterments
may be of weight proportionate to
eur physique"
I Such was the reply of Mrs. Susan
Armstrong to the president, who in
his next message to congress transmit
ted the demand. An act was intro
duced creating corps of women to
serve In such places as Mrs. Arm
strong had indicated. They were to be
enrolled as infantry. though the intro
Queer of the bill disayowed any slur
on the women from double meaning
of the word. If they were found effcc-
tive as foot soldiers a corps of cavalry
and one of artillery were to be added.
An amendment was introduced leav-
| ing the selection of the uniform with
the women enrolled.
| The first regiment Of (women's) in
4 fantry was enrolled and instructed by
/ the secretary of war to select its uni
! form, after which its officers would be
| appointed and its equipment furnished
| by the government. Eight hundred
| women met in council. Mrs. Arm
strong was elected president, and the
meeting proceeded to business. Miss
| Owen moved that committee be APP
pointed to design uniform. The mo-
ton was put and carried and the com
| mittec appointed by the chair. 1t
| was then announced that the work
had already been done, uniform had
been selected and would be presented
to the meeting.
| Miss Wrinkle, chairman Of the COM
| mittee, read description of the uni
| form. 1t was to be Of blue cloth,
| tailor made: jacket faced with vel
| low, skirt to fall three inches below
| the knee, hat of felt ON wire frame
| crown, inverted bell shaped, four
| inches high, brim one yard in diane
| ter, ostrich feathers of suitable shades
| to match.
When the description had been read
| the president announced that the mat
| ter OF its adoption was open to dis
| cussion.
Miss Skinner-I should like to ask
| what sized hustle is to be used.
Miss Wrinkle-There will be no bus
tie The uniform is to be for service,
not ornamental.
Miss Skinner (sharply)-H'm! With
no hustle perhaps some of us may dis
| play figures by no means ornamental
| Mrs. Latheriy-Will the chairman Of
| the committee please inform us il
| there is to be uniform hip breadth?
! Miss Wrinkle-The hips are to be the
| natural size
! Mrs. Latherly-Mrs. President, if the
| hips are to be natural size / would
! suggest enlisting only women with
average hips How would the rear
rank look with
| The President-The lady is out of or
der Miss Blackmore!
| Miss Blackmore-Are there TO be
er Of brunettes? Certainly the bru-
nettes cannot be expected to wear
blue.
| The President-The members of the
corps will wear the uniform as adopt
ed.
| Miss Skinner-I should like to know,
Mrs. President, if we are to be permit
ted to make our figures respectable, or
arc we to be denied all pads?
| Miss Wrinkle-The secretary of war
has estimated that our regiment can
not be mustered in to the military
service without a serviceable uniform.
With our accouterments there will be
no room for padding.
Miss Ferguson-Does this deprive us
Of corsets?
Mrs. Mathews-I wish to say right
now If it does desire my name strick-
en- off the roi.s. demand corset, and
a straight front corset.
Mrs. Kellogg-Mrs. President, the
lady is talking nonsense. How would
the straight front corset with rear pro-
| tuberance look, j should like to know?
Does the lady wish something to carry
| q mess kit on?
L
der the rear Of the corset might be
used for cartridges. I'm not so i'm
practical as the lady would suppose.
So there!
Miss Simper tittering}-With the
straight front corset our corps would
look always in the position Of charge
bayonet."
For some time the wrath of various
members had been gaining ground.
and from this point there was dou-
Bile class divergence. The fat women
were ranged against the lean ones and
the brunettes against the blonds The
meeting finally broke up in confusion
and has not since been called together.
Meanwhile the secretary of war Is
waiting to equip and muster in the
| corps.