The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-08-12
THE WOMAN'S COLUMN
THE REST ROOM PROJECT


Representative Men and Women Cor
poration Means Success.
You are the wife of a well-to-do farmer,
living several miles out from the hustling
little city of Montpelier. There are several
little things that you and the children
need and you decide to go up to town but
you have to postpone the journey until
market day When John is ready, you
make the trip with him. The ride is long,
the sun hot, and you are dusty and travel
stained when you arrive. 1t is simple
matter to make your few purchases and,
for half an hour or more, you stroll about
town at will. Then, quite suddenly, you
discover that you are very tired. You are
quite ready to go home but you remember
that John had "a great deal of business to
transact and that several hours still hang
idle on your hands. You dislike waiting
in the stores, the clerks are so ready to
ask you if you want something and you feel
to horribly embarrassed standing aim
lessly at the counters. You might wait at
the station but the benches are uncompro-
misingly hard and uninviting and there
is not scrap of reading matter. Why not
the library? There are books galore but
the quiet Expresses you. You feel the way
you do on the farm when the children are
out in the fields and you have no one to
talk to. You think cup of tea would
cheer you but,where can you get it? And
those little purchases made heavier bum
dies than you expected and there is no
place to lay them down. You haven't
place to go to while you wait for John
and he consumes good half hour, doubt
less, in hunting you up when he is ready
to start home. Heis impatient and angry
because of this and you are tired and snap
at him and it is very unpleasant. Your
head aches and you think you won't come
to town again in hurry.
MThat, my friends, is the present order
Of things. Now, won't you agree with me
that the woman's rest room idea is not an
impractical suggestion, that it means every
thing to the shopper, the farmers wife,
the merchants and the city itself? The
proposition has appealed to the mer-
chants, the representative men OF the
city, who have come forward, rs with
one accord, to express their hearty APP
prevail of the rest room idea. But, not
quite satisfied with the approval Of the
"men folks" your friend Prudence inter
viewed several of the representative
women of the city, the merchants wife,
the doctors wife, the lawyers wife and the
same unreserved approval was expressed
from these most important sources. I'm
fortunately, each woman preferred that
her name should not be used in connec-
ton with her statement, something
which is often the case with women, but
each favored the rest room idea and said
that she was willing to do all in her power
10 help the matter along. / wonder, dc
women know just what unqualified
possibilities have for spreading good infiu-
encds throughout a town?
at is need that has been felt in Mont
pelier for years, " said a prominent mem
Der of Christ church, "and need which
daily becomes more urgent"
81 have often noted the number Of
women shoppers who seem to have nc
place in which to rest few hours while
visiting in the city," said member OF the
Unitarian Reading Club. This plan
should be worked out at once and should
bring forth much fruit"
Dr. J. Edward Wright, 40 years pastor
Of the Church of the Messiah, favors the
rest room idea and said that, as citizen
of the city, he would have no objection ii
the city officials utilized one of the unas-
signed rooms in the new municipal build
ing for such purposes"
Meanwhile, the secretary of the board
suggests temporary rest room until the
city hall is completed Thus far we have
progressed. Cooperation on the part OF
the merchants, the Board of Trade and
the women of the city, means the entire
success of the proposition. Will you help?