The Washington herald., 1910-09-29
WOMEN SHOULD NOT
GO into BUSINESS
Says One of Them After 80
Years Experience.
SHE DEALS IN REAL ESTATE
Mrs. Murphy-MulIignn Takes Down
Her Sign, Weary and Disguised
She Gives Ambitious Girls and Ma
irons Some Good Advice.

Mrs Agnes Murphy-Mulligan. Of New
York, has been for many years a con
spicuous example OF a woman doing a
mans work and growing rich thereby.
Her success as real estate broker has
/ probably been the text Of more speeches
and newspaper articles regarding the
work Of the business woman than Of
any other woman in The world.
Sufrragists have sounded her praises.
She has been the ideal OF many a talk
before woman's clubs, and her fame has
+ been sounded upon platforms and even
/ from pulpits for a score OF years In
/ the minds Of many Mrs Murphy-MulU-
gan has been 10 some extent the apostle
/ Of the eyangelization OF the sex, as the
/ modern woman sees it, She is not the
/ only real estate operator in the United
States. VINO wears the feminine apparel.
/ but she is the only female member of
the New York Real Estate Exchange in
/ which she has had an honored member
ship for many years.
Thirty Years i'm Business.
! II was thirty years ago that Mrs.
/ Murphy ulligan hung out her real estate
/ sign in New York. She has won success
| and money since then. but now she Is
/ taking down the sign weary Of the strife
and viii retire from business. firm in the
: belief that she made a mistake when
+ she started in real estate and has been
/ making a mistake thirty years long from
( that day 10 this. Her consolation now Is
that she is TO CsIit and behave herself
for the rest Of her life as a woman
should.
She does not believe that women should
F go into business. Their physical llmita-
tions are too great and they are almost
I certain, she says, 10 lose the ideals that
are necessary for home life and the up
bringing OF children.
Mrs. Murphy Mulligan began 10 sell
real estate up IN the Bronx when the
borough was little built up. Her father
was William Jay Murphy one OF the pio-
/ neers in developing the Bronx and an ac-
tive real estate man. His daughter stud
fed law az the New York law school and
was graduated when she was sixteen
years old Her father died. and the care
OF an invalid mother fell 10 Agnes She
took UP her fathers business where he
dropped IL and became one Of the best
known real estate dealers in New York
city.
Develops Large Sections.
She was among the first women who
ever took up a business career in this
city, and in thirty years she subdivided
and developed large sections OF the
Bronx Her husband is William O. Null
hgan. They live at 1911 Arthur Avenue.
Thirty years of business" she said.
has convinced me that woman's sphere
is home and motherhood, not business. I
have five girls, the Oldest seventeen years,
the youngest two months, and 7 should
consider it the greatest calamity II one
OF them went into business. I did II be-
cause I had 10. II was necessary 10 take
up my fathers work. Perhaps I have
been more fortunate than most women
in finding chiyalry among men
AS things are today I do not think
that women should be in business. They
are not satisfied with ordinary success.
They insist on going on and making fools
Of themselves by wanting 10 vote and
compete with men instead of helping men.
They have place IN the business world.
but they should not go away from home
TO find IL. They can remain az home and
be partners with their husbands. The
most successful business women are mar
ried women. Women defeat their own
ends by becoming competitors
In thirty years have seen many busl-
ness women. and one thing has impressed
itself on me. AS soon as women get
wrapped up in business they forget their
homes. They have no longing for home
or motherhood. Most women in business
lose their ideals. A girl who maps out a
business career maps out a career Of IN
happiness.
Physical Limitations.
THE most powerful argument against
women in BUSINESS Is their physical limi-
tations. Their chances Of success are re-
mote. because they are not physically TT
to compete with men. That cannot be
gansaid any more than that the theory I
have formed that woman, 10 be in busi-
ness, must be untrue either 10 herself or
TO her employer-to her employer If she
thinks about future with home in IL;
20 herself If she does not.
Natural aptitude and love for the work
may bring success, but the fact that
there are so few women in the real
estate field seems to prove that women
have neither for this kind OF work"
Mrs. Murphy Mulligan has one more
sale OF lots 10 handle before she takes
down her sign.
The heiqbtenfng Of tbA Assoran dan, -