New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-27
few IN TROUSERS
AT FEMINIST BALL
Miss Rodman Explains
She Was Too Busy to
Get Rational Attire.
MANY WOMEN
IN NOVEL COSTUMES
Suffragist Rancher Would Have
Had Outfit, but Didn't
Know About II. 81

Not content with taking her job from
Miss Henrietta Rodman and the right
Of teaching from mothers, the Board
Of Education deprived the first ball OF
the Feminist Alliance Of the trousered
women, who, it had been announced,
would appear there In force.
The first feminist ball took place last
night at Leslie Hall, in SD st., just
west of Broadway. Women in trousers
were there. Miss Florence King, suf-
fragist and settlement worker, was In
picturesque overalls, blue smock and
straw hat, such as farmers wear.
Miss Alice Strope, Miss Rodman's
adopted daughter, looked truly mascu-
line in khaki "pants" Ind shirt, with
her hair cut short. Dancing with Com
missioner Howe, Of Ellis Island, she
made quite a picture Of emancipation.
Miss Virginia Schoenwall wore Amer
lean trousers and Chinese shirt on
the outside, alice samee Chinese, with
a pigtail fastened to the back of her
head. A few women were in Turkish
trousers, and Miss Helen Gilbert
looked quite advanced in baggy yellow
trousers and an upper garment OF fu-
turist silk.
But the ball, as a declaration of
woman's emergence from the shackles
of dress, was disappointment
Miss Rodman explained, because OF the
Board Of Education.
"When | planned this ball, six weeks
ago." she said, 81 intended to have d
pageant of rational dress to precede
IL. Fifty women pledged themselves 10
come in trousers, and | should have
had at least hundred sans skirts IL l
could have given the affair my per-
sonal attention. But | became oecu,
pied with the Board of Education and
had to let the ball look after itself. AS
consequence-you see!"
She waved her hand at the assem-
blage, which showed a discouraglng
number of purely feminine looking
women. But they all wore reformed
dress-oh, yes. Waists were at DIS
count and most of the garments hung
straight from the shoulders. But the
bifurcated ones could be counted on
the fingers. 49,, ~.
Many of the women declared that
if they had understood pants were 70
be worn they would have been de-
lighted to come so alfred Mrs. Lon
da Fletcher, ranchwoman from Cah-
fornia, was one Of these.
~ wear trousers all the time az
home," she said. 81 would have wei
coined a chance to wear them IN Ne"
York without being arrested
Mrs. Mary Ware bennett also ex-
pressed deep disappointment that she
hadn't been informed pants" would De
au fait
The ball began at o'clock, and as
the night wore on the fun became fast
and furious. At 10 o'clock many
women were smoking cigarettes: But
soothing proof that feminism doesn
change human nature was aforded :.
the sight, in a corner behind a group OF
women smokers, of man with MS
arms clasped affectionately around t"o
women in the old, old way. ...
So the observers who want marriage
and similar institutions to go on were
treasured, in spite OF the note strucS
by Harry Kemp in his song.
Miss Rodman's own costume was
symphony in blue cheesecloth-tha
what it looked like from the end OF
| telephone wire-and started at th'
shoulders. 1t ended on the floor, ant
that is about all the notice the Femi
mist president will get here. She ha'
lots of company in the grotesque. Mis-
Betulo Rubino wore white cheesecloth
! Grecian style.
Miss Helen Strang made quite hi
with her singing of the Feminist sons
written especially for the occasion b!
Harry Kemp, the poet. One of thu
verses Miss Strang sang went like this
| The stern the gracious. patronizing air
That cloaks the slavery OF half the race;
The subtle fiattery. thin AS air.
We ask and more. demand our rishtfui place.
| immigration Commissioner Howe. anC
| Mrs. Howe were there. and so were DR.
and Mrs. Ira S. Vile and DR.. Henry
TipdvilIa The men all looked human.