The Washington herald., 1915-02-12
Reception to the South'S
Leading Woman Citizen
Miss Kate Gordon, Of New Orleans, Focuses Interest at Re-
ception Given in Her Honor at the
Willard Last Night.

Southern cordiality was the keynote of
the reception held at the New Willard
last night by the Kate Gordon Chapter
Of the Southern States Woman Suffrage
Conference IN honor of their namesake,
Miss Gordon of New Orleans. Every =
thing. from the strinGed quartet which
played Southern melodies in true planta-
ton manner TO the genuine hospitality
with which every son and daughter of
Dixie who attended was received, was
characteristic OF the true spirit Of the
South. The reception began at a little
after S.S and at 10 the quartet struck
up the strains of My Country. 'Tis OF
Thee" when the speakers Of the evening
repIred to a beautifully arranged stage.
which was decorated with a border Of
yellow tulips with great bowls of tulip
blossoms arranged at the corners.
Greetings we're extended to the assem-
bIed guests by Mrs w. NJ. Stoner presi-
dent Of the Kate Gordon Chapter, who
was becomingly attircd in gown OF
gold charmeuse decorated with rare old
lace Among the well-known Southern
ers who gave impromptu speeches were
Col John Temple Graves. Senator Luke
Lea. Of Tennessee: Senator Sheppard. or
Texas: Miss Gordon and other prominent
folk from Dixie.
Mrs Cato Sells Of Texas. the first vice
president. wore a gown of black lace and
crystal trimming Mrs. Kate Abrahams,
OF South Carolina. the second vice presi-
dent. wore black lace and jet Kate
Waller Barrett prominent in the Kate
Gordon Chapter arrived late after other
social enga gements Owing to the fact
that Miss Gordon is in mourning. she
wore a gown of black embroidered silk.
Miss Gordon. in whose honor this re-
coption was given, is known as the
South's most distinguished woman citi-
zen" and also has been dubbed the
Jane Adams of the South in token Of
the work she has done along sociological
and philanthropic lines in her home in
New Orleans and in other sections of the
South.
Miss Gordon's work several years ago
in stamping out yellow fever in New
Orleans was recalled by many present
last night as they met and talked to
the charming little woman. who in spite
Of her Oulet manners and unassuming
charm is one of the most progressive
women in the South. In the days when
the scourge of yellow fever was devastat-
ing the section around New Orleans and
when health considerations required of
every one entering in or going from New
Orleans a written passport, Miss Gordon
decided that something must he done
She was convinced that the fault lay
in the improper sewerage system of the
city. and the fact that none of the men
Of the city had been able to remedy the
matter did not make this young woman
doubt the ultimate success of her plan
for remedy. She went TO work with the
women taxpayers. and after enlisting the
sympathy Of $500 of these nonvoting
citizens she put into operation her plan
for a three-mill local tax in order that
the requisite funds for the sewage dis
pOsal might be raised. And it was
through this work that New Orleans
Cles red herself Of the scourge that had
cost SO many lives.
Miss Gordon is still very much interest
ed in the question of civic sanitation.
and sometime ago she uttered the epi-
gram since much quoted that a single
case of typhoid fever was an act of
municipal murder.
Miss Gordon is known throughout the
South for her many works of philan-
thropy. and is a very active suffragis
1t is for this reason that the Washing