Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-07-17


Twice and moral uplift, and she has
lspent much Of ner life in the trench
les against sin and all forms of, so
Icial wrong. Four years she was fac
tory inspector at Kansas City, Mo-.
and she has served as assistant state
labor inspector for the state of Mis-
Isouri. She is special United States
agent in the immigration department
one of the human gates through
which immigrants are admitted to
this country. Her work at Ellis
Island has been to connect up immi-
grant girls with suitable jobs. Mrs.
lSperry has been active in labor union
circles, instrumental in securing la
Dor legislation, and she is first hand
authority on the interesting sub
ject, Elbow the Other Half Lives. :"
She knows, and she can tell it. She
speaks four languages, and, better
than all besides, she has wonder
fully Intimate facility in the Ian
guage Of the human heart.
Mrs. Sperry's subject matter was
striking and would have carried her
across without the additional charm
of her most winsome Irish accent
and the Erin mental idiom that goes
with it. Irish wit and humor, quick
flashes of thought that kept the tit
tiers a-going, smile that would not
come off and that was so contagious
that the audience caught it, too
these are some of the things that
made Mrs. Sperry's lecture one never
to be forgotten. Many in the audi
ence complained at the unfortunate
arrangement that had placed such
a woman and such a theme at an
hour when comparatively few people
could profit by the information or
catch the inspiration of the unique
address.
Mrs. Sperry's lecture was "hu-
man document" through and
through. Out of her rich fund OF So
cial experience she spoke of the he
roic submerged in manner that re-
minded the reporter of Mrs. Wigs
of the Cabbage Patch. Her theme
was the management Of the child,
and she started from the medley of
her own personal experience. Her
stories were from real life and they
were pointed and touching. Every
one of them would make fine short
story and might win fame for their
author. The story of the tribula-
lions of The Twins, of the Italian
child re-christening her dolls, of the
Iron Fence and the Ancient Order of
Snobs, and of queer Bud Rankin, the
audience will never forget. They
are classics in their line, and in the
telling of the stories, Mrs. Sperry
played on the emotions of the audi
ence in very artistic manner. The
Twins would submerge! The fam
lily was large, slovenly and poor. and
the dance hall was the only bright
spot in a dull, dreary existence. How
Mrs. Sperry introduced real home
party, and how dad and mother
helped, and in the helping found
themselves, and how the party killed
the lure of the dance hall, was the
story Mrs. Sperry told with charm
and touching power.
The story of old Budd Rankin
greatly pleased. Its point was to
the effect that there should be no
cliques in the community and that
one should get acquainted with ones
neighbors. Mrs. Sperry declared
that she had to go to the Tyrol to
become acquainted with character
who ever since has been teaching her
how to live. Mrs. iSperry's tale of
the clique of the iron fence was pa
thetic. In a womanly way Mrs.
Sperry believes in folks. She finds
good everywhere and glories in it.
sometimes even when it is not there!
She declares that she has resigned
her membership In the Grand and
Ancient Order of Snobs, and her plea
is that everybody should go and do
likewise. Webster City hopes that
Mrs. Sperry will come again, for
she is colleen whose face is good
to see, whose voice it is music to
hear. With such q woman and such
a message, Chautauqua is at its best.
The lecture yesterday afternoon
was by Congressman Abercrombie of
Alabama. The congressman was
born after the war and lived his
childhood days amid the debacle of
reconstruction. His theme was "The
Old and the New South" and his
discussion of this subject was foil
for the Vardaman address last year.
The problem of color was the great