The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-01-12
SENTINELS
SUFFRAGE HEROINES
Women Who Started White
House Watch Have Had
Varied Careers.

group of society and seminary girls,
these twelve silent sentineIsr of the
first days watchful waiting about the
White House, with a few chaperons
along, had it not been for their ban
neds.
Today the personnel of the suffrage
squadron changed, but the twelve pion-
GERS of Wednesday will do down in
Congressional Union history as the
heroines of this new idea in modern
militancy.
There were society women among
them, women who had quit their auto
mobile and golf for the day-long vigil:
some girls just out OF college; one girl
who is an authority on Chinese porce-
lains and Japanese prints; one news
paper woman who has experienced
enough thrills to make q photoplay,
and others who had led Sheltered"
lives, until. the tocsin of votes for
women called them into the fray.
Miss Mildred Gilbert, she of golden
brown hair, keen gray eyes, vivacious
and pretty is the oriental art expert.
She was Converted" TO the cause"
when she went to a dance at the St
Francis Hotel, in San Francisco, last
August, and there met Doris Stevens,
national organizer for the Congress
sional Union.
Sought Suffrage Banner.
Then there was Mrs. Bessie H. Pa
pandre, also of San Francisco, who
was brought in the suffrage fold by
the gospel preached by Mrs Sara
Bard Field, who spoke at the White
House the other day. Mrs. Papandre
lives on a large estate near San
Francisco, has an automobile. and
likes outdoor sports, but gave them
up to take part in the California cam
paign and to come here to help In
the bombardment upon Congress. 1t
was she who went to the Capitol the
day after President Wilson's speech,
interrupted by the unfolding of the
interrogatory suffrage banner, to get
that banner back.
A talented musician. Miss Bertha
Crone, who quit her four hours a day
practice to do street speaking in the
Western cities, was among the senti-
nels, as was Miss Gertrude Crocker,
who has been in Washington as as
istant treasurer Of the union
Two Washington Girls.
Miss Elizabeth Gerry, a Washing
ton girl, who went to Chicago to get
her voting rights and to study law.
then came back. here to be secretary
to Miss Alice Paul. and Miss Joy
Young. a Central High School gradu-
ate, assistant editor Of the Suffragist,
were two of this city's representatives
among the pickets.
Mrs. NJ. C. Dowell, of Philadelphia,
came Tuesday to go with the White
House callers, and stayed over to help
the sentinels. Mrs. Sophie G. Mere
dith, prominent socially in Richmond.
wife of a successful attorney. was
line.
Next morning she quit her posi-
ton as interior decorator with 81
widely known San Francisco artist,
and entered on the campaign of the
woman's Party. She is a Leland
Stanford graduate. With the open
ing Of Congress she came to Wash |
ington.
Is a Newspaper Woman.
Miss Vivian Pierce, who likes to
soft pedal" her adventures, Is a.
newspaper woman who has worked |
at her. job in several Western cities. |
OF her experiences in the Colorado |
strike, when, her co-workers say, she |
tried being a waitress in q lunch |
room, to get local color" she Is loath /
to talk, but her troubles with suf-
frage banners is a matter of Con-
gressional Union record.
In Phoenix, Ariz., she and her col
leagues strung a great suffrage
streamer across a business street, and
the Democrats persuaded the proper
ty owners to make her take It down.
Then she placed one in front of SUI
frage headquarters. The Democrats
strung another, with contradictory
nearby. One dark night
the suffrage banner was stolen. 4
was purchased, and then the
Democrats resorted to Sandwich i
men" for their rebuttal of the ban.
ner arguments.
Mrs. Weed Widely Travelled.
Then there is Mrs. Helena Hill
Weed. daughter of Congressman Ebe-
nezer ]. Hill Of Connecticut, a Vassar
graduate, who has Travelled over most /
of the civilized globe. and is also promi-
nent in the work Of the D. A. r.
Mrs. Weed. about two years ago,
started the agitation for equal privi-
Ieges for women in civil service ap-I
charging that they were not !
allowed to take many examinations for /
which they should be eligible. and that \
when they passed men were given the |
preference in certiflcations to positions. |
Miss Vernon in Charge.
Miss Mabel Vernon is in charge of the /
picket brigade She is a Swarthmore
girl, a classmate and college chum Of