South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-02-27
BY Woods Hutchinson. II. ID.

The Worlds Foremost Writer on
Medical Subjects.
II is a cheerful commentary on
the conservatism Of this country
that it was so years ago that the
idea Of Pants for Women" first APP
peared. its chief exponent being Or.
Mary Walker.
DR. Walker. on assuming the du-
ties of a nurse during the Civil
war. found that hospital efficiency
and hoop skirts were Incompatible.
Therefore. with great wisdom, she
sacrificed the hOop-skirt and
donned almost masculine coat and
trousers until the end of the war.
The bloody conflict over. congress
cast about for some signal and dis
tinctive way 10 honor her for her
heroic work in the hospitals.
Her Reward from Congress.
The Greeks and Romans. as re-
ward for some particularly brave
deed. gave the hero the right 10
wear a wreath OF wild olive or
laurel Some of the Indian tribes
Of this country. at the other end OF
the scale of civilization, had pre-
cisely the same method Of award
ing merit If some brave had
scalped an unusual number Of tri-
bal enemies. or set fire 10 his graz
ing range. saved the tribe from am
bush. or some similar and equally
valorous deed, he was rewarded, not
by gifts of peoples and deerskins
but by the sole and exclusive right
10 wear foxes tails on his mecca
sins. or 10 stick a special feather in
his cap" in the literal sense of the
word. These simple marks of dis
tinction caused the honored one
more pride, and his rivals more
mental agony, than anything else
could have possibly done.
So congress, establishing a prece-
dent by following an ancient Gus
tom. gave 10 Mary Walker exactly
what she wanted; a privilege that
would make the distinction and hon
or given 10 her visible to all until
the end of her days: the right 10
wear a masculine attire whenever
and wherever she wished. AS one
Of our congressman naively re-
marked to a colleague recently. on
observing this independent little
lady: There goes a self-made
mani"
Many people, when making de-
risive remarks about Mary Walkers
, attire, are ignorant of the fact that
this privilege was given to her as n
signal mark of honor and appreci-
alton Cor the heroic work that she
had done for the wounded soldiers
in the Civil war
Apparel Becomes Popular.
For years it has been the custom
of women and girls who go out into
the prune orchards and hop yards
of the Pacific coast TO wear trim
blue overalls at their work, and
most becoming and comfortable
! they look. 1t makes "A picture TO
be long remembered: The blue
clad figures in the golden green hop
yards on the hillside, with the loop
ing festoons and crowded clusters;
the rich green valley below, and be-
yond the misty blue ramparts OF the
| Cascades. rising rank on rank up to
the clear white snow peaks whose
heads stand in the eternal sunshine
and seem TO touch the sky.
Now the freedom OF this war is
| spreading into all the fields and
/ ranks. Just lately the baker girls
/ should il be "bakerines" or baker
esses'' "a noble and ancient title
of honor in any case. for lady"
/ originally meant loaf giver"-have
come out. not on strike, but in
white combination suits OF most be-
coming and graceful cut This
gives them the freedom and release
from perpetual cling and bind and
/ hamper of skirts, which is indispen-
\ sable for efficient work of any sort,
or getting anywhere in particular.
An Army of Women.
In England alone Viscountess
WolseIey numbers $4,000 women
soldiers in her agricultural army
soldiers Of the spade and the scythe
and the sickle. After the drums had
sounded and the men had marched
away and the long. dreary winter
had passed, and they did not come
back for the spring ploughing, and
some never would for any plough
ing another army was summoned
and sent forth-an army of women
into the empty fields. And this
army had a uniform suited TO it's
war-a uniform of jumpers and
/ Overalls
The skirt is not clothing. but
drapery. beautiful TO pose in, but an
! unmitigated nuisance when you
want TO come TO life and do things.