The sun., 1919-02-23
DIR. MARY WALKER
DIES AT AGE OF 81
Pioneer Woman Physician Had
Long, Career Of Marked
Eccentricities.
WORE MEMS ATTIRE AT 10
Got Medal for HerOism in Civil
War-Not Liked by
Suffragists.

Lonely in her life and lonely in her
death was Or. Mary Walker. who passed
away Friday night at Bunker Hill, near
osweso, \. Y. at the ago Of 81. DR..
Walker. who was injured in fall on the
Capitol steps In Washington two years
ago. returned to her home on Bunker
Hill with her bodily health much weak
ened. but her valiant spirit was not
broken. and to nefghoors who wanted to
help her In taking care OF her house she
she always said No II was last spring
that she returned. dropping out finally
for good and all from the public affairs
In which she had so long taken her own
picturesque. eccentric part.
For a time she stuck II out alone, but
the town authorities. troubled over her
condition. persuaded her to go to the
United States General Hospital at Fort
Ontario. But she wanted to go home.
and after several weeks, as she APP
parently improved. she was allowed to
leave the hospital The Improvement
did not last. AS the end drew near she
agreed to take refuge In the home OF a
neighbor. and II was there that she died.
She will be buried in Oswego. where in
1889 she was born. ,... ....
1t IL unfortunate that this unusual
Character. who was a pioneer woman
physician OF no mean ability, who did
splendid work In the civil war as a nurse
and surgeon-so good that Congress
gays to her a special medal in recog-
nition-and who gave her time and
strength without stint TO advance the
cause Of woman. is remembered. prob
ably always will be remembered as long
as her memory lives at all. by the fact
that she wore mems clothes. The
trousers. frock coat. starched shirt and
collar and high silk hat in which che
chose to attire her little body effectu-
ally oyershadow all the work she ever
did.
Dons Trousers when a Girl.
Her reasons for donning mans at
tire were simple enough. She gave them
once years ago IN an interview In which
size also related the abuse her independ-
ence brought upon her. Her reasons
were hyglenic, springlng from the con-
viction, which her work as a doctor had
planted In her mind. that woman's dress
had brought upon the sex untold weak
nesses, booming many women to life
long invalidisn1.
She was thst a girl OF 16 when she
made her radical decision. but not all
at once did she go into trousers uncon-
cealed and unashamed. she expert
ment with short skirts. with long flap
ping coats and other devices to hide her
pants. At last she threw off all dis
Euises and adopted the conventional gen.
tlemen's dress.
The night she had 20 make was not
easy. Not only did street boys rotten
egg her. but her own sex. or most Of
il, was Mortified. Women made faces
at her in the street Once woman in
New York city set big dog on the
little doctor. but the woman's husband.
much disturbed by hie wife's action,
paid DR. Walker for the injury the dog 8
teeth did to her kid glove.
Several times policemen arrested her
for "masquerading in mems clothes
once In Chicago--but she had a good
tdefence. Congress itself had passed a
measure hestowing upon her what had
never been given any woman before
the right TO wear trousers. But Con-
grcss could not protect her further.
As. for example. once when she was
passing into the women's dressing
room In tho House of Representatives
in Washington. and huge and burly
guard rushed after her. placed heavy
| hand on her shoulder and yanked her
| out unceremoniously 1t was some time
before he would believe that Or. Walker
wasn't a man.