Evening star., 1939-07-16
Mrs. Parker
Continued From Page C-8)

one of its customary rampages after
a series of heavy spring rains. The
result was that Pennsylvania Ave-
nue. itself was completely inundated
from the Capitol almost to the
Treasury. But the rest of Washing
ton did not find the use of row.
boats quite as romantic as a means
OF transportation as we two honey
mooners."
At the invitation of Mrs. Mary
Lockwood, who was its president,
and of Mrs. Belva Lockwood, who
was one of its members, Mrs. Parker
joined THE Woman's National Press
Association which was organized
here in Washington in 1882. It is
no longer in existence, but Mrs.
Parker still treasures her member
ship card with this one-time womens
press group, forerunner to the pres
ent one.
"As a result of its efforts" she
said, seats in the press galleries
OF both Houses of Congress were
set apart for the use of women
journalists and its literary exhibits
In the Woman's Library of the Chi
cago Exposition won for it a medal
IN aodltlon to the award of a di-
pIoma for each contributor to it,"
IN her capacity as member of
this association, Mrs. Parker re-
ported various Womens gatherings
Tor out-ot-toWn newspapers and was
at one time contributor to The
Evening Star.
\ AS press representative, Mrs.
Parker covered the now historic
meeting of October IL, 1890, at
Inc Stratmore Arms, home of Mrs,
Mary Lockwood, when the organi-
zation details were perfected in con-
nectlon with the founding of the
National Society Daughters of the
American Revolution, which has
since become the largest patriotic
Womens society in the world. The
only woman now living who was
present upon that occasion, her
memories are vivid ones of the some
~ women making up the group
whose vision is today Symbolized
at the seat of our Government in
two great structures Memorial Con-
tl1ontal Hall and Constitution Hall.
Recalls Woman Lawyers Wit.
One OF Mrs. Parker's amusing
"reminiscences has to do with Mrs.
Belva Lockwood's petition to prac-
tice before the Maryland courts
when the justice before whom she
was making her plea said, Madame,
you should be home darning your
husbands socks and mending his
breeches."
To this Mrs. Lockwood replied.
Your honor, have been married
three times, so I thought I would
give some of the single girls a
chance at the wifely duties you
very properly suggest" Mrs. Lock-
woods petition thereupon met with
favorable action, Mrs. Parker re-
called.
Widowed three months before the
birth of her second child, Karl, Mrs.
Parker has been both mother and
father to her children whom she
reared and educated almost en-
tirely unaided after her husbands
death.
At one time Mrs. Parker taught
music in the Gunston Hall School
when it was directed by its founder,
Beverly Mason, and was located at
Fourteenth street and Massachusetts
avenue, where the Christian Church
now stands.
AS is attested to by the press OF
the time, it was largely due to
the motivation of Mrs. Parker that
TIE Pennsylvania Society of the
District was organized with some
800 interested persons present for
its first meeting at the Cairo Hotel
Her name appears too, on the COM
mittee selected by this group to
draft the societys constitution.
She also served as the first secre-
tary OF the Women's Republic Com
mlttee Of the District, and was
one OF those who was instrumental
IN its founding.