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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1940)
PAGE FOUR PLATTSMOUTH SEMI - WEEKLY JOURNAL MONDAY, APPJL 1, 1940. History Early Club By MISS OLIVE GASS (Continued trom rage I) an organization for Educational Im provement that pre-dated our first Woman's club. It was called a Liter ary Circle, and consisted of both men and women. It was organized about 1856 and consisted entirely of genu ine Nebraska pioneers and it is a credit to them that amidst all of the sordid surroundings and poverty of those early days, they were trying to preserve the intellectuality and knowledge brought with them from their homes in the east. We are for tunate in having preserved for us, in our public library the first secre tary's book of this Literary Circle. The names of the members were as follows: Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Bradford. Mr. and Mrs. Perry P. Gass. Mr. Jonathan Wise. Mr. Parker Wise. Mr. Burwell Spurlock. Miss Nancy Spurlock. Miss Margaret Duke (Bennett.) Miss Ella Duke (Cooper.) Mr. I. N. Kanaga. It was more than twenty-five years after thi3 Literary Circle' disbandad before the first Woman's club was j organized. The organization of Plattsmouth's first Woman's club was made in 1S94 and it continued to function until 1906. The first presi dent was Mrs. B. M. Stoutenborough. We held our meetings weekly. The meetings were held generally at the homes of the members, but often we met at some public hall. The dues were $1.00 a year. The average membership was fifty (50). We voted on applicants by "secret ballot." Our colors were pink and white. The average amount paid into the treas ury was $100.00 a year. The money was used for maintaining the work of our departments. Our motto was "To some the land mark of a new domain." We main tained a circulating library fund, in dependent of the Y.L.R.A. The subjects selected for study were as follows: Parliamentary Law, Temperance, Literature and Eio graphy. Art, Music, Household Eco nomics and our Public Schools. A committee was appointed for each month to visit the schools. Our club brought many talented speakers and singers to our town. One of these speakers of special in terest to NebraEkans was 4he wife of William Jennings Bryan. In Miy 1895 Mrs. Bryan gave a talk on ."Gladstone" at our club. The meet ing was held at the home cf Mrs. Fam Waugh, who also gave a recep tion to Mrs. Bryan. For entertainments we bail par ties, gave plays and celebrated birth days of great men. We also cele brated leap year. At such times wa ledies invited a favorite boy friend to the party. We called at his home for him and generally returned him safely to his own gate. We had special meetings to cele brate the birth of our great men and women. At a celebration of George Washington's birthday, each member as she entered the hall where the celebration was h-.ld, was presented with a tiny flag and to these flags were tied the programs with ribbons of the national colors. One quite pretentious entertain ment was called "The Convention of 1910." The following is a report of this convention written at the time of the occurrence in 189G. "FAIR SENATORS" Members of the Woman's Club As sume the' Role of Poli ticians in 1896. "The entertainment given by the Platsmouth Woman's club at the Waterman Hall last evening was well attended by an audience compose! largely of ladies, but there was also a large sprinkling of members of the sterner sex, who made as much There is a thrill in shooting with a Kodak, and much joy in the years to come. Preserve important events the joyous gatherings of your friends and family vrith a Kodak record. Why net start NOW? Weyrich & Hadraba Authorized Kodak Dealers V merriment in appreciation of the smart sayings and keen drives of the participants ' of the program as the ladies. ' "The program of the evening con sisted of enacting a mimic or farce senate of 1910, upon the theory that woman suffrage had taken the place of man suffrage. "Mrs. Belle Stoutenborough, presi dent of the Woman's club called the assemblage to order and announced that the parliamentary department of the club would give the entertain ment. Upon the' platform arranged behind mimic desks, sat the members of the senate, the following being the participants: President of the Senate, Mrs. Travis; Secretary of Senate, Miss Jamison; Secretary of Treasury, Mrs. Elson; Sergeant at Arms, Miss Emma Tresham; Senate Reporters, Edna Adams, Ida Conn; Senator from New York, Mrs. Wes cott; Senator from Nebraska, Mrs. McLennon; Senator from Massachu setts, Miss Gass; Senator from South Carolina, Mrs. Rawls; Senator from Ohio, Miss Wright; Senator from Kansas, Mrs. Unruh; Senator from Pennsylvania, Mrs. Cummins; Sen ator from Missouri, Mrs. Davis; Sen ator from Indiana, Mrs. Butler; Sen ator from R.'jode Island, Mrs. How land; Senator from' Texas, Mr3. Clark; Senator from Colorado, Mrs. Burton; Senator from Illinois, Mrs. Streight. "Mrs. Travis presided with great dignity and decorum, and her address at the close was a decided hit. Tin question discussed was the enfran chisement of men, and each of the senators addressed themselves to the question about as closely as members of congress of today are In the habit of doing. Nearly all of them had their speeches so well committed that they made impromptu efforts out of them. "Miss Gass was for the bill, and was so firm in her convictions that she would ever be ready to be led a srcriGce to the altar, while -Mrs. Howland became so fervent in her advocacy of the -measure that she broke completely down and gave vent to a flood cf tears. Mrs. Clark was opposed to re-enfranchisement. She was ready to sacrifice her daughter to maintain the supremacy of her sex, as she had already sacrificed her mother to attain it, and might even imlta'tei another senator by offering up her husband's relatives on ths rar of her devotion. Mrs. Streight brought the discussion to a climax by a speech of great power, in which she declared her willingness to shoul der a gun for the cause of woman suffrage, and just as she had declared that she was ready to fight man or beast, seme one discovered a mouse rear her feet, and she collapsed, amid screams of terror from her sister sen ators. The affair came to a close with the singing of an original song, and a rhythmic speech by the president of the senate. All tho speakers did well, and deserve men tion. Early in the evening the aud ience was favored with a nicely ren dered violin solo, by Miss Kauble." Woman's Club Panquet, 1898 Story of an old time banquet of Woman's club in 1898: "The Journal has received a copy of an old clipping, taken from tho files of the Plattsmouth News, which ij of interest to older residents cf the city. The clipping wa3 sent from Seattle, Washington, by R. O. Fel lows, one of the old residents here. The story is that of the banquet of the Plattsmouth Woman's club, held some thirty-three years ago. "The banquet was presided over by Mrs. Fellows, then president of the club, the organization being in its fourth year of existence. "Of the participants in the banquet program, but two are still residents here, the others having removed or passed away.. "The address of welcome was giv?n by Mrs. II. C. McMaken, one of the active leaders in the club work at that time, while the invocation was by Mrs. S. A. Davis, now a resident of Lincoln. "C. A. Itawls, then recently return ed lrom Cuba, where he served as lieutenant and captain of Co. B, Third Nebraska Infantry spoke on t'10 new island republic, its people and many beautiful scenes and cos tumes. "Carl Tucker who had charge of the club's music department at that time gave a vocal and piano number. Miss Catherine Agnew and Miss Mayme Sullivan, as well as Miss Louise Miller of Queen City. Mo., were heard in vocal selections, two of the numbers being 'The Swallows' and 'L'endemeer's Stream. A. D. Eig enbroadt, now of Lincoln, favored the ladies with a cornet solo. Miss Olive Gass was cne of the speakers as wa3 Byron Clark, then engaged in the ac tive practice of law here, but who U now the solictor for the Burling ton at Omaha. Mrs. C. P. Stouten borough who was a pioneer in the club work, was al3o on the toast list to discuss the work of the women in their club activities. "Miss Maude Mauzy gave the reci tation 'Vashti -and Calvin P. At- wood, then a senior at the University of Nebraska, responded to the toast, 'Education.' Stephen A. Davis was also a speaker of the banquet, his toast being 'The Old Man the contri bution of the men guests present at the banquet. "The ladies of the Episcopal church served the banquet and that the event was one of length was attested by the fact that the banquet party did not leave until after the mid night hour." Second Woman's Club On Tuesday, May 7th, 1929, the second Woman's club of which Mrs. Clara Wescott wa3 president, gave a banquet in honor of the founders of the first Woman's club of 1894. An account of the banquet which appear ed in the Plattsmouth Daily Journal is given here: ' Last evening the Plattsmouth tt'nman's rlub held their fifth annual banquet at the Fellowship room of the First I'resoyierian cuuicu mu this occasion the spirit of fellowship reigned supreme, while the club ladies rolled back the pages of time to pay honor to the splendid group of ladies who had in the past founded the organization from which the present large and active club had sprung. The meeting represented the year ly gathering, the change of officers, and the yearly reports of the .var ious departmental heads, but this fea ture, inmortant as it was, took the background, while the club ladies and their guests honored the group oi ladies who had formed the original club here in the year 1894, and had the pleasure of having nine of these splendid ladies with them, one com ing from the far away Pacific coast to again break bread and meet many of the friend3 and to recall many others that will come no more. For the occasion the banquet room was truly a bower of beauty and the purple and white notes of the decor ative scheme was in evidence in the beautiful bell-like dome beneath which was spread the table for the charter members, the great bank of lilacs purple in hue and fragrant as i they are nowhere else in the world save Nebraska, while on the tables the purple candles with the tulle bows of purple added to the beauty of the snowy napery. The guests, as Mrs. J. A. Capwell played the processional, took their places, and soon every available seat. in the banquet hall, arranged, for 102 was occupied, save the seats the guests of honor were to occupy. Mrs. E. H. Wescott, the efficient and able president of the club in the past year and also the president for the ensuing year, presided in her usual gracious manner. Mrs. Wescott 3noke of the work of the founders. the happiness that all felt in having the charter members with the club on this occasion and then brought one of the clever features cf the eve ning into life. At the west of the room was ar ranged a large replica of a book, pur ple and white, upon whose front the monogram of the Plattsmouth Wom an's club appeared, and as the list of the charter members was called. the book opened and the members who were able to attend the banquet were escorted to their seats of honor, rMs. A. II. Duxbury and Mrs. John A. Griffin serving as the courtesy com mittee in escorting the ladies to their seat3. The charter members who were here were Mrs. Kate Davis of Lin coln, a grand lady and for many years a loved resident of this com munity; Mrs. M. V. Traver of Mc cook; Mrs. William McLennon of San Francisco; Mrs. Charles S. Sherman of Lincoln; Mrs. Isaac King of Super ior; while four of our own loved ladies, Mrs. C. A. Rawls, Mrs. Eliza beth Streight, Miss Olive Jones, and Miss Olive Gass completed the roll call. With the seating of the guests of honor came also the pleasure of hav ing several of the former presidents of the club present at the table where the officers of the club were seated. Mrs. Raymond P. Westover, Mrs. Catherine Flynn of Omaha, Mrs. John F. Gorder. Mrs. L. L. Turpin, being present; Mrs. Earl Stanfield of Arapahoe and Mrs. Allen J. Beeson of Los Angeles were unable to be at the happy meeting. The dinner wan then served, a very charming repast that the ladies of the Q. Z. Society of the Presby terian church had arranged and served with their usual skill and ex cellence. The menu was as follows: Grape Ice Potatoes a la Dutchess Chicken Loaf Asparagus en Rosettes Spring Salad R0II3 - Marmalade Strawberry Shortcake with Whipped Cream Coffee - Mints During the reception of the char ter members and the course of the banquet the Woman's club chorus under the direction of their leader Mrs. James T. Begley, gave a num- LokWdl bet of the delightful old songs, ex tended the greetings to the honored guests and gave a song for each of the gentlemen, who were present In a very goodly number. This feature of the music department Is certainly a part of the club work that deserves more than a passing comment and is a worthy addition to the musical organizations of the city. Another of the distinguished guests was Mrs. Nelson Berger of Nehawka, president of the Cass County Fed eration, who extended greetings and congratulations to the Plattsmouth club and its members and guests. The business session opened with the routine matters of the club and then was followed by the report of the year's work given by Mrs. Wes cott while Mrs. Rae McMaken, vice president, presided over the meeting. The report of the club was a revelation to many of the guests not familiar with the large scope of the club work and its community activ ities and it was not wondered when the report was completed that the local club had won second place in the first district and nnlv surnassed by the largest club in'the state, that of Lincoln. Each of the departments of the club and their work was touch ed upon by the president and the heads of the department and commit tee chairwomen were greeted as they were brought to their feet by the president. Mrs. Wescott also paid tribute to the two members who have passed away in the past year, Mrs. E. C. Harris and Mrs. Henry G. Soennich- sen. The club, through Mrs. J. E. Wiles, chairman of the Better Homes de partment, paid a tribute to the ser vices of Mrs. Erie Teepell, who is soon to leave the city for her future home at "Atlanta, Georgia, telling of the fine work that this estimable lady has performed for the club and of her splendid personality that has won her a host of friends. Mrs. Teepell responded very feelingly of her love for this community and her regret at the parting with the friends cf her stay here in the past three years. The meeting was then turned to the charter members and Mrs. Kate Davis was called upon to serve as the toastmistress and for some time the delight of the large banquet party was unbounded as members of the charter list told of the old days and the trials and privations of the mem bers of the club of that day. The toastmistress had been the treasurer of the first club and gave some de lightful thoughts of the past and in her clever way related of the ban quet held June 16, 1S99 and the long toast list and program that had marked that event. Mrs. Davis also told of the home talent play . the ladies had arranged, ."The Senate of 1910," and which was given here and later in Omaha in the hopes of rais ing funds for the club's activities. Mrs. Davis called upon all the charter members who responded and from distant points sent greetings in letters and poems, and among the letters received was a very clever re membrance of the charter days sent by Mrs. Elizabeth Travis of Denver, one time president of the club and relating old time incidents. Miss Margaret Wright a ' former teacher in the local schools and short greet ings from other - of the old time members. In the list of charter members present. Mrs. M. V. Traver, of Mc- Cook, gave a very charming response of the former club work here and left the inspiring thought of woman's greater scope, the creation and main taining of a Christian home and which was given with the vision of the eighty years of life of Mrs. Traver. Mr3. Elizabeth Streight, who is now eighty-seven and the second old est resident of the city in point of continuous residence, was called up on and gave a very charming greet ing. . Mrs. Isaac King of Superior when called upon gave as her re sponse a very interesting paper on "The Progress of Woman" which had been prepared and delivered to the first Woman's club here away back in the days of 1894-1895, and which to the old friends was a familiar greeting from the old friend, Mrs. C. E. Wescott who had prepared the paper (see elsewhere in this issue) and being , unable to be present as she now resides in Loa Angeles, sent the paper as a greet ing and a reminder of the time of the first movement for women's or ganization. Another of the former members to be heard was Mrs. Charles S. Sherman of Lincoln, who gave a very 3hort response and. told of one of the reasons for the club's success In the past and this because of the fact that the founders had eliminated all cast and prejudice from the club and held their doors open to all women, no matter in what station of life they might be cast. Mrs. C. A. 11 - ...... nrj)v congraiuiaiions h,j to .mttsmouin Woman s viud: Best Wishes for Continued Success Swatek Hardware Bon's Barber ShQP Rawls and Miss Olive Jones, local ladies, briefly acknowledged the greetings of ths friends. The newly elected officers of the club were then Inducted into office with the singing of the litany, Mrs. L. L. Turpin serving as the install ing officer. -The officer . Installed were: Mrs. E. H. Wescott, president; Mrs. A. H. Duibury, vice-president; Mrs. G. L. Farley, recording secre tary; Mrs. Golda Noble Beal, corres ponding seeetary; Mrs. Bert Cole man, treasurer; Ms. L. L. Turpin, Mrs. L. W. Egenberger, Mrs. Rea Mc Maken, auditing committee. Dr. 0. C. HUDSON Dr. L S. PUCELIK and Dr. W. V. RYAN Congratulations TO THE Woman's Clubs on Their Golden Jubilee J. A. CAPWELL Attorney at Law Congratulations TO THE Plattsmouth Woman's Club Ptak Confectionery CONGRATULATIONS CILOIDT Service Station Compliments -of Henry Jasper Florist 610 Ave. C. Phone 34 Congratulations GOLDEN JUBILEE Celebrate with the New 'Gold Seal Machineless Permanent Franchised by Etta Belle Beauty Shop Telephone 20 FIETZER SHOE CO. Home of Quality Footwear for SO Years Extends Congratulations and Best Wishes to Plattsmouth Woman's Clubs on Their 50th Anniversary At the close of the meeting, a projects and other activities of great many enjoyed the opportunity DI . . A of meeting the charter members and plattsmouth's first Woman's club. As extending the feeling, of happiness a charter, member of this club, I that all felt at having these ladies say, God speed" to the Senior and present. . T . Junior members of the Plattsmouth I have now covered the major VVoman8 dubg of ig4() Congratulations GREETINGS The Plattsmouth T0 THE Woman's Clubs PLATTSMOUTH on their Golden Jubilee Celebration WOMAN'S W. H. PULS, Agent CLUB Farmers Mutual Insurance HILD SERVICE STATION Company Philip's 66-Fhone 36S piaiiiiaxiiiimMjaaii ;::::! g Congratulations I May the Plattsmouth Woman's Clubs, now celebrating n the Golden Jubilee, enjoy many more years of success- if I f ul and unselfish service to the people of this community ! B 1 CHICKS NOW ON SALE I n 0 I BRINK HATCHERY New Transportation Mode The horse and buggy days are gone forever. The mod ern club woman rides in a Ford V-8, the economy car! We Congratulate Plattsmouth Woman's Clubs on Your Golden Jubilee Celebration CLAUDE A. RUSE MOTOR CO. Congratulations to Ij I Plattsmouth Woman'sjClubs j I LORER3Z BROS. DEPENDABLE MEAT AND GROCERY STORE I 40 YEARS IN SERVICE 8 Still Telephone No. 241 CONGRATULATIONS 1 1 We wish to Congratulate the Plattsmouth Woman's I Clubs on the Fine HORTON FUNERAL HOME Service - Dependability i 702 Oak Street CONGRATULATIONS to the Plattsmouth Woman's Clubs on their Golden Jubilee Celebration ... and Many Thanks for Your Patronage! v PHILIP HIRZ, Meats CARL'S MARKET xi::::k::s::!;;ks!::s TIMES i iri If i! 3 ii 5 II if ii ii Ii H 1 ii i i I i i ii m r; H Ci HANGED Gone is the Drudgery that Kept Women Home Long Hours Each Day Low-priced electricity ... the modern miracle servant . . . has done' more to liberate women from unceasing toil, than any other invention. We are bringing this servant into the homes of everyone at a cost so low no body need deny themselves of its wonderful advantages. Congratulations to Womans Club Members May Your Work-Day Ever Grow Shorter mm tans Gnaws WEI' ij a Going N Work they are Doing! - Quality - Economy Plattsmouth g HAVE i u a ii i 1 j El i N 3 9 i i i 1 ri 1