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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 1903)
Genesis of the Business Women's Club (Copyright, 1903, by Anna R. Hatletlne.) mHK LUNCH hour is directly ratpgo. I I Bible for the existence of clubs lor uusidpu women. "The object shall be to pro Tide means of communication be tweon business women; to secure the bene Bta resulting from organised effort; to open, club rooms and a restaurant for the com fort and conTenience of business women; to relieve sick and disabled members, and to hare an employment exchange for com petent business women." So runs a clause in the constitution of certain club for business women, but the all-important phrase Is that which deals with the opening of a restaurant. When a young woman takes a position "downtown." lunching at the restaurants frequented by her brother and other girls' brothers, possesses a singular fascination. She feels that at least sho is launched upon a business career. But in due lime he wearies of the clatter of heavy crock ery and the noisy calls of scurrying wait ers. She resents the fact that she is ex pected to swallow her meal whole In order to make way for other hungry mortals. Im patiently standing in line. It she meets a friend with whom she would diBcuss tha plays she has seen of late, the books she is reading, or the new silk waist she is about to purchase, the head-waiter glares at her for keeping another patron waiting, and. tinder the Influence of that glare, shn sallies forth and joins a club, and ii teon no more in the noon-d'.ty haunts of men. Directly a club is organized, It collects dues and hires a room in the heart of the commercial district. Here it installs simo tables and chairs and a chef, a rubbrr plant and whlie curtains. The last two are essential. Then it is ready for busi ness. And business comes. The lunch room flourishes like the proverbial bay tree. These clubs for business women ap proach more closely the men's clubs than do any other organisations In which women are interested. They are broad, liberal and democratic. Dresa dees not count. A new member may make acquaintances or not aa she pleases. She la free to avail herself of the physical conveniences placed at her disposal without Indulging in social Intercourse, or she may meet other mem bers on the common level of good fellow ship. The fact that her name passed the membership committee is all the social backing that she needs. ' She may entertain her friends at lunch eon or dinner, having a special table set aside for their use. She may spend her noon hour In the reading room, or curled up In a cosy corner of a dressing roam. She may never see the Inside of the club rooms save during the luncheon hour, or he may rcme back after her office Is closed, dress for the theatre and dine at the club before Joining her friends at the theatre. In fact, she has most of the privileges of club men, at considerable less expense. Woman's passion for bargains and cut prices does not desert her even in club dom. The largest club of this sort flourishes la Chicago, and is known as the Chicago Business Woman's club. It had Its origin in the National Association of Women Stenographers, which was organized at the suggestion of Mrs. Potter Palmer in 1892. Its first president was Miss Elizabeth Merrill, now Mrs. George Bass, at that time official reporter of the board of lady man agers of the Columbian Exposition. But as successful women in other branches of business life clamored for admission, in 1899 the National Association was reor ganized as the National Association of Business Women, and its sphere of use ful ness was enlarged accordingly, with active clubs in New York, Minneapolis, Buffalo and Detroit. Barring the religious element, the Chi cago club is conducted on lines similar to those followed by the Young Women's Christian association. Its members take active part in classes for the study of Spanish, French, physical culture, correct English, current topics, stenographic speed, domestic science, the use of a chafing dish, china painting and nature-study. Miss Matae B. Cleveland, president of the national association. Is an active worker In the Chicago branch. She is also man ager of the local Business Woman's ex change, which acts as Intermediary be tween employers and those seeking posi tions, and members of the club are entitled to Its services without moaey and without price. This is but one of the many prac tical features supplied for the Inexperienced women enrolled under the club's protect ing banner. The club Is run successfully and with out the ahadow of debt on annual duea of $4, with meals furnished at reasonable fig ures. The number of women availing themselves of its privileges is close to half a thousand, and the cosy club rooms In the heart of Chicago's business district will oon be too cramped. Even now the offi cers are talking of a clubhouse commensur ate with the organization's growth and built by the club members. While there are rest rooms, dressing rooms, writing rooms and a library, to say nothing of innumerable cosy corners for heart-to-heart chats, the interest or the outsider centers la the brilliantly lighted dining room. At noon it is crowded with trimly gowned business women, and in the k .- . i v : i t v v- r MISS LIZZIE WOODBURY LOW, SECOND PRESIDENT NEW YORK COUNCIL BUSINESS WOMAN'S ASSOCIATION. evening these same women are transformed into charming hostesses in frocks that sug gest anything but the work-a-day world. Lawyers, doctors, bookkeepers, confiden tial secretaries, stenographers, importers, manufacturers, editors, heads of depart ments petticoated every one of . them gather here In the most democratic of fash ion. Here, too, they entertain friends and buaineas acquaintances. The businesa woman is aa important factor In the com mercial life of Chicago, and under the shade of some sheltering rubber plant, many a "deal" is pushed to completion. In glancing over the annual reports of the Chicago club, it is Interesting to note that despite pedestrian skirts, square-toed boots and "the same salaries that men re ceive," the eternal feminine will not down ven in a club for successful business women. One report tells of the opening of the winter season by a progressive dinner at S3 cents a plate. There were speeches by this officer and that, outlines for class work, and other cut-and-drled features In evitable with aa organisation banquet, after which the recorder adds: "The deco rations for this affair were ia yellow, golden rod being nsed in quantities about the rooms and on the tables." The menu for this dinner was truly re markable, and no chef save one employed by a woman's club could have evolved It. To a real business woman and her chef all things are possible. Another dinner was marked by the ap pearand of a brilliant jurist, the only Adam in this bevy of Eves, and for this occasion everything was In brilliant crim son, from lamp shades to roses, a subtle compliment to the guest of honor, insin uating that his presence was a red-letter occasion for the club. A third event was notable for the appearance of Jane Addams, famed for her Hull House work, and ap propriately for this most op'lmlstic of workers for women, the color scherno was rose-colored. Let the pessimistic borrowers of troublo concerning the unsexing of women through contact with the businesa world ponder on those few excerpts from reports. So long as women permit their thoughts to wander in the direction of lampshades and rose bowls, the domestic instinct Is not dead, but flourishing. The Chicago clubrooms are most hap pily located, not only for the midday con venience of members, but for theater go ing. A considerable source of income Is the dinner giving in the evening. In this one privilege alone, the members feel that they stand on a level with their men friends who are addicted to club life, and they take solid comfort in this mode of entertaining. The oast of dinners I regulated by the wishes of the individual hostess, who has her rooji or table set aside, her decorations arranged and her menu served quite Inde pendently of other diners. The New York council of thJ National Association of Business Women is a close second to the Chicago club. It has rooms on the top floor of a big office building at 108 Fulton street, close to the financial district ia whloh moat of its members are employed or independently engaged In busi ness. When Miss Cleora E. Swift, a successful and ambitious business woman, started tho movement ia 1900, New York women were not as ready to accept the suggestion aa their more optimistic sisters in Chicago. But Miss Swift was not to be discouraged, and she Interested in her work two most efficient helpers, Mlas Virginia Potter and Miss Grace H. Dodge, whose philanthropy MISS CLEORA PIONEER IN AND FIRST and vital Interest In women's work were well known throughout the business dis trict. With a charter membership of nine teen, the workers furnished simply but comfortably the quarters they had selected, and opened the lunch room, which instantly proved to be an efficient missionary. Today the membership is nearly 300, the debt la paid and the club Is entirely r-lf -supporting. The Initiation fee ia S3, with due of' 60 cents monthly. With this income and the moneys derived from the sale of luncbeens aad occasional dinners, the executive com mittee meets every expense. The only alarled officer la the cashier, and the work ing force in dining room and kitchen is composed entirely of wrmen. Members are served a table d'hote lunch for 20 cents, but a slight premium is charged non mem bers who frequently find their way to the rooms. An a la carte service has also been established, and the entire menu Is aim pie and homelike. The dining room ia exceedingly simple. Its chief chsrm being Its outlook. On all aides it is lined with great windows, over looking the North and East rivers aad the hay. A day must be gloomy, indeed, when it sheds no light in this room. The reading' room is more pretentious, being decorated in dull green, rose and Flemish oak. The piano stands Invitingly open. There Is a falr-aized library, in cluding ail the current periodical"! , and a desk supplied with club stationery. But perhaps the feature which appeals most strongly to many of the members is tho convenience and comfort of the small rest or dressing rooms, each supplied with a couch and pillows a-plenty, toilet arti cles of all sorts and a medicine chest con taining all the simpler remedies. These rooms, furnished daintily in delft blue and white, with immaculate curtains and down pillows, are a veritable boon to women employed in office buildings where practic ally no conveniences or comforts are sup--plied for women clerks. Owing to the fact that the club rooms are located far from the resldenco and theater districts, the rooms are open at night only on atated occasions, such as club dinners, receptions and entertainments of a more or less formal nature. On these occasions dinner Is served for a nominal sura, ao that members may not be obliged to hurry home ro dress for tho evening func tion. The rooms are always open late enough for a suburban member to change her frock and enjoy a little rest should she plan on remaining in town for the theater. Ia other words, a representative business woman's club Is formed and managed solely for the comfort and convenience of its members. It does not aim to ride a lit erary hobby or raise the intellectual stand ard of Its members. It has no "mission." If It has classes on its calendar, it is be cause the members demand classes. It does not pose as an employment agency, though i It promulgate the doctrine of "hanging to gether." It does not even force sociability upon Its members. They eome and go as tbey like, and barring the weed and the bottle, it is a clever Imitation of its proto type, the man's club. In both the New York slab and the Chi cago club stenographers predominate on the membership rolL This Is not true, however, of the club movement In Minneap olis, Detroit and Buffalo, where doctors, dentists and other professional women are In the majority. In New York the olub rooms are the- favorite gathering plaae tor the-Insurance women, who write seme ' of the heaviest policies taken out. ..- E. SWIFT. WHO WAS THE NEW YORK FORMING A BUSINESS WOMEN'S CLUH PRESIDENT OK THE ASSOCIATION. Those who have s'udied the situation an1 visited many cities say that the New York women are the moat businesslike in their club life, availing temaelvea of its con veniences, but not entering very heartily into the spirit of camaraderie. Oa the other hand, while Chicago buaineas women fully appreciate the privileges and comforts of the rooms, they exhibit a keener inter eat In the social life, aa shown in the In formal evening gatherings. He Will Not Smile Again Nine-year-old Bobby Irwin, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Irwin of Anderson, lad., can never smile again, according to the conclusion of physlciana and surgeons who examined the boy's face and Una to ascer tain why the expression of his face lias not changed alnee he met with a recent acci dent. The doctors found the muscles of the. face partially paralysed, especially these controlling the lips. Otherwise tho lad has practically recovered from two frac tures or the skull, to the amasemeot of the pbyaiciasa and surgeons. Young Irwin fell ten fret from a hay mow to a cement pave ment and his forehead was crushed over one eye and the base of the akull almost shattered. For nearly a week there was no hope of his recovery. That was a month ago. The other day the boy walked to his doctor's office and was as bright as ever save for his Inability to smile. He can enjoy anything funny enough to create a smile or laughter, and hla laughter can be heard, but there Is no change of expression about the lips or cheeks. She Picked Wrong Man An amusing story Is told by the New York Press of the wearing of miniatures. A newly rich woman, who bad seen her friends exploiting great-grandmothers and grand aunts on ivory, blossomed forth with an amazing portrait, surrounded by emeralds and pearls, and dangled her new found an cestor at tht end of a costly chain. Mrs. Suddendongh glibly informed her friends that the man with the inspired eyes ami the shock of glowing red hair was Iter paternal great-gTeat-grandfather. Her pretensions panned unchallenged. One day she was -in a gathering in Boatoa aad ex ultlngly displayed the portrait, telling the old story. One bespectacled dame stared and, after Mrs. Suddendongn's departure, she of the glasses said, "What do you think of that? It was Patrick Henry's portrait, and ho was a bachelor!" Cold Storage Art The plans for the St. Louis World's Fair Include a refrigerating "arts" building, to cost, with the apparatus, $1,000, 000. Tt is to be about 30 by 210 feet nnd 60 feet high, and will furnish cold storage. Ice water, cool air for the theaters and other build ings, nnd lee for the largest ice skating rink in the world. Within the building will be exhibited each day real "old-fashioned" snowstorms. An Eviction Caasldy Phwat are ye cllmbln' p them fur, man altveT Casey Ot'U tear down that hi rehouse from me wall If OI break mo neck fun ft. Caasldy Would ye rula the poor birds bit av a hornet Casey 8h! TIs nparraws thof te It, an' lt'a jlst now Oi'na learnin' tbot they're English. New York Time.