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Forestry, Literature, Pure Food, Educational and
Industrial.
Forestry.
The Forestry session was ably addressed by Mr.
Enos Mills and Mr. Geo. Maxwell, both of whom
aroused the deepest interest and enthusiasm as the
assistance of the Federation is actively desired to
further the work of arousing interest in Forestry,
and in preserving this feature of our national
life.
Pure Food Session.
So great has been the agitation of the entire
civilized world in the interest of pure food that it
was naturally a topic for discussion at the Federa
tion of Women's Clubs and it is safe to assume that
no woman who attended the stirring session and who
listened to the address of Dr. Oliage, Health Com
missioner of St. Pau], on “Municipal Sanitation and
Civic Improvement” could ever again claim ignor
ance or indifference when the vital subject of pure
food was under discussion. It was decided for
each state delegation present to send a telegram to
each Senator and Representative from their States
requesting the passage of the Pure Food Bill. The
first answer received from these telegrams came
from the Representative from Louisiana and the
South has just reason to feel gratified at this. It
is hoped that the desired result in the passage of
this bill may be hastened in some measure by this
action of the Federation.
State Reports.
The open sessions of the Biennial were held in the
evenings and at one of these the state reports were
read and the following is a resume of the work done
by the various clubs throughout the country:
In these State reports one was given a very fair
idea of the diversified interests of the American
Club woman. Kansas reported 325 traveling libra
ries, Tennessee 106 libraries, South Carolina 107 li
braries and their work for the Industrial School for
Wayward Boys; Indiana reported 229 traveling li
braries; Pennsylvania reported thirty-three women
on school boards; Oregon told of the work of one
set of clubwomen who sat up all night and made and
baked five hundred loaves of bread to send to the
San Francisco sufferers. Massachusetts told of the
success of her Federation Bazaar, which realized
for her treasury $5,700, and brought an invitation
from the club women of Massachusetts for the 1908
Biennial to be held in Boston; Michigan claimed
the oldest woman’s club in America, the date of
organization being 1839; Oregon secured a State
Library Commission and turned over its 444 libra
ries to its charge. Numerous other splendid achieve
ments can be credited to the efforts of the various
State Federations; these are merely given as ex
amples of what can be, and has been, done by
women working in their various States as perfect
ly organized bodies.
Unfortunately there was no written report from
Georgia this year, owing to unavoidable circum
stances, but Mrs. Granger made a delightful verbal
report which included a mention of the work done
by the Georgia Federation of Women’s Clubs. This
work, is in brief, the founding and partly equip
ping and supporting county model schools unde**
trained teachers in Home Economics and Arts and
Crafts, in four counties of Georgia. The establish
ing of traveling libraries throughout the country
districts of the state is also undertaken by the
Georgia Federation, and all of this work is of a
most helpful character.
Individual Club Work.
The work done by the individual women’s clubs
of Georgia is a feature not to be overlooked in a
record of the American movement for women’s
clubs. In Atlanta there is a most helpful local
club with literary, social and industrial features.
The representative to the Biennial was the Presi
dent of the Atlanta Woman’s Club, Mrs. Robert
Zahner, and the state was most ably represented
in the person of Mrs. Zahner and Mrs. Granger.
The smaller towns of the state are also active
in Club work, and as an evidence of what can be
done by a well organized woman’s club in a small
town we are pleased to mention
The Golden Age for July 19, 1906.
The Woman’s Club of Calhoun, Georgia.
a picture of which is presented herewith. This club
joined the State Federation in October, 1903, and
each year it pays federation dues and makes a
contribution to the support of the normal and in
dustrial schools of Madison and Floyd counties.
The founding of the Calhoun Club reads like
an object lesson of what might be done by similar
movements in rural communities. In 1902 this
club was organized at the home of Mrs. W. L.
Hines, who had extended an invitation to all the
women of the town to meet together to formulate
plans that would lead to a general improvement and
benefitting of the town and also to engage in such
other work as they might decide upon. Sixteen la
dies accepted Mrs. Hines’ invitation and the club
was organized.
From the first interest in the new enterprise grew
steadily and the club had the cordial support of
Mayor Hillhouse, the town Council and the Cal
houn Times.
Donations for the club library are constantly be
ing received while magazine subscriptions are also
being offered to the club from time to time. There
is also a fine fund in the bank to meet growing club
needs.
But the actual establishing of the club was the
most serious problem and the origianl idea was
to establish a rest room for the comfort and
convenience of the women and children visiting the
town from the country and from a distance. In
conformity with this idea a room was rented and
a matron put in charge. But this plan was expen
sive and insufficient, and a plan was desired by
which the cost of rent might be saved as well as
the usefulness of the club increased.
Some one suggested the building of a house of
several rooms, having it so arranged that it would
subserve several purposes—namely, Library, Au
ditorium, rest room and club room. The question
of ways and means arose. Brick and lumber and
labor were so high it seemed entirely out of reach.
Mrs. J. A. Hall, a member of the club, remarked
that “a log cabin would be quite unique, and could
be made very artistic in appearance.” The club
felt that any building undertaken must combine
economy, utility and beauty if possible. After
much discussion and some objections, it was decid
ed to build the log cabin. Most of the logs and
the rock for the foundation and chimney were do
nated by friends non-club members, but the work
and most of the material were paid for by the ef
forts of the club women.
The undertaking was a heavy one, but patience
and perseverance finally materialized in the build
ing a picture of which is here given and which is
a pride and pleasure, not only to the town and club,
but to many who come and go, and who enjoy
its rest and comfort. The cabin stands with rustic
and most artistic finishings a thing of beauty in one
of the public parks that the club has improved,
making a desert place, in reality, “blossom as a
rose.” A piano is the latest addition to the cabin
furniture.
The membership of the club now numbers forty
three and having solved the problems of house and
furnishings, they are turning their attention to
charitable work, to the beautifying of the public
parks and to the amelioration of educational condi
tions in the surrounding country. The club Ims
been the medium of much social enjoyment to the
public as well as its members and the benefit en
tertainments given from time to time aTe delight
ful in every way to all. In an article of this na
ture it would be impossible to mention all those
who have labored earnestly and enthusiastically for
the promotion of the club work. All have aided—
some, however, more than others, as their
means and leisure would permit. At present, un
der the guidance of Mrs. W. L. Hines as President
and Mrs. F. L. Dyar as Treasurer, the club is
vigorous, prosperous and promises many achieve
ments in future.
The most manifest sign of wisdom is continued
cheerfulness.—Montaigne.
News of General Interest.
Germany is now making’ 1,800,000 tons of beet
sugar yearly, and exporting more than a million
tons.
A law in Germany provides that every working
man must insure himself against illness, thus re
lieving the state from pauperism from invalidism.
Half the premium, which is very small is paid by
the employer.
The street railway of Monroe, La., is believed to
be the first municipally owned and built street rail
way in the United States. In choosing the motor
men the first test for fitness will be total abstinence
from all intoxicating liquors.
The Queen of Spain is to have a doctor of her
own. London Truth learns that a Scot is to have
the appointment. He will have a salary of $4,000
a year, an allowance for rent, a guinea ($5.25) for
each visit to the Queen and the right to a private
practice.
Four thousand different varieties of potatoes
have been planted on the farm of Luther Burbank,
the Santa Rosa, Cal., horticulturist, constituting
part of the 12,000 species of the tuber family with
which Burbank will experiment this year in his
plans to give the world another new potato.
The King of Siam has a bodyguard composed of
400 female warriors. At the age of 13 they enter
the royal service and remain in it until they are
twenty-five, when they pass into the reserve. Their
weapon is the lance and they are splendidly train
.ed in the use of it.
At the last session of the Association of Ameri
can Physicians, Dr. Flexner, of New York, read a
paper on the prevention and cure of tuberculosis,
which deservedly claimed the attention of his learn
ed confreres. His simple proposition is that im
munity and successful treatment depend largely up
on a generous diet in connection with proper hy
gienic surroundings.
Judge Lindsay, President of the National Society
for Charities and Corrections, announces that a
permanent international society for the protection
and betterment of children will be organized, with
Miss Jane Adams, of Chicago, as chairman of a
committee composed of George L. Sehon, Louisville,
Max Sevier, Cincinnati, and Mrs. Benton McMil
lan.
The Thirtieth Annual Conference of the Ameri
can Library Association has recently been held.
The work of this association is of incalculable bene
fit to the country, and under its supervision the
training of librarians was first begun. It is also
responsible for the many handsome library build
ings as well as for the careful selection of new
books and for their preservation of and sanitation
of old books.
Henry Clay Frick, the New York-Pittsburg multi
millionaire and former partner of Andrew Carnegie,
is 56 years old. He was a farmer’s son. Twenty
millions is the sum accredited to Mr. Frick. He
has one son, Childs Frick, 21 years old, and one
daughter, Helen. A year ago he leased the Vander
bilt house at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Fifty
first Street, for which he pays $50,000 a year for
twenty years.
The recent completion of the Battleship Georgia,
which is being built in Maine, is an interesting ex
ample of the wisdom of naming new battleships for
the separate states in the Union. The career of
this ship will claim as much interest and affection
from the state for which it is named as from that
in which it is built, thus uniting in a common in
terest the two states most radically different in
every social, and political feature.