Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 265, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 November 1912 — Only Woman’s Chamber of Commerce [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Only Woman’s Chamber of Commerce

part NSTEAD of light talk. ■ : things substantial are now H discussed at social gather/umml ,ngs ’ meetln S B of card and ryj other amusement clu6s, and society hops In GuthWl % rie, Okla., pie organ-jL-y lzatlon of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of /y % that city has attracted all 11 the feminine contingent I to work together for the t gj advancement of the city In-every ■Way that women can be useful. The idea is spreading over the state and in other portions of the southwest, and the result Is certain to be that/the Guthrie organization, formed during the last week, will become the nucleus of a chain of such women’s business organizations. “You would Indeed be surprised,” said a woman; returning home from the weekly session of a bridge club, “If you could have heard us discussing the needs of the city, suggestions for the betterment and advancement of Guthrie and ararngements for the raising of funds to assist In the campaign Guthrie is making to win back the location of the state calital. Why, I don’t hear a word of gossip the entire afternoon, for all the ladles were so Interested in the Chamber of Commerce.” “We formed the Chamber of Commerce,” said Mrs. Rebecca L. Finch, the president, after much discussion among ourselves as to the best method of helping in the campaign for the capital; In establishing the bath houses

and sanitarium In connection with Mineral Wells Park and in bringing additional industries to the city. We find that a majority of the women of a city have plenty of time to take part Mn civic affairs and that all they need Is an Invitation to participate. We •tatted the organization with about SO"women a week ago, and now we have a membership of 400, and it Is still [growing. Nor Is the membership confined to the society set and members of the clubs. It takes In the women who are the most prominent in church work. It Includes the girls In the stores and offices, the telephone girls, numerous stenographers, newspaper women, women physicians, and will eventually Include through auxiliaries the wives of the farmers throughout the county. In fact, the farmers’ wives are already organizing district auxiliaries to the County Farmers’ Institute, and the Women’s Chamber of Commerce will work in connection with these through a system of committees. There are to be many committees, for in this manner the work is to be divided. Mrs. Finch, the president, is now working on her list of standing oopimittees and expects to announce ,tliem in the near future. Prominent among them will be three consulting committees —one each for the Outhrie Chamber of Commerce (the men’s organization), the women’s federation of clubs, and the auxiliaries -o the Ccanty Farmers’ Institute. Practically all the work looking toward the city beautiful is to be done through the separate women’s club organizations, of which there are ten in Outhrie. The first undertaking to raise funds for the state campaign will be a chicken dinner. This does not mean a hot meal served at noon in a stuffy store-, bouse somewhere about town, with the women tired out and weary from cooking- and serving, >ut instead a cold dinner served under the biggest cottonwood tree in the state, in Mineral Wells park, with the entire city and

country side invited to eat from plates of fried spring chickens, piled high and In teniptlng rows down a table long enough to seat aundreds at one time. And to prepare the dinner it will be easy, for each member of the Women's Chamber of Commerce will bring two tried, and there will be chicken to spare. Should the people of other cities who read this like to participate in the eating they will be welcome. . And then, this fall, after the weather Is cooled by September frostß, there Is to be a street fair, managed by the women. Not one of the old style variety, where some traveling organiza? tion furnishes all the side shows and other amusements, but a home made affair where the ladies themselves will preside in the booths and where every side show feature will be native and every actor and other participant be a Guthrie citizen. A circus parade with callithumpian features will be one day’s program and on the next the other extreme —the society ladies in flower bedecked automobiles and carriages. And even for the balloon ascensions It will not be necessary to employ a foreigner, for home talent will "go up” and “make the drops.” The officers of tlje Women’s Chamber of Commerce are Mrs. Rebecca 1a Finch, property owner and school teacher, president; Mrs. Robert B. Huston, whose husband was a rough rider captain killed during the Span-ish-American war, and Mrs. Ed. C. Petersen, vice-presidents; Miss Catherine Cassidy, treasurer, and Mrs. C. M. Sarchet, secretary. On the ex-

ecutlve committee, in addition to the president and secretary are Mrs. Webb Baker, Mrs. Will K. Patterson, Mrs. U. M. Vampner, Mrs. E. J. Allen and Mlbs Elizabeth Melvin, a practicing physician. In order to enlist all the women of the city in the new organization, a six days’ contest was arranged and two soliciting committees named, with Mrs. John R. Abernathy and Mrs. M. Cassidy as captains. The former’s committee was known os the "Red Rustlers,” and the latter’s as the "Blue Boosters.” As a result of their work between 400 and 600 women are now enrolled as members. Assisting Mrs. Abernathy to get more members, if possible, than Mrs.

Cassidy’s committee were Mines. Chester A Marr, E. C. Petersen, Will K. Patterson, H. M. Doyle. Rebecca L. Finch, Will Berwick, C. M. Sarchet, Emma Miller J. D. Reed, E. J. Allen. O. W. Barnett and Misses. Elizabeth Melvin, Florence Adler and Catherine Cassidy. On Mrs. Cassidy's committee were Mines. 0. A Hughes, Tell Walton, B. J. Waugh, J. E. Nissley, Ira Longaker, R. N. Dunham, E. A Douglas, N. M. Carter, L. J. Parker* J. W. Speer, P. D. Piersol, J. E. Donneeky, E D. Walton, John J. Hildreth and Miss Petersen. To help the women of Guthrie raise money for the state capital campaign the w'ves of the farmers in the country surrounding are preparing to entertain the people of the city at a lawn sccial some moonlight evening in the near future, on the campus in front of the farm residence of Fred L. Wenner, two miles east of the city limits. To make the trip to the farm an easy one so far as the roads are concerned, the farmers of the community are now building a good road ' for the entire distance, so. that the automobiles and other vehicles will encounter no difficulties. It is the intention of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce to file application immediately for membership in the state and national associations of commercial clubs and chambers of commerce, and delegates will be elected to represent the women in both organizations. Atrrangements will be matured to encourage formation by the women of commer-

dal clubs in the other dtles of tbs state, and assistance will be given to the Outhrie women whenever it will be desired. Practically every state in the Union is represented in the membership of the Women’s Chamber of Commeroe. Oklahoma being only 22 years old, the residents as a rule have come here from other states. The main offices of the organization represent five separate states. Mrs. Finch is a native of Mount Pleasant, la.; Mrs. Huston of Worcester, N. Y.; Mrs. Petersen of Milwaukee, . Wis.; Miss Cassidy of Scranton, Kan., and Mrs. Sarchet of Petersburg, 111. Six foreign countries also are represented in the membership.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN SESSION.