New-York tribune. [volume], December 27, 1914, Page 7, Image 27

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

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FEMINIST II \BITANTS
OF A FEMINIST VILLAGE
"*?**?
''Can You Imagine a Person Leaving His Key on a
Nail (hitside His Door in This City?" That
Happens in Greenwich Village.
T VILLAGE Dressmaker is n
nary dressmaker; neithi
on the other hand, is her tri
lift an i-: i ?ry one, nor are the pe
.! beings. She is a dr
matic And Greenwi?
Village it right in the middle of Ne
York City, somewhere west
i-.--.ori S ire. And the villa,
. square pege?
MB, :' . thinkers, idea::
Seeking Soul Expression.
This drei ?maker's name is Mi.
Sarah * .." White, in th
?he village?und bcin
tot in ( ker, she ha;:.i
. of making her Ih
OS to acr ,..?. for her present occupa
seeking a pei
0 for her soul, and thi
her latest exper:
Oint. A come back to a
occupation b-*caus
"vo-neri i ack to the humble
1 infusing into them
.ertain an int of art. 1 am a femin
'it, but I have turned to dressmakin;
?s ? pro: on t.-.-cau e there is
"Ttat ha ?on to be workc
N*? U run Turn to Old Occupations
are other rctii-r, la this vil
have turned to the 'old-fash
?atd' interests because they find then
We have more than om
i and in
?iat is that but car
?ne industrie
on a professional basis
?ad peop t find th . work a
mast store interestedly and nristi
1 of Her Tille.
ry proud of her titl
-er," be
?-?tie ihi tl ai s*ic is filling i
?Whit?- the nmne way tha
****"?* td r feminist home work
***? ?I e feel that they an
I i ? want. But under th(
cot-*- 0f dr, f.,?--,??- 8he fills a ?tripU
?ne, she avers, shoulc
*?* th? ?t*
??ker in r: . world. She is fortune
-, th? is ?fl : and she is
.1er of raiment.
Of coarse. ?? : . Is her client's
*?""?. exa* tu her horoscope or any
-t sort, i
?at for pre . *mg the future.
*? ?crely plumbs the personality and
**d*V, gari.s ... ?You are a slim.
bo-Ti"? girl. Your hair is bobbed. You
'"?impatient of restraints, yet you are
0V18?* ?ml 1 v, a charming disposi?
ng these together and tak
??o Consideration the color ol
**?*?. H is qaite evident thai this dress
! for yoaii
' kecomiug.- And the dress ia
??rune color gabardine, straight up
? d0Wn' i? W Pian, loosely
*?*?? - top with . ,oft mtle
"' does not always
? lh? *w?. but tka knows from |
the costume that is designed for 1
just how the expert has read her ch
I'nssmaking a Fascinating Game
? a fascinating fame. And it
so human. When people come to i
for dresses I dran?. r.ersona
ties, and they are really astonish
-ilts. Women have oft
--.nd U> Tt-.e, 'I have never felt so
home in a dress; it lits me as if it h
always been there.'
"Clothes should fit psychically
well a= materially. I won't work f
nnybody who wishes merely convc
tional clothe-. Not that I try to 1
different or ui but t!
person, her character, her occupatit
and her style should be potent mod
fiers of reigning fashions.
"Clothes are inefficiently made, to
It takes the busy professional worns
trn unnecessarily long time to cloi
her dress, and there are many othe
inconveniences which I have deplore
?with others ?and have dor..
with. I have found so many inter?s
ing ways of making quick fastening
Detachable and washable linings, de
ble flounces and detachable bol
toms to underdresses such as are no?
popular, are really a boon to th
woman who has not many clothes an
to the woman whose time is valuable.
Dramatizes Herself.
It is to her dramatic instinct tha
i Miss White attributes her power o
getting so much fun out of life. Sh
i is now dramatizing people's clothe*
hlways dramatizes herself. "Tha
I to me to be a terribly necessar;
faculty. 1 have always dramatized my?
self. Whatever occupation I have en
tcred, .-in?'.," .-?he ay are many
I have worked out the character, jus
?
imagining ?ind then crystallizing hii
concej.'
"The mental attitude with which om
works at a task is a tremendous factoi
for success or failure. Whether yoi
are to be a shopkeeper, an artist, :
?*ook, or a plumber, you can strive foi
a certain ideal. You can dramatiz?
your part, and you will find that II
i works pie;. mtly. Gals
worthy was absolutely right when hi
?acter is at yoi
can even make your character."
- Whiles hvilntinn.
Ifiaa White has worked in many
! spheres before she entered that of the
i village dressmaker. She has been very
active in social work, teaching dancing
in settlement houses and invest .
| by personal labor the conditions of the
nil during the rush of Christmas
rig under g n?um
? ague.
very long
' housekeeper at one of the popu?
lar mention hotels, but that ?.
tichnical for her creative mind.
She was for a time an Interior deco?
rator. "Mine," .he ?aid, "is the. tragedy
I of the anta . aaaa- i am just
Even as Greenwich Villag'e Isn*t aim Ordinary
Community, ?o Are Its Women Inhabi?
tants Unusual Persons?We Introduce
the Villag'e DressmaKer, "Sally"
White, Who Tells of Its
Feminine Camaraderie.
rying to fin?! myself. I have certain
deals and I will not part with them.
Ideals should be a p.irt ..f .very little
task. They are not separate and dil
conraglng clouds. Ymi will Bnd th ?I
all the members of com?
munity agree with me in th
Greenwich Village. Ml I ff]
plained, is a little magic *|h.?. to which
kindred souls are inivitably attl
To call it the I.aim Qaartei of Hem
York would be to give a slightly wrong
impression. There is I.- .'f tha joy?
ously starving pupil, mora of tl
1 other? who need It.
"Many people of areepted fame are
dwellers or I'r.i-'uenters of thi?! com*
'., both nu n and women. Act
-iter?, pninterj, a few
maaiclena, aducafert. All are social
? philoaophie anarchist?
i and all are feminists. Why, I am even
maker. I have made
rig gowns and studio frocks for
men. They liked them, too. There is
nothing here thai ? man does that a
? ' do.
? ; .? rtaanpaaw of the
on the other hand, if he wishes lo he
alone no one bothers him.
"Hays are given as oft.-n as any
playwright in our midst wants t.. pie*
| rent anything, and he cnn coach, stage,
produce and even deeiga his own scen?
ery for it. Audiences are willing, at?
tentive and encouraging. If he wibhes
his books published, a publisher la
right in our mid?t.
Fverybody Wehome: No Questions
Asked.
"New inhabitants nrc always wel
I no one que-tions. ITe just moves op
j town, and that is the end of it.
Villager? Indifferent to Convention.
"Unconventional? Yes, I suppose so.
Bat that is not bacaaac we hate con
raa? We are only indifferent to
them. W? have standards of our own,
very high ones, too, but they do not al*
Wajra COindda with those of others.
You have noticed that we all seem
young? We are not. We only look
young, and tha? our enthu
:s and our strong interests keep
I am thirty-eight," said
"Plays Are Given as Often
as Any PlayivrL.ht in
Our Midst Wants to
Present Anything, and
He Can Coach, Produce,
and Even Designs His
Own Scenery."
. leading distinctive lives, distinct ?ndi
I vidoals, yet bound by a beautiful, an
uncx.'ic'mg camnraderie?
Many ate the women ankr.o-.en to
I fame who enjoy the privileges and
THE DRES MAKER-THE PROFESSIOKAL HOUSEKEEPER-THE INTERIOR DECORATOR
Since Most of Us Women Inhabitants Are Artists, Writers, Social Workers, Profesional and Business Women, Greenwich Village
Can a s on Most of Its Home-making Occupations in the Munncr of the Future.
nest worker. It is less a gathering of
artists than it is a group of social
thinkers.
Greenwich Village the NihuIit Spol.
pie who live here, surroun
the be by the nark, by
the oldert aristocracy of New York, arc
those who are willing to and do
for un ideal. Many fallare?, in the
common sense, are living here. Rest
f ntitics, dissatisfied, bitter and
hopeful, gather almost onconsi
about this centre, sure of finding
ful and encouraging listeners and will?
ing to extend sympathy and support to
D charming. Can yon
n laai lag his key on a
nail i door in this city? That
y don't bother to
. they Jai t leave their
doors unlatched for their friends to
come in.
"When one friend i- in need r.l! the
others pitch in anil help, and when
luck comes the unfortunate's way he
will tarn round and help, too. Five or
six of them band together and hire a
community housekeeper to take car*-?
of their homes. One is always certain
of having good friends at his call, but,
come. No questions are asked. They
pass on their own merits. The village
is absolutely democratic. Whether he
or sh?- la a mu-ic?a:i In :i caf?, a stc
I nographer or a figure in the economic
world, they are equally pleaaint*? But
if they arc not sincere they dr.op away.
; No poseur, pure and simple, has ever .
remained in our miilst. hauch person's
aims are entirely distinct from those
of the others, but .hey arc all sincere
in their aim to work out their own
destinies in the way they choose, not
the way the world ehooaea. If any one
decides to part company with the rest, {
Miss White proudly, and she really
I not a minute more than thirty,
slender, small, gracefully poised before
the mirror and watching interestedly
the work of her employes, who soon
arc to work on a co-operative basis
4\it!i her. Her gown is loose and her
hair knotted simply at the nape of her
neck. She ?3 vivacious and full of
live interes-t, the epitome of youth.
Greenwich Village la really a won?
derful spot. Did you ever hear of such
a spot, surrounded by the direst nev?
ad the most aristocratic wealth,
in the midst of everything, with people
ARE WOMEN PEOPLE?
By ALICE DUER MILLER.
A Lady's Option.
IT i R old lo? -i building lier a palace-,
-?*? -**- Ringed by moat liai i it on a hilL
"will come no whit-; * t of the ?rorld'a alarm and malice,
In tl ?'!' ?1, I a ?11 : : ? -ru ill '*
As lie spoke upon the highwaj
?red.
Then be said: "My hearl ill ol danger,"
And b? ? the road.
.M stM l. \s ill. i> AOMINI8TBSBD.
' *T,Ill. Roman father hai life and ? hii children.
* In Rockland Count) rato have extended to so?i*-iu-law.
? nines been told, to sit on
juric*.
pathetic to w\
? I '
Our wlierc intoxicati?-n is admitted
?
In England, al for November, a man charged before
Mr. ; t-, with il mit '?n a little girl of -even pleaded
guilty and gave inti is an excuse for his conduct. He was let off
?with a se ? months,
Jn the same court, before the same justice, a man charged with forging
a check of 22 pounds 16 shillings tcnced to live years' penal ser
|vitudc; a crime evidently five times more serious than the preceding one.
\<?T H<;iITIN(. FAIR.
TURKISH ! ?!1 ?*n ?**
il to itop thcii rioting,
the ?< their ? threa thei litas coi pelliog
aid, muli
i fuestioo, \\ h
_
PUBLIC SK It VICE.
AiUXILMRY force ol women hai now been added to the London
police, ii .. result of conditkmi intentai to the war.
? A . under the indorsement of the Lord Mayor of London
ant! other officials, a military organization of women was formed as t d??
fonce in case of the inva-ion of England.
If tlitM ti'.ov. v.' and find favor amort ? our ruler-?, we may look
forward to a time when married women rill be ?granted leave of
? witli pay m nrder t>> perfora their military duties, but ?ill be
instantly dismissed foi asking !? in order t?>
hear a ? hild.
No "ii>', however, need v.-orry over the ? h a situation
?alter i f? a y? ar-, there won't be any lolidiei
THE LUXURY OF BEING SUPPORTED.
THF. most significant fact to consider in asking whether the protection
Of women demand- the dismissal of all Uli - ? :<* their jobs is
that pointed out by Mi-s Mary Snow, of the Intercollegiate I'.ureau
of Occupations. She sayi that 55 per cent of adult males in tin*? country
earn lc-?- th It. | :"
iiii.li: PLACI HOT tLWAYI Tin: home, vi if.u ALL
Ci > (GRE3SMAN Bartboldt, of Missouri, in opposing prohibition in the
II .il-. ' ii I ??: I iy, ?-aid that he knew mai I '.rentle
man might take hi- "i!'' and ?!
Hut with such a united family, why leave home?
ON THE HOnSDN AMENDMENT.
(With apologies to Jame*. Wlmcomb Riley.)
AGREAT bif Goblin's in the House, the blackest ever made,
It'? after all the Congressmen, and, oh, ain't they afraid!
It seek? 'em in the office?, it ?eek? 'em at recess,
It ?eek? 'em in committee room?, and everywhere?, I guess.
They're ?keered to answer "aye" and even worse to answer "nay,
It i?n't ?afe for 'em to die, or pair, or stay away.
Oh, pity our poor Congressmen, they need it without doubt.
Prohibition'? going to get 'em
Ef they
Don't
Watch
Out:
unique advantages o* illatie
circle. Bet many, too, are ?
abilities have arrested the attention of
those with'.
?
arc in I
Are you looking1 tor -ci mei
in on? way or anotr
!, then, to
the no' . ist, suffra
Fola La Follette, or to the s< e'etary of
the Drama Leaf-ae, liiea Marjori?
Jones. Or perhaps yon are desirous of
knowing some feminist cook? and res?
taurateurs. There are. '.ora
von Leunien and Mlas Paula
rho conduc*
hurc Inn.
A CeBVaes ni Well hnnwn fn'iabitanta.
A striver of a uilTerer.t s? I
'in behalf of the
teacher-mother, :
man. I i ? .?? ? rous, Edna
Keatea, [:...-.? Strnnaky,the b ogi ?
Mary lleaton Vorsc, Anna S:run?ky,
iuh, Frances Perkins and Nina
Putnam Willcox appearing in the good?
ly number.
Of course there are some well known
men, too, men who are even more?or
less?than backgrounds to the I
nista of feminine gender. Among them
are Hutchins Hapgood. Horace Trao?
bel, the poet and biographer; William
English Walling, the -aO'ii*
Untermeycr, poet; James Oppenheim,
novelist; John Reed, writer; .**tephea
Ilaweis, peintes of exquisite fans; Al?
lan L. Benson, Professor
Arthur .n and Paul Thomp?
son, photo? apher.
Recrea?on for
Stenographers
??ow a Corporation Executive Pointed
the Way to Physical Well-Being
for liis Woman Employes.
A STENOGRAPHER, who combined
the ability and efiicieiu*. at
the? twentieth century bu
woman with the frail delicacy of th.
inth century girl, asked her cm
ploycr's advice regarding cour
instruction in the evening which, in
his opinion, would be of most value to
bar? This is the way he solved the
problem:
Bl told her that after spending the
day in the office engaged in mental ac?
tivities under high nervous teaalon she
greater need of physical activi?
ties possessing recreative features than
of additional mental activities. He
pointed out that she had gained by ex?
perience a more comprehensive ?rasp
cf the subjects usually taught to ste?
nographers than she could ever expect
to obtain from theoretical evening
courses in business English, seer
duties and the like.
His suggestion that she join a class
in folk dancing, which would give her
the physical exercise and recreation
which would be of greater benefit to
her, appealed to her sound business
judgment. Inquiry of the colleges and
universities of the city revealed the '
fact that none of them offered late .
afternoon or evening cla?s?<-, in folk I
dancing. Their classes in folk dancing,
ad primarily for rolle
and public scho' held
in the early afternoon, with a view to
discouraging the registration of
workers, for whom these institutions
believed they lacked the necessary I
facilities.
Considered Improper Vue of Corpora?
tion Kooms.
Unable to find the necessary facili?
ties, the executive to whom the stenog?
rapher had appealed turned his atten?
tion to their creation. His suggestion
that the corporation with which he was
.'raphers to
organize a daneiat class in the evening
in one of the targe rooms of the corpo?
ration was met by the objection that
1 such a use of the corporation's prop?
erty might bo considered an improper
use. His suggestion that |
pert be employed to teach the stenog?
raphers was discouraged on the ground
*
that it wou'.vi savor of comm? rciali.* tv.
Undeterred by these setback?, he con?
tinued his efforts, meeting each objec?
tion as it area presented, unt.l he
?ng for the stenogra
tha edltcati rccrcatira
activities which he believed Unelicul
for their p, reliera and the r
business efficiency.
Through the co-operation of the pro?
ef a large
city he was able to
secure the servie? s of a student who
bin class for th? i ?
? which it p-xvc her. Through
the co-op? ' ? ? ef tho
city's ri'-ri at ..n commission he secure?!
the Ml inasin
m (he evening at a
t.n ?> v h- n H ai - net In
Am ? rig was called
and invitations wen :-? r11 to a few of
; hers in the employ of tin*
er, oratio ; . ed for
?-term-, und a high
wind. The gymnasium was situated
about a quarter of a mile from the
of the city v?hich had
a had np'ita' on. I i. ?? r-*um
the organiser ?rhen he trudged
hi- tea] mnasium nt the end
of a heavy day's work fe irnl that rery
few *.vini!.i attei ng.
He was agi -eai-ly surprised tu
that almost all of thoaa t?? whom La
? iron present
. ->. A
. aided
to holi i Monday
lock. Th?
r. ces of
a pian. ? g, and to con?
tribute ? oung ?ornan
urer
to these details.
Extended Invitations In Other Stenog?
raphers.
It was to extend invitations
to the employed
in the sn- . to join the clasa,
with a v '??? benefits
of the class to ,tl ? -. lentally
! reducing the per capita cost. Half r>t
, each hour, It was decided, would be de
i nl half an hour
to the
The abilitj and taet ' ? icher
won thi : ..f the stenotr
. aad
.mi which they enjoyed during
this hour w
, arable sensation. of a
healthy, ruddy color to cheeks which
ile from confinement m tho
the
earewoi omen
? uno in ', buoyant gulish ax
ample i*omi>?M.?Ation WJU
the organizer, ^ *
na>.