136

MRS. PEATTIE'S SUCCESSOR

Mrs. William P. Harford Elected
President of the Omaha
Woman's Club.

Madam Reuben Gaylord an Early Settler
in the West Made an Honorary
Member.

Project of Building a Club House Is Taken Up
but Nothing Definite Is Decided--
Routine Matters.

Mrs. William P Harford was yesterday
elected president of the Woman's
club, to succeed Mrs. Peattie.

When the result of the ballot was announced
by Mrs. Towne, temporary
chairman of the meeting held in the afternoon
at the Creighton, Mrs. Harford
took in her arms the big boquet of American
beauties presented her and made a
most gracious speech, in which she said
that the Woman's club was so thoroughly
American in its make up, each
department having so efficient a head,
that she realized her duties would not be
of great responsibility, but only to preside
and keep as much as possible her
opinions to herself. She said that she
hoped to fill her position honestly and
faithfully, but asked that no comparison
be drawn between herself and the
graceful and witty Mrs. Peattie, or the
other clever presidents who had gone before.

Madam Reuben Gaylord was made an
honorary member of the club, Mrs. Ferguson
welcoming the pioneer woman
whose residence in Omaha has covered
forty years, in a few words. Thirteen
names were proposed for membership.
Mrs Shuman of Nebraska City and Mrs.
Riordan of Texas were guests of the
club. During the afternoon Mrs. Johnson
gave a vocal solo and Joesphine
Bell played the piano. An interesting
report of the delegation to the Crete
Federation of Woman Clubs was read.

DISCUSS CLUB HOUSE SCHEMES.

But after the election of president the
feature of the meeting was the discussion
of the building of a club house. Mrs.
Mary Gerrard Andrews spoke against
the stock company idea proposed by the
committee. She related to the sad state of
affairs in Chicago, where the women of
the Women's Christian Temperance
union had allowed a stock company to
build the "Temple," only to find that
where the money of many women had
been put into the enterprise the women
now are having to face the possibility of
relinquishing any interest in the building
whatever, merely being allowed to rent it
as any other tenant. She was in favor
of waiting until the club be older and
more established and could build a club
house of its own without going into debt
and until the women members could organize
a stock company among themselves.

Mrs. Ford, the chairman of the club
house committee, explained that if the
members of the Woman's club bought
the majority of the stock they were entitled
to the control, and said further that
no harm could come of soliciting for
shareholders to see what could be done.

Mrs. Harford thought if anything is
to be done, now is the time to do it, while
a down town site can be purchased at a
reasonable figure.

BELIEVES IT WILL PAY

Miss Cary said the need in Omaha of an
auditorium of proportions suitable to accommodate
large audiences is so urgent
that it seemed to her that the club which
would provide such a building could not
help realizing upon the investment. Mrs.
Towne said that she and the secretary
felt so kind of queer on the stage of the
Creighton theater, so far from the other
club members who seemed to be in the
dark from the stage, that she more than
ever felt the need of a home for the club
properly adapted to its use.

The matter was laid over until the next
meeting of the club. A reception under
the auspices of the musical department
will be given Maud Morgan at the club
rooms next Thursday afternoon.