Woman of the Century/Elizabeth Bisland

BISLAND, Miss Elizabeth, journalist, born in Camp Bisland. Fairfax plantation, Teche county, La., in 1863. Her family, one of the oldest in the South, lost its entire property while she was a child and Miss Bisland became impressed, at an early age, with the necessity of doing something toward the support of herself and relatives. Having shown a talent for writing, this, naturally, was the line Of work along which she began her career. Her first sketches, published at the age of fifteen, were written under the pen-name B. L. R. Dane, and were favorably received by the New Orleans newspapers to which they were sent. Miss Bisland did considerable work for the New Orleans "Times-Democrat" and, later, became literary editor of that paper. After a few years' work in New Orleans she decided to enter the literary field in New York and for a time did miscellaneous work for newspapers and periodicals in that city. In a short time she was offered the position of literary editor of the "Cosmopolitan Magazine " which she accepted. It was while engaged upon that magazine that Miss Bisland undertook her noted journey around the earth in the attempt to make better time than that of Nellie Bly, who was engaged to perform the same journey in the interest Of the New York "World"; Miss lily going east while Miss Bisland took the western direction. Although she did not succeed in defeating her rival. Miss Bisland made such time as to command the admiration of the civilized world. In May, 1890, she went to London. Eng., in the interest of the "Cosmopolitan," and her letters to that magazine, from London and Paris, have been widely read and appreciated. In addition to her journalistic work, she has also written, in Collaboration with Miss Rhoda Broughton, a one-volume novel; also a romance and play in Conjunction with the same author. She became the wife of Charles W. Wetmore of New York, 6th October, 1891, and they reside in that city.