Woman of the Century/Rachel Frank

FRANK, Miss Rachel, author, born in San Francisco. Cal., 10th April, 1866. She is more generally known as Ray Frank. She is of Jewish blood. Self-reliant from an early age, she entered upon the career of a school teacher when but fifteen years old, and. considering that her first field of labor was in the rough mining regions of Nevada, her success as an educator was remarkable. From childhood she gave evidence of literary and oratorical ability. Having a family of younger brothers and sisters dependent upon her she patiently labored in a profession for which she had no real liking, and even gratuitously conducted evening classes for the benefit of young miners w ho were unable to RACHEL FRANK. attend the clay school. In addition to her school work she contributed to various local and other papers and taught private classes in elocution with success. Her dramatic ability is undoubted, and she has had numerous inducements to adopt a stage career, but in this, as in all else, she has original ideas which have prevented her from accepting many good offers. Deciding that journalism is a preparatory school for those wishing to engage in higher literary work, she became a regular and conscientious contributor to various periodicals on diverse subjects. In 1890 she accepted an offer of several journals to write up the great Northwest, and one of the features of the consequent trip was the organization of permanent congregations of her people. Her fame as a young woman of rare good sense and eloquence had preceded her, and her co-religionists conferred upon her the great honor of inviting her to address them on the eve of the Day of Atonement, the most sacred of all Hebrew festivals. She is probably the first woman in the history of the world who has ever preached to the Jews upon that day. The Jews, as a people, have ever been opposed to women occupying the pulpit, but in Miss Frank's case they ave made an exception, believing that her sincere earnestness, natural eloquence and intense zeal peculiarly fit her for preaching. She is extremely liberal in her religious views, but possesses an intense interest in her people and their welfare. She has recently accented the editorship of the "Pacific Coast Home Monthly," a journal of excellent standing. She has contributed to the New York "Messenger." "American Hebrew," Oakland "Times," "Jewish Times and Observer." "The Young California" and other periodicals in Tacoma, Seattle and Sin Francisco. One of her stories, "An Experience Extraordinary," has proved very popular. Miss Frank's home is in Oakland, Cal., and her time is given up to teaching, preaching, housekeeping and journalism.