Page:Woman of the Century.djvu/363

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358
HARDY.
HARPER.

spring of that year. Her reputation as a writer, of both prose and verse, grew rapidly. While living in Houston she became a contributor to many of the most prominent periodicals of the eastern cities, among them "Harper's Magazine" and the "Magazine of American History." To the latter periodical she contributed in the numbers of October and November, 1888, a striking paper entitled "The City of a Prince." a historical sketch of a colony of Germans established in Texas by Prince Solms-Braunfels, of Austria. That paper made her reputation as a historical writer, and it secured for her at once the unusual honor of an unsolicited election to membership in the American Historical Association, before which she read a paper upon "The Earliest Texas," in its last annual meeting in Washington, in December, 1891. The larger portion of ner historical work deals with the interesting subject of Texas, and she has achieved an important and valuable task in making a permanent LEE C. HARDY. record of many events connected with the settlement of the State, which would have been lost to future historians. Her portrayals of the life, the types and the peculiarities of that part of the Republic have been given to the public in a series of illustrated articles in "Frank Leslie's Illustrated Paper." Besides her historical work, she has contributed to leading periodicals a series of poems, essays and stories, all of which have found wide favor. Among other societies of which Mrs. Harby is a member is Sorosis, which elected her to membership while she was yet a resident of the South. She now resides in New York City.


HARPER, Mrs. Ida A., journalist, was born in Indiana, of New England parentage. She showed in childhood a remarkable memory and marked literary talent. Her education was almost wholly received in private schools, although she was graduated in the public high school. She entered the State University in Bloomington, but was married before completing the course. For a number of years after marriage she did a considerable amount of writing. Her work was of a character that always commanded excellent pay. For a dozen years she conducted a department in the Terre Haute "Saturday Evening Mail," that discussed all of the questions of the day and was widely copied. During that time Mrs. Harper traveled extensively and corresponded for a large number of papers, including the "Christian Union," "Western Christian Advocate," "Advance," Chicago "Inter-Ocean," Chicago "Times," the Detroit "Free Press," the Toledo "Blade." the Boston "Traveller," the Cleveland "Leader," the Indianapolis "Journal" and the Terre Haute "Gazette and Express." For the past ten years she has edited a woman's department in the "Locomotive Firemen's Magazine." In 1889 she decided to make literature a profession. She was at once invited to an editorial position on the Terre Haute "Evening News." In a short time she was made managing editor by the directors, one of the first instance on record of a woman occupying the position of managing editor on a political daily paper. She carried the paper through the hottest municipal campaign ever known in that city, making up an independent ticket from the best men on the other tickets. She wrote every line of the editorials and dictated the policy of the paper throughout the canvass, and every man on the ticket was elected. At the end of a year she was called to a place on the editorial staff of the Indianapolis "News," which she has filled for two years, going to her office regularly each morning. Socially, Mrs. Harper is very popular. Her family consists of one daughter. She believes thoroughly in opening all the departments of life and activity to women. She is conspicuous among the advocates of woman suffrage, being secretary of the Indiana National Woman Suffrage Association.


SARAH CARMICHAEL HARRELL. HARRELL, Mrs. Sarah Carmiehael, educator and reformer, born in Brookville, Ind., 8th January, 1844. Her maiden name was Sarah Carmichael. In 1859 she began to teach in the public schools of Indiana, and for twelve years was remarkably successful, being the first woman teacher to receive equal wages with male teachers in south-east Indiana. Mrs. Harrell entered the primary class in Brookville College when eight years of age, and while still in the intermediate class she left college to take charge of her first school. She has always felt a deep interest in educational matters, especially in the splendid public schools of her native State, whose plans and curriculum have been enriched by many valuable original suggestions from her. In literature her work has been excellent. Under various pen-names she has written articles on floriculture, educational items and letters of travel. She became the wife, in 1872, of Hon. S. S. Harrell, a successful lawyer, now serving his fourth term in the State legislature. Her family consists of two daughters. She was appointed one of the Board of World's Fair Managers of Indiana by Governor Hovey. She is a member and the secretary of the educational committee and one of the committee on woman's work. Her efficiency in each of these responsible positions is well known, but her greatest work is the origination and carrying to a successful completion of the plan known as the "Penny School Collection Fund of Indiana." to be used in the educational exhibit in the Columbian Exposition. Besides these positions, she is superintendent of scientific temperance instruction for Indiana, and is preparing to secure the enactment of a law to regulate the study of temperance in the public schools.