Woman of the Century/Annie L. Y. Orff

ORFF, Mrs. Annie L. Y., editor and publisher, was born in Albany. N. Y. She is a niece of the well-known artists John and William Hart, of New York City, and has inherited in an eminent degree their artistic tastes and talents. She passed the early part of her life in her native city, where she had a happy girlhood, with no thought of care. She became the wife, at the age of eighteen, of Mr. Swart, a business man of ability and with him she removed to St. Louis, Mo. After a brief married life, she was left a widow, dependent upon her own exertions and with no experience of the world or its ways. There existed, at that time, a railroad guide, a small publication which its owner was desirous of converting into a weekly issue that would be of service to the traveling public, giving exact tables of the twelve railroads culminating in ANNIE L. V. ORFF. St. Louis. The first step necessary to be taken was to secure a successful canvasser for its subscription list and to solicit advertising matter. That canvasser Mrs Swart became, and through sheer courage and endurance she made a success of her first venture, and was retained on the publication for a few years in the capacity of canvasser until, seeing a better prospect in becoming the owner of the guide, she bought out its proprietor. The success of that venture, together with the business knowledge so gained, induced her to establish a chaperone bureau for the purpose of supplying female guides to strangers of their own sex in the city. From that idea grew the publication of a magazine called the "Chaperone." which is now one of the finest periodicals in the West. Shortly after the inauguration of the "Chaperone" Mrs. Swart became the wife of Mr. Orff who is associated with her in the publication of the magazine. In addition to her business ability. Mrs Orff is also a highly cultured woman, discussing politics, art and science, with masterly diction and comprehensive learning. She is, in an unostentatious manner, a very charitable woman. She is lady manager for the World's Fair.