NAWSA General Correspondence Sleeper, Mary P. MP Sleeper to Grace Johnson Tuesday evening Dear Grace:- You have my telegram no doubt, telling the sad news. The first thing we found out was that a newspaper man will not sign such a thing because it puts him too much into politics. On the ground of the office of Congressional chair man I appealed to Mrs Mae Duffie, and she went with me. We saw the idea but would not sign the flyer. He then went to a Mr. Gantt, secretary of the Citizen League to see if we could make an appointment with the president, Mr. C. B. Potter. We were assured that Mr. Potter and the League would not take any share in anything but local matters this year for reasons that I will not take time to state. Mr. Gantt will sound several men, and if he gets any light will let Mrs. MacDuffie know. Affectionately Mary P. P. such a paper. Mr. Hooker hinted but did not say that very likely when it was settled the Republican (newspaper) would find itself against [??] editorially but that it isn't settled yet nor is he ready to say anything yet "altho I think I know what I am going to do." Mr. Cork wrote the editorial in the issue of feb 3. But with all that we had heard we decided there was no use asking him, and decided that it was better not to try to talk to him (We could not see him in any case, and would have had to do it over the telephone.) That is all. None of them thought we could find any body, except Mrs. Gantt, who thought there might be a slight chance that a Mr. H E. Moses head of the Strath more Paper Co. prohibitionist and very independent, [might] would help. He promised to see him, as I said. If you are delayed in your efforts in the eastern part of the state, and any light does dawn here we will transmit it to you - I was doing more than could be done when your message came - and this morning comes a call to camp to make some plans for next year - but when you say so I'm inclined to go, and I did, however futile it may have been. We were most careful with the docu- ment and took every precaution to insure secrecy - Mrs. Mae Duffie felt [??] of them all - Mrs. Hooker warned against a last minute effort - 48 hours before election with no time for reply - as prejudicing a cause - I didn't suppose that was the plan. There is no Mr. Bowles now. In the service some where Respectfully submitted if very hastily, while my husband paces the floor waiting to take this to the mail. [*Good luck and much love*] Mr George Dwight Pratt, a very good friend to suffrage and an admirer of Mrs Call - He wouldn't let me use his name, because he isn't a politician and doesn't want to be mixed up in it altho he wishes us well - and does not like Weeks. He thought we are starting much too late, and until I showed him this list thought we could accomplish little. Afterward he seemed to think better of He said "you are really asking a man to leave his party if you ask a Republican to work against the Republican candidate and really help elect the Democratic candidate. He wasn't very encouraging, altho like Mr. Pratt he wants to see Weeks defeated, and he thinks there is a chance he will be. We then went back to see Mr Hooker who was out when we first called. For the third time we heard that a newspaper man could not himself sign MRS. HENRY DIKE SLEEPER CAMP MARBURY VERGENNES, VERMONT August 21 1943 My dear Mrs. Stantial: Thank you for your letter, which is the first one which has reached me. The invitation came a week ago, or so, but I have not applied for a ticket, for I could not see any possibility of getting away from our large family at that time. Later on, I shall be glad to send the biographical sketch of the part of my life when the suffrage movement was the chief interest and the main activity. I can find no picture of that period, but my daughters seem to think that a search in the attic would reveal one. We find here one that is much too young and another that is much too old and grim. Regretting very much that I cannot join you on the twenty sixth, and with best wishes for the success of the opening and the reunion of the "old guard", I am Sincerely yours, Mary P. Sleeper Copy Sun. July 30, 1915. Dear Old Gussie: [*(Mary P. Sleeper)*] I have just arrived home this evening, hoping against hope that you might be here; but not really expecting to see you, as I figured out that you would probably have to reach Detroit by August 1st. I wanted to see you and wish you God speed, I wanted to see you to tell you about all our adventures on our organizing trip, and I just plain wanted to see you. I've had a fine vacation, – not the kind of a time I perhaps would have enjoyed most ( a chance to invite my soul[d] a bit, and watch sunsets, and listen to the drip of water from a canoe paddle and the little gurgling ripples around the bow, and to lie in the grass and pat the growing things, – a regular Damariscotta vacation) but still a thoroughly good time, with much fun and a complete change. Not having been in the least tired when I started I cannot conscientiously say that I am rested, and not having worked very hard on the trip I came back in fine condition. We had a dear little car that went like a bird, in spite of the fact that she had been way to Mexico and back. I guess I wrote you that Mrs. Sleeper had corrupted her title "flivverette" to Frivolette". We had adventures daily, and even hourly, one of the pleasantest experiences was meeting the Episcopal minister and his wife in Ashfield. We called on Mrs. Tichnor and found her a sweet-faced, white-haired, little lady, with the up-and-coming airs of a vigorous young robin. She greeted us like the Prodigal Son, announced that she was still on the fence as regards suffrage, and proceeded to denounce the antis and ridicule their arguments and argue for suffrage in a perfectly delicious way, while we learned from her townsfolk that she has been industriously distributing suffrage tracts, - this little lady "on the fence"! Mary and I fell on each other's neck with glee every time we thought of her, and only regretted that all of Massachusetts was not also "on the fence". She told us that we would find her husband down in the cellar of the church. It hadno basement and Mr. Tichnor having leisure and skill as a stone mason was digging one and putting in the foundation with his own hands. We found him in grime and overalls, and not in the least ashamed or embarrassed thereby, a splendid, intelligent man, a staunch suffragist ever since (as he had the courage to go out of his way to tell us) "I became a Socialist". We labelled them in our book of personalities "The salt of the earth." We called on the ministers in most of the eight towns we visited and found them with but a single exception in favor of suffrage. Even the exception was not an anti, but was merely a terribly conscientious young man who was still wrestling with some old-fashioned misgivings and who even at that had voted "Yes." The only hopeless place we met was Conway. All the inhabitants thereof are dead, but unburied. It was like sitting down and talking to one lump of dough after another. I finally made a discovery. "The matter with this town," I said, "is that nobody here has ever learned to smile." And that was so literally true that we dubbed it "smiling Conway." Every prospect pleases,---. In Charlemont we met a woman, in her we met a type, and our sizing up of suffragists will hereafter be more accurate for knowing her. She was the campaign Sund. July 30, 1915 - page 2. P.H.Luscomb letters member, selected because she was the wife of the factory owner and because she was willing to hold office. She is a suffragist with the energy, enthusiasm, and executive capacity of an oyster. When we said we would like to get the women, - suffragists, - together for a conference she said we might meet at her house, but she doubted if enough would come to make the meeting worth while, and we might use her telephone to notify the members but she never offered to notify them herself. Mind you, this woman was the President of what was supposed to be a local league! They had not called a single meeting since election. Well, we went ahead and called on almost every woman whose name we had, in person, and when we went down to Mrs. Frary's house that evening at five minutes before the hour for the meeting she said quite triumphantly "There are just two women here." You can't picture her disappointment when we had a dozen there before the evening was over, had a fine, spirited meeting, got one woman (quite a social light in town) to offer her house for a lawn party this week, got a Secretary who takes the school census and will canvass for signatures while doing that, and got a woman to take charge of a booth at the Charlemont Fair. You should have seen Mrs. Frary's tardy efforts to scramble aboard the bandwagon, but one wom n tactfully remarked (quoting thelady herself) "And Mrs. Frary here is not strong enough to be asked to do much." In Shelburne Falls we hunted up the man who has taken out nomination papers for Representative, on the Republican ticket - one Bray by name. We went to his house one evening by appointment, taking with us one of each kind of leaflet we had, in order to be able to meet any argument he might spring on us. He received us graciously, but confessed to having been somewhat shaken in his suffrage faith by a glib anti lady at the Charlemont Fair. (She had asked him if he wanted to see his wife serving on a jury, and he decided that he didn't. Mrs. Bray is so deaf that I could barely make her understand me shouting at the top of my lungs within three inches of her ear phone. She would probably be the first person selected for the jury! After a few minutes' skirmishing Mr. Bray informed us that if he secured the election any measure which he was convinced was for the best interests of his town, his state, or his nation, would have his support. Somehow we didn't seem to be perfectly satisfied, but lingered to discuss arguments and find out what might be his objections, so he told us, "If I secure the election, any measure which I am convinced is for the best interests of my town, my state, or my nation, will have my support." We stayed ten minutes longer and were told, "If I secure the election, any measure which I am convinced is for the best interest of my town, my state, and my nation, will have my support." At the close of fifteen minutes more we learned that "If I am elected, any measure which I am convinced is for the best interests of my town, my state, or my nation, will have my support." As we were leaving I brought out my packet of literature to the electric light to select some to leave, and asked Mr. Bray which would interest him most. He wanted to know if I couldn't leave one of each! Gosh, you ought to have seen the pile. It's a week's solid reading. The best of it is that his little wife chirked up and said that because she couldn't hear she especially liked to read things, and if I don't miss my guess she is going to devour every word and pass it on to Bray. It was an awful dose! He escorted us politely to our auto, and bade us goodbye, saying "If I secure the nomination and election, you may rest assured that July 30, 1915 - page 3. F.H.Luscomb letters any measure which I am convinced is for the best interests of my town, my state and my nation, will have my support." I understand why he was named "Bray". On a lonely county road one morning we came across an automobile in process of repairs, and besides the two young automobilists was the most unprepossessing countryman you ever saw, - dirty, unshaven, red-nosed, bare-footed, and altogether rough looking. I stopped to inquire the road, and our brigand asked if he might ride with us to the next house. All the neighboring towns were in a ferment over a band of a hundred gypsies which had descended upon them, and this gentleman was looking for a phone to summon the sheriff. Well, on the whole we would rather have taken our chances with the gypsies, but did not have any real reason to refuse, so, calculating mentally the portion of our hatpins we took our outlaw upon the running board. Fortunately he was a peaceable hold-up man, for we passed through a mile and a half of absolutely deserted woods, before we deposited our grateful passenger at his destitution. I haven't dare tell Mother, for she'd never let me go again. We had one blow-out. Of course it had to happen just as darkness had fallen, on the edge of a tiny settlement, with mud a foot deep all around and rain descending in torrents. We had no spare shoe, only a blow-out patch. You know the only experience I had in putting one on, last election day when you and I did a little job and Archie did most. Well, our bang aroused the neighborhood, and thrilled with the excitement of an auto in distress an old farmer and two boys came to the scene. None of them knew anything about changing tires, but one of them lent the use of his strong hands most helpfully, while the others stood in the rain holding lanterns. Well, it took an hour, but we did it! I was literally soaked to the skin, not a dry stitch on xx me, no other trouble with the Frivoletta, except her habit of refusing to crank when she got at all heated up, - which was often, upon those Franklin hills. I'm a genuine horny-handed son of toil, from the blisters and callouses I raised on cranking. The garbage man said she had an "Armstrong" starter. Our arrival at Northfield was most amusing. We had a night run up from Greenfield, arrived about half past ten, inquired about hotels, and were told there were just two, one in Northfield proper, and one over a mile up the line at the other end of the town. The one down town didn't look inviting, and we knew that the Northfield Hotel was good, so we started for that. As it loomed up before us our hearts sank, a huge caravansary, set in the middle of golf courses, and tennis courts, and drives winding among shrubbery. "not in our class" we exclaimed, and beat it back again. Mary went in at the other hotel to inquire about rooms, but came out and informed me that it looked very disreputable. The proprietor was a rought, dirty foreigner, the place smelled of tobacco and beer, and looked altogether shady. The proprietor came to the door, but we informed him that we thought we would go elsewhere, and then that darned old car wouldn't crank! I tugged and tugged, and tugged, and couldn't get a wheeze out of her. There was the hotel man that we had just turned down, and there July 30, 1915 - page 4 - F.H.Luscomb letters were we, rooted to the spot. The man himself finally took an unavailing turn at the crank, and himself then disappeared, to return a moment later with six nice young toughs whom he had summoned from the back room where they had evidently been playing cards, and indulging in drinks, to judge from the breaths they had. (Northfield is a dry town.') Eleven o'clock at night, seven none- too-nice men, and a car that wouldn't budge. Fortunately the hotel was not in an isolated spot, and though the boys trooped out evidently looking for a lark, they calmed down the minute they saw we were well behaved, and treated us like perfect gentlemen. They took turns at cranking, all in vain, and then they decided to start her by rolling. They put me aboard, pushed the car by main force up a little slope and raced her down again with a will, and when I threw in the clutch she purred like a kitten. We bade the gentlemen a grateful good night, and returned to the Northfield Hotel, chuckling at our adventure. There we were told that they didn't have a single room left! For an instant I had visions of our return to the other hotel, but they did consent to put us up a couple of cots in the parlor, for what remained of the night. Such was the reception Northfield gave us. F. H. Luscomb Dear Mrs. Sleeper Can you give me Miss Albro's address in Fitchburg? I want to send a letter of thanks to my hostess, Mrs. Coolidge, and I neglected to secure Mrs. Coolidge's address. A.S. Blackwell Mrs Coolidge lives at 48 Holt St. Miss Albro at 61 Fox St Very glad to get the address. And do you [recall] recall Mrs. Coolidge's first name, or initials? Mrs Sewards, rich Fitchburg - Mrs. Hartwell [Drita Crocker?] Huntington Hall, 3 PM tomorrow - Mrs. Burnett Smith Wom Munic League 10.30 Wed prohib basement Woman's Party March 24, Park Sq Theatre, afternoon SLEEPER, HENRY DIKE, organist; b. Patten, Me., Oct. 9, 1865; s. Rev. William T. and Emily (Taylor) S,; grad. Worcester Acad., 1885; student Harvard, 1885-7; grad. Hartford Theol. Sem., 1891; student of music, Worcester, Hartford, Chicago, Phila., London; m. Mary Peet, of Good Hope, Ill., Aug. 28, 1894. Ordained Congl. ministry, 1891; instr. music, Beloit Coll., Wis., 1891-4; prof. music. Georgetown Coll,, Ky., 1894-5; instr music., U. of Wis., 1895-8; instr. music, 1898-1903, asso. prof., 1903, prof. since 1904, Smith Coll. Organist First Congl. Ch., Madison, Wis., 1895-8, Union Ch., Worcester, Mass., 1899-1902, Fourth Congl. Ch. Hartford, Conn., 1902-4. Fellow Am. Guild of Organists, 1903; mem. Clef Club, New York. Asso. editor Common Order Choir Book, 1903, and composer of mus. setting of "Carmen Seculare." given at Smith Coll., June 1904; composer and arranger of numerous pieces of ch. and organ music, part songs, etc. Address: Northampton, Mass. mathematical Monthly. Home: 5535 Monroe Av., Chicago, Ill. SLAUGHTER, Christopher C., cattle raiser; b. Sabine co., Tex., Feb. 9, 1837; s. George Webb and Sarah (Mason) S.; said to be 1st male child born of a marriage contracted under the Republic of Texas; ed. at home; m. Cynthia A. Jowell, of Palo Pinto, Tex., 1861; 2d, Carrie A. Averill, of Boston, 1877. Began cattle business, 1857; entire capital $500; capt. Texas Rangers and bvt. col. C.S.A., 1861-5; after war reëntered cattle business, very small capital, became noted as pioneer in cattle industry and Indian fighter; has been called for years the "Cattle King of Texas," having raised and marketed the largest number of cattle of any individual in America; one of largest individual land owners in America, owning over 500,000 acres of land in Tex. Was v.-p. City Bank of Dallas, 1877; v.-p. City Nat. Bank, Dallas, 1880; organized Am. Nat. Bank, 1884, v.-p. ever since. Organi Mrs. Mary P. Sleeper, (Mrs. Henry Dyke Sleeper) was leader in the Northampton Suffrage group and worked in the Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association in the Organization Division. She was one of those who went on the first automobile speaking trip in 1915 with Florence Luscomb, and others and her picture appears in the newspaper clippings at the time. Mrs. Sleeper's minutes of the Northampton League were send to Radcliffe College Woman's Rights Room to be included in the records of the Mass. Woman Suffrage Association. The attached sheet from a notebook of Alice Stone Blackwell was found in the minutes book. It was notes passed back and forth between Mrs. Sleeper and Miss Blackwell at a board meeting of the State Suffrage Association. The clipping from Who's Who about her husband, was also in the notebook sent to Radcliffe. Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.