Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 3.djvu/1074

Rh cause; she founded the Marguerite Home for aged women. Dr. and Mrs, Bowman, mow of Oakland, were pioneers in this work; while Mesdames Jackson, Hontoon, Perley Watson, and Miss Hattie Moore are among the recent converts, Hon. Grove LL, Johnson has been one of the most eloquent of all the fearless champions of women who have occupied a seat in the legislature; Hon, Creed Haymond deserves to rank with the foremost, as an able advocate of woman's political rights; Hon. S. J. Finney of Santa Cruz, Talbot Wallis, State Librarian, Judge Taylor, a prominent lawyer, and his brilliant wife, are also among our friends, Sarah A. Montgomery, Mattie A. Shaw, Mrs, A. Wilcox, Mary B. Lewis, Judge and Mrs. McFarland, Judge J. W. Armstrong, encouraged by his devoted and talented wife, and a large number of others, favor in a quiet way the ballot for women.

San Joaquin county has been the home of Laura De Force Gordon since 1870, and much of her practice as a lawyer has been in the courts at Stockton. Among the 'earliest advocates of suffrage were Mr. and Mrs. William Condy, Mr. and Mrs. Harty, Judge Brush, Hattie Brush, Judge Roysdon, William Hickman and wife, Mrs. E. Emery, William Israel, Hannah Israel, Miss E. Clifford, Dr. Holden, Richard Condy and his noble wife Elizabeth, who was the first president of the San Joaquin county society. Among a host of others are Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Freeman and their bright young daughter Sophronia, who gives promise of future usefulness in the lecture-field; Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Gage, whose daughter Hattie possesses marked artistic ability, and though still in her teens has produced oil paintings of rare beauty; Dr. Brown, physician in charge of the State Insane Asylum; Dr. Phoebe Tabor, for many years a successful medical practitioner; Mrs. N. G, Cary, Mrs. M. S. Webb, Mrs. Zignago, a successful business woman; Mr, and Mrs, H. B. Loomis, R. B. Lane, Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Bond, and Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Overhiser, both of whom are active members of that liberal woman's rights order, the Patrons of Husbandry. Hon. R. C. Sargent, a member of the legislature for several terms, has always aided the woman's cause by his vote and influence. Dr. J. L. Sargent and his intelligent wife are also friends to every measure tending to benefit woman. Hon. S. L. Terry, Senator F. T. Baldwin, James A. Lontitt, esq., Judge J. H. Budd, Judge A. Van R. Patterson, George B. McStay, Judge Buckley and a number of other prominent officials and members of the legal profession, are all in favor of equal rights,

Sonoma county has a few fearless friends of woman suffrage. Mary Jewett, Mrs. Prince, Fannie M. Wertz and Miss E. Merrill were officers in the first organization formed at Healdsburg in that county in 1870, and together with J. G. Howell and wife, who were proprietors of the Russian River Flag, kept up the society for years, At Petaluma, Mrs. A. A. Haskell, Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Hatch, Kate Lovejoy and Mrs, Judge Latimer organized a society in 1869. In Solano county are Mr. and Mrs, Denio and Mrs. E. L. Hale of Vallejo; Mrs. Elizabeth Ober and Mrs. Celia Geddes of Fairfield. Napa county soon became an objective point for lecturers; a society was organized at St. Helena in 1871, with Mr. and Mrs. John Lewellyn, Charles King, Mrs, Potter and Dr. and Mrs, Allyn as officers; at Napa were Joseph Eggleton and wife and Mrs. Ellis, In San Mateo county was Mrs, Dr. Kilpatrick. Contra Costa county was organized in 1870, and Mrs, Phebe Benedict, Mrs. Abbott, Mary O'Brien, Sarah Sellers, Dr. and Mrs. Howard, Hannah Israel, an able writer and lecturer, and Capt. Kimball of Antioch, took an active part therein. Mrs. J. H. Chase of Martinez, E. H. Cox and wife of Danville, were pioneers in the cause, and Henry and Abigail Bush of Martinez, were most prominent in the first meetings held there. Mrs. Bush had the honor to preside over the second woman suffrage convention ever held in the United States, that at Rochester, N. Y., in 1848 O. Alley and wife, also of Martinez, extended their hospitality to lecturers who visited that place, and fully sympathized in the cause.

In Marin county a society was formed in 1870, with Isabella Irwin, Mrs. Barney, Flora Whitney, Mrs. M. Dubois and Mary Battey Smith, as officers; Mrs. McM. Shafter, a gifted and influential lady, was also an active worker in the good cause. Alameda county—Rev. John Benton and wife, Professor E. Carr and wife, Mrs. C. C.