Page:The part taken by women in American history.djvu/932

Rh Was born in Portland, Maine. Owing to the death of her father, she found it necessary to turn her inventive genius and talent into a means of livelihood, and in 1876, established the Blanchard Over-seam Company, of Philadelphia, from which other industries have sprung. One of her inventions is the Blanchard over-seaming machine, which is for sewing and trimming at the same time of knitted fabrics; also crocheting and sewing machines. These machines are used largely in manufactories, and are considered among the most remarkable mechanical contrivances of the day.

Mrs. Betsy Ann Stearns was born in Cornish, New Hampshire, June 29, 1830. Her maiden name was Goward. As a child she entered the weaving mills of Nashua, saving her money from her labors to educate herself. June 5, 1851, she married Horatia H. Stearns, of Ackton, Massachusetts. Mrs. Stearns is well known for her dress-cutting invention, which was awarded the highest prize in the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, 1876. She organized the Boston Dress-Cutting School, with branches in other states, and now the Stearns's tailor method for cutting ladies' and children's clothes is in common use.

The women who have occupied the positions of experts in the various departments of the United States Government have made for woman remarkable records. Many of these women come from the finest families of our country. Many of their ancestors were identified with the early society and important history of America. The first woman employed by the United States Government was Miss Jennie Douglas. During the war General Spinner persuaded the secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase, to employ women in that department to cut and trim the treasury notes, and Miss Douglas was the first woman to be employed on this work. Among those who entered the work in that early day was Mrs. Helen L. McLean Kimball. Mrs. Kimball is dean of the government women, as she enjoys the record of the longest service of all the women workers under the United States Government. She is the widow of a Civil War officer who was killed in the field, and shortly after his