Page:Woman of the Century.djvu/54

Rh small beginnings into strong churches of intelligent and self-sacrificing Christians. In the midst of her usefulness sickness came to her of such a character that her physician declared that a change of climate and entire rest were essential to the preservation of her life, and, after eighteen years of earnest, patient, hopeful service in the foreign field, she turned her face homeward.

The American pulpit was freely open to Dr. Baldwin, and his pastonal services were eagerlv sought. For some years he has been the recording secretary of the Board of Missions of the M. h. Church. Mrs. Baldwin's health has been largely restored since her return to this country, and she spends the full measure of her strength in active benevolence. She has been extensively employed in the interests of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society, being president of the New York branch of that society in the Methodist Church, of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, in lectures on various subjects, and in many charities. She is an ardent advocate of the equality of women with men, both in the State and in the Church. The Chinese question in all its aspects has her sympathies. The misrepresentation and abuse of the Chinese have kindled her indignation. She has been called to speak before large audiences in many places on the Chinese question and has contributed numerous articles on the subject to various city papers. She has carefully collected and forcibly stated both the laws and the facts bearing on the subject, and has published them in a small volume entitled "Must the Chinese Go?" which has had three editions. It is especially addressed to the thoughtful and ruling minds of America. She has won the distinction of being the "Chinese Champion." Mrs. Baldwin is the mother of seven children, two of whom died in Foochow. She now resides in Brooklyn, N. Y.

BALL, Mrs. Isabel Worrell, pioneer woman journalist of the West, born in a log cabin near Hennepin, Putnam county, Ill., 13th March, 1855. She is of Scotch-Irish parents. Her father was James Purcell Worrell. Her mother's maiden name was Elizabeth McClung. Mrs. Ball was always a self-reliant individual, even in childhood preferring to investigate and judge for herself. She was educated in public schools and academies, and was the leader in her classes, except in mathematics, for which science, in all its branches, she felt and showed the deepest aversion. Her favorite study was history. Her father was a lawyer, and at the age of thirteen years she began to study with him, gaining a fair knowledge of law. When she was sixteen years old, a weakness of the eyes forced her to leave school. In 1873 her family removed to western Kansas. There she rode over the prairies, assisting in herding her father's stock, learning to throw a lasso with the dexterity of a cowboy and to handle a gun with the skill of a veteran. The outdoor life soon restored her health. She taught the first public school in Pawnee county, Kans., and her school district included the whole immense county. She spent the next year as clerk in a store situated three miles from her home, riding back and forth on her pony. She was the second woman to be appointed a notary public in Kansas. She held positions in committee clerkships in sessions of the Kansas legislature from 1876 to 1886 and served as a press reporter from 1877 to 1890. She is a pronounced Republican in politics, for which she has always had a fondness, and through her positions in the legislature she has become acquainted with all the prominent politicians of the West. Her journalistic work began in 1881 on the Albuquerque "Journal" in New Mexico, and as correspondent of the Kansas City "Times." While living in New-Mexico and Arizona she had many experiences with the Indians and gathered much interesting material for future work. There, as she says, she practically "lived in a little gripsack." The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was being built from Albuquerque to the Needles, and she was special correspondent for the Albuquerque "Daily Journal." Her husband was a member of the construction party, but was with her only a part of the time, for, was there a washout, an Indian outbreak, or a wreck, she was expected to be on hand. Her life was often in danger from the Indians, both Navajoes and Apaches being belligerent at that time. Once the boarding train was surrounded by the Indians, and escape entirely cut off by washouts. The little dwelling, a box car. was riddled with bullets, and two men were killed, but Mrs. Ball escaped unhurt. For two years she lived in that wild country, seeing no woman's face, save that of a squaw, for three months at a time. In 1882 she returned to Kansas and acted for three years as editor of the Lamed "Chronoscope," then the leading and official Republican journal in western Kansas. She removed to Topeka in 1886 and was made assistant secretary of the State Historical Society by legislative enactment The Commonwealth Publishing Company engaged her as editor of their patent one-side publications, issued for State and county papers, handling one-hundred-sixty-two newspapers. She afterwards filled an important editorial position on the "Daily Commonwealth." In 1888 she became literary critic of the Kansas City "Daily Times," and editor of the weekly issue of that journal. In 1889 she took a position on the Kansas City "Star," which she held until the fall of 1891, when she removed to Washington and entered upon special journalistic work. Besides all this regular newspaper writing she has contributed many sketches to eastern periodicals. In 1889, in