Page:The part taken by women in American history.djvu/874

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Women in Professions
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grammes," "Shakespeare Studies—Macbeth," and is also a composer of music and songs; writer of articles, essays and reviews on poetry, and one of the founders of the American Musical Society.

ANNA ELIZABETH DICKINSON.

Who is an author, playwright, actress, philanthropist and public speaker. She was born in Philadelphia, October 28, 1842. Her parents were Quakers and she was educated at the Friends' Free School. She began her public career by speaking on slavery and temperance. In 1861 she was given a position in tiie United States Mint, in Philadelphia but was removed because of the charges against General McClellan, which she made in a public address. In 1864 she donated to the Freedman's Relief Society a thousand dollars, the proceeds of one lecture. In 1876 she made her first appearance on the stage in a play from her own pen, called "A Crown of Thorns." She tried other parts, but her career met with disaster. Her principal success has been in the lecture field. She is the author of "A Ragged Register of People, Places and Opinions."

ADA CELESTE SWEET.

Author and business woman. Daughter of Gen. Benjamin J. Sweet, a lawyer and distinguished officer of the Civil War. She was born in Stockbridge, Wisconsin, February 23, 1853. Miss Sweet is one of the most noted women in America. At the age of sixteen she was the assistant to her father who was at that time United States pension agent in Chicago, and afterwards first deputy commissioner of Internal Revenue. Upon her father's death, in January, 1867, President Grant appointed Miss Sweet United States pension agent in Chicago. She has disbursed many million dollars annually making a most remarkable record as a business woman, and has installed many valuable reforms, reduced the work of her office to a system, which the government gladly recognized and approved by installing the same in all other pension offices in the United States. In 1885 she resigned this office to engage in business for herself. She was for two years literary editor of the Chicago Tribune, and since 1888 has maintained an office as United States claim attorney, and during this time has done considerable literary and philanthropic work. She was the founder of the ambulance system for the Chicago police.

MARTHA GALLISON MOORE AVERY.

Is the daughter of A. K. P. Moore, and on her father's side is descended from Irish, Scotch and Dutch ancestry; on her mother's, from English. Her people have always been distinguished in the various conflicts for freedom which have taken place in this country. Major John Moore, of Bunker Hill fame, was one of her kinsmen, and her grandfather, General Samuel Moore, was conspicuous in state affairs. Mrs. Avery's first active part in public life was as a charter member of the First Nationalist Club of Boston, which claimed among its members such distinguished personages as Edward Everett Hale and Mary Livermore. She later