The Part Taken by Women in American History/The Washington Travel Club
The Washington Travel Club.
The Washington Travel Club was organized in the Strathmore Arms—the home of Mary S. Lockwood, in January, 1880. Judge Lysander Hill, Frank Eastman, Mrs. Sara Dean, Miss Emily Brigham and Mary S. Lockwood, arranged for the first meeting. The officers were to be a "guide," to preside at the meetings; a "courier," whose duty it was to secure speakers and readers; a "journalist," to keep a record of their travels, and an "executive committee" to form the itinerary and choose the subjects for papers, and a music committee. One notable feature of the club in its organization was the determination to have no exercises of a miscellaneous character—no recitations, reading, declarations, or literary fireworks of any kind.
Every Monday night during the winter months, for sixteen years, this club was sustained with unflagging interest. Different countries were selected from year to year, papers read and the addresses given upon all subjects connected with the chosen country.
The home of this club was historic inasmuch as it had been the home of many distinguished people: General and Mrs. John A. Logan, Senator Edmunds, Judge Harlan, Senator Ingalls, Senator Farwell, Governor Boutwell, Thomas B. Reed, Governor Carpenter, of Iowa, Judge Ezra B. Taylor, Senator Fry, of Maine, and hosts of others, including members and senators.
Among the noted people who entertained the club with instructive papers through these years were: General Logan, George Kennan, Olive Logan, Senor Romero, Dr. Chickering, Hon. A. R. Spofford, Hon. and Mrs. John W. Foster, Mrs. J. C. Burrows, Dr. Charles Knight, Dr. Gregory, Dr. Presbery, Judge Hayden, Professor Burgess, Mr. Fox, Minister to Russia and scores of the literary lights belonging to the club and Washington.
The club's first journeys were through Egypt, where they traveled from near and from far without carriage or car. They went up the Nile, through the plains of Palestine, over the hills of Judea, among the Pyramids of Egypt and into the buried cites of Persia. They were given a fair understanding of the geography, biography, government, military, art, religion, literature, ornamental and practical art, common people and history of the country through which they traveled.
One of the first papers presented while the club was in Egypt was by the late General John A. Logan, upon military art in that country. It was wonderful in research, beautiful in expression and abounded in interesting data. When asked where he got all his information he replied. "I have had no book in my hand but the Bible."
Such experiences only whetted the appetites of the travelers, and the executive committee, guide, and courier then planned the trip for "around the world," which was carried out.