Anna E. Arnold, Cottonwood Falls, Superintendent of Chase County
Schools, is a thorough Kansan, and a farm product. She was born at
Whiting, Jackson County, but when a very small child, her parents moved
to Chase and all her life since has been spent in that county. Until the
last few years, she lived on a farm.
She is a graduate of the State University and has taught in the grade
and high schools. In 1905, she became a candidate for Superintendent
of Schools of Chase County. Her success and her unusual ability as a
teacher were rewarded by a two to one majority on a close county ticket.
At the second term, she had no opposition and out of 1214 votes cast,
she received all but 29. The present year, after four elections, is her
seventh continuous year as Superintendent of Chase County. In addition
to her official duties, Miss Arnold has written two text-books. Her
"Civics and Citizenship" in 1912 was adopted as the state text-book on
civil government for use in the public schools of Kansas. It is being
used by a large number of womens' clubs. Many outlines for club work on
civic subjects have come from Miss Arnold's pen. Her second textbook,
"A History of Kansas," the first book printed under the new State
Publication Law, has also been adopted by the text-book commission.
Miss Arnold is considered one of the foremost educational leaders of the
state.
Topeka gives us Anna Deming Gray, a writer of negro dialect stories,
stories for children, and some verse. Elizabeth Barr Arthur, has written
a number of books, histories of several Kansas counties and some volumes
of poems, "Washburn Ballads." Mrs. Sarah E. Roby is a writer of both
prose and verse.
A granddaughter, Marjory Roby, has written a number of stories and
plays. Eva Bland Black contributes poems and song lyrics to the
magazines. She served her apprenticeship as reporter and city editor of
the Journal and Evening News of Garnett and as associate editor of the
Concordia "Magnet." Mrs. Isabel McArthur is a natural poet and song
writer.
She has published one volume of verse, "Every Body Loves a Lover." Her
last song, "When The Bloom Is On The Cherry At Sardou" is widely sung.
Edna E. Haywood is author of "Fifty Common Birds Around the Capital."
Mrs. Mary A. Cornelius, while a resident of Topeka, wrote four books,
"Little Wolf," "Uncle Nathan's Farm," "The White Flame," and "Why? A
Kansas Girl's Query." Another book is ready for publication. Mrs. Mary
Worrall Hudson, wife of the late General J. K. Hudson, former editor of
the Topeka Capital, is author of "Two Little Maids And Their Friends,"
"Esther, The Gentile," and many short stories and poems. Her classic
prose-poem: "In The Missouri Woods" is considered her masterpiece. Mrs.
Sara Josephine Albright, formerly of Topeka, now of Leavenworth, is a
sweet singer of childlife. Her volume of verse, "With The Children" is
lullabies and mother-love poems. A book of stories for children will
soon be ready for publication.
Jessie Lewellyn Call, deceased, the clever and beautiful daughter of the
first Populist governor of Kansas, was a well-known essayist and short
story writer. For many years she was one of the editors of the Chicago
Inter-Ocean.
Lawrence claims Dorothy Canfield Fisher, a writer of both fiction and
text-books and many short stories. She is the author of "Corneille And
Racine In England," "English Rhetoric And Composition," "What Shall We
Do Now," "Gunhild," "The Squirrel Cage" and "The Montessori Mother."
Louise C. Don Carlos has written "A Battle In The Smoke," one of the
best Kansas works on fiction. She did special work on the Nashville
Tennessee Banner and writes a great deal of magazine verse.
Mrs. Anna W. Arnett, a Lawrence teacher, writes verse and songs. In
addition, she has issued a primer, the Kansas text-book and a primary
reading chart for which she has a United States patent. Margaret Lynn,
one of the faculty of Kansas University, is a writer of short stories
and "A Step-Daughter Of The Prairies."
Mrs. A. B. Butler of Manhattan wrote "The Trial And Condemnation of
Jesus Christ From a Lawyer's Point of View;" a novel, "Ad Astra Per
Aspera;" and much newspaper work. Mrs. Elizabeth Champney, a former
teacher in the Kansas State Agricultural College, is the author of more
than twenty books and many short stories. "Three Vassar Girls Abroad,"
"Witch Winnie Series," "Dames And Daughters of Colonial Days," "Romance
of French Abbeys," "Romance of Italian Villas," and "Romance of Imperial
Rome" are her most popular works.
Sadie E. Lewis, Hutchinson, is the author of "Hard Times In Kansas"
and other verse. Her daughter, Ida Margaret Glazier, is a poet and song
writer. Mrs Alice McAllily wrote "Terra-Cotta" and many other books.
Lillian W. Hale, Kansas City, is author of verse, short stories, and a
novel. Another novel will be ready for publication this autumn.
Lois Oldham Henrici, a one-time Sabetha and Parsons woman, is the author
of "Representative Women" and many good short stories.
Laura D. Congdon, a Newton pioneer, is a verse and short story writer.
Mary H. Finn, Sedgwick, writes beautiful verse and much prose. Jennie C.
Graves, Pittsburg, writes poetry and moving picture plays. Mrs. Johannas
Bennett, another Pittsburg woman, has written an historical novel, "La
Belle San Antone." Florence L. Snow, Neosho Falls, is an artistic and
finished writer of verse and prose. She is the author of "The Lamp of
Gold." Sharlot M. Hall, Lincoln, writes prose and verse. A volume
of poems, "Cactus And Pine," "History of Arizona," "A Woman of the
Frontier," "The Price of The Star" and short stories are her important
works. Mrs. A. S. McMillan, Lyons, a poetess, song writer and licensed
preacher, writes clever verse, much of which has been set to music.
"Land Where Dreams Come True" is her best known poem. Kittie Skidmore
Cowen, a former Columbus woman, is author of "An Unconditional
Surrender," a civil war story. "The Message of Hagar," a study of
the Mormon question will be in the press soon. Miss Mary E. Upshaw,
McPherson, wrote verse at the age of seven and published her first story
at fifteen. She has a book in preparation which she expects to publish
at an early date. Jeanette Scott Benton, formerly of Fort Scott, writes
short stories novelettes, and stories for children. May Belleville Brown
of Salina, has a very clever pen, as has, also Mrs. Lulu R. Fuhr of
Meade, the author of "Tenderfoot Tales." Mrs. E. M. Adams, Mound City,
writes exquisite verse and in the past, had many short stories to her
credit. Mrs. C. W. Smith, Stockton, writes both prose and verse. Cara
A. Thomas Hoover, formerly of Halstead, Harvey County, now living in
Rialto, California, writes prose and beautiful verse. Rose Hartwick
Thorpe, the author of "Curfew Shall Not Ring To-night," was a Kansan in
the early sixties. She lived at Wilmington.
Miss Margaret Stevenson, Olathe, is a writer of books for the blind. She
has some short stories, nature and text-books published.
Lelia Hardin Bugg, Wichita, has written "The Prodigal Daughter,"
"The People of Our Parish," and "Orchids." Edna Thacher Russ, also of
Wichita, writes short stories and educational articles.
Mrs. E. Hamilton Myers, Englewood, is a dramatic writer and a poet of
rare talents. Being a musician, much of her verse is used for songs.
Mrs. Myers contributes to the English papers. Her first story was
published by a magazine which had accepted writings of her mother's.
Other than literature proper, we have Mrs. Lillian M. Mitchner, of
Topeka, a scientific writer; Mrs. Lumina C. R. Smythe, a writer of
verse, also of Topeka, who is co-author with her late husband in the
revised "Flora And Check List of Kansas."
Among the clever newspaper women of the state are Margie Webb Tennal,
Sabetha; Maud C. Thompson, Howard; Frances Garside, formerly of
Atchison, now with the New York Journal; Mrs. E. E. Kelley, Toronto;
Anna Carlson, Lindsborg; Mrs. Mary Riley, Kansas City; and Isabel Worrel
Ball, a Larned woman, who bears the distinction of being the only
woman given a seat in the congressional press gallery. Grace D. Brewer,
Girard, has been a newspaper woman and magazine short story writer for
ten years.
Among the early Kansas writers are Clarinda Howard Nichols, Mrs. A. B.
Bartlett, Lucy B. Armstrong, Sarah Richart, Mrs. Porter Sherman, and
Mary Tenny Gray, all of Wyandotte and Mrs. C. H. Cushing of Leavenworth.
Sara T. D. Robinson, the wife of the first governor of Kansas, was one
of the very first women writers of the state. Her "Kansas, Interior
And Exterior" was published in 1856 and went through ten editions up to
1889.