e field of labor in Des Moines is pretty well occupied by
the ladies. You will find them at the desks in the county
and United States court-houses, in the pension office, in
the insurance office, in the State offices, behind the
counters in stores, in attorneys' offices--and there is one
woman who assists her husband at the blacksmith's trade, and
she can strike as hard a blow with a sledge as the brawniest
workman in the shop.

In the autumn of 1870 a society was organized at Burlington, with
fifty members. One of the earliest advocates of the cause in this
place was Mary A. P. Darwin, president of the association, who
lectured through the southern tier of counties during the summer
of 1870. She was an earnest and forcible speaker.

At Oskaloosa the opening work was done in 1854 by Frances D.
Gage, who gave four lectures there, and roused the people to
thought and discussion. Mattie Griffith Davenport has long filled
a prominent place in the woman suffrage movement in that city.
She commenced lecturing in 1868, and during that and the two
succeeding years traveled over much of the State, speaking upon
temperance and woman's rights. During 1879 she edited a column of
the Davenport _News_ in the interest of suffrage. In the summer
of 1870 Mrs. Cutler and Mrs. Bloomer held two meetings in
Oskaloosa, in one of which a gentleman engaged in the
discussions, and as is usual in such encounters, the women having
right and justice on their side, came out the victors; at least
so said the listeners. Following this a Woman's Suffrage Society
was organized.[400] Many prominent speakers lectured here in
turn, and helped to keep up the interest.

Council Bluffs also organized a society[401] in 1870, holding
frequent meetings and sociables. There is here a large element in
favor of the ballot for woman; and though we are unfortunate in
not having an advocate in the press, still Council Bluffs will
give a good report of itself when the question of woman's
enfranchisement shall come before the electors for action. The
trustees of the public library of this city are women; the
librarian is a woman: the post-office is in the hands of a woman;
the teachers in the public schools, with one or two exceptions,
are women; the