e great merit.
Mrs. Cluff and Mrs. Gordon have both filled official positions in
the Pacific Coast Press Association. Miss Mary Bogardus, the
gifted young daughter of that pioneer journalist, H. B. Bogardus,
editor of _Figaro_, is her father's main assistant in all the
business of his office. Mrs. Wittingham has been elected
postmaster of the State Senate several terms, and is at present
employed in the U. S. branch mint in San Francisco.

One of the most meritorious and successful enterprises occupying
the attention of the women of California, is the silk culture,
which promises to develop into one of the dominant industries of
the nation. Mrs. G. H. Hittel first brought the subject into
public notice by able articles on the cultivation of the mulberry
tree, published in various journals. In 1880 she formed the
Ladies' Silk Culture Society of California. This association like
its predecessor, the first Woman Suffrage Society, was organized
and held its meetings in private parlors for a time, but it soon
required more room. Men have been taken into membership since the
object for which the society was formed seemed to be feasible,
and, as a natural result, whatever of financial and honorary
reward may be accorded the self-sacrificing women who performed
the arduous and thankless labor of founding the institution, will
be shared with the men who now come into the work.

During the session of the legislature of 1883, a committee was
appointed to ask an appropriation from the State for the purpose
of establishing a Filature or free silk-reeling school. After
considerable delay the committee called to their aid Mrs. Gordon,
and asked her to visit the State capital and see what could be
done. The session was rapidly drawing to a close, and even the
warmest friends of the measure feared that it was too late to
accomplish anything. But happily the bill was got through both
branches of the legislature and sent to the governor the last
hour of the session. By its provisions a State Board of Silk
Culture was created consisting of nine members, five of whom were
to be women, and the sum of $7,500 was appropriated. Thus women
have begun and are now fostering a great industrial enterprise
which in the near future will give to millions of hitherto
un