with an older friend, in single copy, a hand-written weekly paper, "The Planetary World," copiously hut neatly illustrated, with advertisements, the sanctum being movable, on the various planets and stars. Each gave everything she could imagine or learn pertaining to the orbs, and the objects supposably within sight or reach, including" news from earth." At the age of fourteen she was prepared for an advanced place in the junior year of Rockford Seminary, where she was graduated. She was also the first student to receive the full A. B. Teaching several years, holding the department of natural science in the seminary, after a thorough and exhaustive examination in Michigan University, she received the degree of A. M., and in 1888, on an original scientific thesis, with copious illustrations from nature, "The Morphology of the Carina; on the Septa of Rugose Corals," an acknowledged authority in England and Germany, she received the degree of Ph. D. from the University. Still later, on the score of "original investigation and discovery," she was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, a distinction as yet conferred upon no other woman. In her delightful home several rooms are devoted to natural history, ornithology, zoology, conchology, geology, mineralogy and botany, in many thousand specimens, chiefly of her own collecting or exchange, and all scientifically arranged. While delighting in literary or scientific pursuits, she imbibed the missionary spirit, home and foreign, of her mother. On this line of humanity and piety she exerts her noblest energies. From early girlhood she has presided over a thriving mission band. For seven years she has been president of the Presbyterian Home Missionary Society, Freeport Presbytery, and for five years has been chairman of the Synodical Committee on Freedmen, Synod of Illinois, since their organization. She is now engaged with the Freedmen's Board of the Presbyterian Church North, in planning a literary and industrial school for colored girls, the "Mary Holmes Seminary," in Jackson, Miss., to be a memorial of her mother and a power in uplifting an unfortunate race. A prompt and sprightly newspaper correspondent, chiefly scientific and missionary, her articles are always welcome, often passing from the editor's sanctum to the compositor without reading. Her home is in Rockford, Ill.
HOLMES, Mrs. Mary Emma, woman suffragist, born on a farm in Peoria county, Ill., 3rd August, 1839. She is descended from Puritan
stock. Her father, Capt. Ira Smith, was born in Hampden, Me., 5th January, 1806. Her mother, Sarah Jenkins Smith, was a native of Thomaston, Me., and was born 20th November, 1813. Her father enlisted in a man-of-war at the age of seventeen. It was the custom, in those days, to deal out "grog" daily to the sailors. This troubled him, and he attempted to give away his allowance or to throw it overboard, but was stopped by the officer in charge. He appealed to the captain, and was allowed to receive two dollars and fifty cents per month instead of the rum. Mr. Smith soon became the master of a merchant vessel. He hung out his sign, which said that he would not allow "grog" except in cases of sickness, and wanted only men who would be willing to go without it. His vessel was the first one that sailed out of Boston with temperance regulations. His men were so faithful that other captains soon followed his example. This reformatory spirit was born in his daughter. Mrs. Holmes was educated in Peoria, Ill., where she lived during her girlhood. Her father a .is a man of means, but she was a teacher in the Peoria public schools for six years. She taught in the poorest part of the city, from choice, and did missionary work at the same time. At the age of twenty-six she became the wife of Rev. David E. Holmes, and moved to his field of labor in Berlin, Wis. The failure of her husband's health during the first year of their married life made a change of business necessary, and both Mr. and Mrs. Holmes taught in the Berlin high school for six years. They were chosen members of the faculty of the Normal School in Oshkosh, Wis., and began their labors there with much promise of usefulness: but another failure of health on the part of her husband made a change to a business life a necessity. Within a year they removed to their present home, in Galva, Ill., where her husband has been successful as a lumber merchant, Mrs. Holmes keeping the books for several years. They have one son, Edward, born in 1874, and an adopted daughter, Emma Holland. Although Mrs. Holmes was always a reformer, the last fifteen years have been crowded unusually full of public work. She
MARY EMMA HOLMES.
was for several years president of the county societies for temperance and suffrage. Then she was superintendent of the franchise department for the Illinois Woman's Christian Temperance Union for several years. These positions she resigned after she became president of the Equal Suffrage Association of Illinois. After being president of the State five years, she resigned to rest, but at the end of one year of rest she again accepted the presidency in the annual meeting in November, 1890. By virtue of this office she is also vice-president of the National American Suffrage Association. Mrs. Holmes excels in executive ability and as a presiding officer. She is the treasurer of a fund contributed to obtain a marble portrait bust of Susan B. Anthony, to be exhibited in the World's Fair, in Chicago, in 1893. Mrs. Holmes is also a member of the "government reform" committee of the woman's branch of the World's Congress Auxiliary, and also represents the National American
