Woman of the Century/Ida A. Harper

IDA A. HARPER.
(page 158.)

HARPER, Mrs. Ida A., journalist, was born in Indiana, of New England parentage. She showed in childhood a remarkable memory and marked literary talent. Her education was almost wholly received in private schools, although she was graduated in the public high school. She entered the State University in Bloomington, but was married before completing the course. For a number of years after marriage she did a considerable amount of writing. Her work was of a character that always commanded excellent pay. For a dozen years she conducted a department in the Terre Haute "Saturday Evening Mail," that discussed all of the questions of the day and was widely copied. During that time Mrs. Harper traveled extensively and corresponded for a large number of papers, including the "Christian Union," "Western Christian Advocate," "Advance," Chicago "Inter-Ocean," Chicago "Times," the Detroit "Free Press," the Toledo "Blade." the Boston "Traveller," the Cleveland "Leader," the Indianapolis "Journal" and the Terre Haute "Gazette and Express." For the past ten years she has edited a woman's department in the "Locomotive Firemen's Magazine." In 1889 she decided to make literature a profession. She was at once invited to an editorial position on the Terre Haute "Evening News." In a short time she was made managing editor by the directors, one of the first instance on record of a woman occupying the position of managing editor on a political daily paper. She carried the paper through the hottest municipal campaign ever known in that city, making up an independent ticket from the best men on the other tickets. She wrote every line of the editorials and dictated the policy of the paper throughout the canvass, and every man on the ticket was elected. At the end of a year she was called to a place on the editorial staff of the Indianapolis "News," which she has filled for two years, going to her office regularly each morning. Socially, Mrs. Harper is very popular. Her family consists of one daughter. She believes thoroughly in opening all the departments of life and activity to women. She is conspicuous among the advocates of woman suffrage, being secretary of the Indiana National Woman Suffrage Association.