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Show WHAT A WOMAN CAN DO. Mr. Dow Is a Good Cook. Editor, Bail-road Bail-road Manager. Illustrated American. ft'rs. Mary Edna Hill Gray Dow of Dover N, II., is the first woman to be elected president of a street car company, com-pany, She comes of Turilau stock, graduated with honors at the Boston High school taught at St. Louis and took part in amateur theatericals with Nellie Grant with groat success. Sho married Goorgo Gray, an editor of Dover, wrote editorials, made advertising contracts con-tracts aud managed a job office. She took fust premium twice at the New Hampshire state fair for best jellies aud canned fruits, for tho best brown and white bread and butter, for imported French Houdon and buff Cochin fowls, for best darning, for the greatest number num-ber of patterns of tatting, crochet edging edg-ing and lace aud for the best varieties cakes and hustings. She has always been a very skillful cook and has given lectures on cooking. Mr, Gray died, und after five years bis widow married Dr. Dow, ono of the leading physicians of Dover. They lived abroad several years. On their return Mrs. Dow took the management of her husband's property, as well as her own. Among other securities she owned somo shares in tho Dover City street railroad. Tho accommodations of the railroad aud the dividends were meagre, while the expenses and the faros were high. The stockholders were dissatisfied, and in the summer of 1884 a Boston syndicate started in to buy up the road. Thev offered Mrs. Dow a third of what she had paid for her shares, aud this set her thinking. The resulting of her meditations was that at the annual meeting of stock-bo.dei stock-bo.dei s Mrs. Dow surprised everybody by showing that she had acquired control con-trol of a majority of the shares, and elcctod hcrsslf president of tho company, com-pany, Then she began to introduce reforms, raising the pay of the employes, reducing fai'es and buying now rolling stock for cash, and at tho end of the first year she announced a dividend of eleven per cent, something unparalleled in the history of the road. Since then the company has been moving along on a high wave of prosperity. Mrs. Dow has resigned the presidency; presi-dency; but her success was so great that efforts are making now to induce hor to take charge of a horse railroad In the West, one in the South, aud a third in New Hampshire, . She . is seriously thinking of assuming control of ono of them. Mrs. Dow b also a good shot with a rifle; is skillful at fly fishing, is a good judge of horseflesh, and hai taken a prize in an amateur swimming contest con-test among ladies. At the same time, she is a charming wife, mother, and mistress of the home, and, withal, she is fair, fat and forty. |
