WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, 11 October 1919, Page 10

WOMAN'S WORLD

FAMOUS BUSIBTESS TVOMAN, Would "you, if a peer's 'daughter, give up court balls, receptions, teas, and other social attractions to attend directors' meetings, spend long hours formulating plans for improvement, and labor nights .to -work on the 'expansion and jprogress ■.of a j-ailroad.?

The Hon. lE]a3ne younger (daughter <of lord (Glentawe, did all this', end much more, building for herself s, business ©f enormous proportion and reputation ior foresight and enviable business sense. She is the only -woman railway .chairman jh Great Britain. She has taken the place of her father as head of the Swansea and Mumbles Kailroad, when he died leaving 310 son to succeed to the title or .business- lord Glentawe began his .career at the age of 15, a Welsh boy ~who, it is said, could not then Tead or 'write, tiut who knew conaiderable about tin and its disposal. He worked in a tin mine during the day .and spent his nights attending school, learning the elementary principles of business. He saved his earnings', ana by )his perseverance and acumen won the regard and favor of his employers, bging ,made manager of the tin company at the time .of his coming of age. At the time of his 'death he was titled and possessed of enormous wealth and mines.

Lord Glentawe enthusiastically assisted his daughter in her efforts to master the. principles -of his business, an» turned over.to her many duties and details which would have sorely tried the patience of any other titled heiress.

Since ier father's death the Hon. Elaine Jenkins has actively directed all the family enterprises, and his increased '.he fortune many times. She is always present at directors' meetings, usually lguring as the proposer or seconder of important resolutions. Despite all her business engagements, slie finds time to give to important social functions, and was active throughout the ivar in many clarities, both at Home and abroad. The Hon. Elaine Jenkins was born in if.79, and has an elder sister, now the Hon Mrs. Horace Daniel. There are many British peers in Great Britain who are business men, but comparatively few women who hold titles go in for business except in a desultory way. The charitable undertakings of many women of title and position are as intricate as a small business would be; but what the Hon. Elaine Jenkins is undertaking is not a small business, but genuine "big business." She is the ad. viser and counsellor of scores of women c? her "set" —if a woman of such large affairs may be said to belong to a "set." WEDDING POSTPONED. There was a dramatic disappointment for one of the London season's prettiest brides- Miss Dorothy Walpole, daughter of the late Colonel Horace Walpole, was to have married Major Austin Scott-i Murray at St. James', Spanish Place. The church was filled with distinguished people. The bridegroom was there, the priests who were to officiate were there, but there was no wedding. At the very la6t moment it was discovered that, oving to an oversight, notification of the marriage had not been sent to the Registrar, as required for marriages solemnised in the Roman Catholic Church, and the necessary documents were misning. There was not sufficient time, of'course, to get a special license or notify the authorities. So the marriage could not take place. Low Mass, with music, was said, as arranged, the entire congregation remaining for the service. Afterwards Mrs. Walpole invited the guests to retern with her to her house in Gloucester place, as originally arranged. The guests accepted, and experienced the curious interest of a wedding reception without a vedding. The next day the wedding was duly solemnised. ft. BRIDEGROOM'S PREDICAMENT. To start on the first stage of her honeymoon alone, without the husband to whom she had been married only a few hours before, was the unhappy experience of i~ bride of a captain in the Welsh Guards. Wedded in the afternoon, the couple decided to spend the first part of their honeymoon at Shrewsbury. They arranged to catch the 5.30 p.m express from Paddington, and a first-class carriage had been reserved. Bride and bridegroom arrived at Paddington with very little time to spare. The bride still carrying her bouquet of white flowers, went straight to the compartment, whilst her husband saw that the luggage was properly labelled. There was some delay, and before the bridegroom could itach the platform the train was steaming out with the bride. The lady, who supposed that her husband had jumped into a carriage at the end of the train, and would join her by the corridor, was net anxious at first; but when five mrnv.tes had passed and there was still no sign of him, she explained her predicament to the guard. She was told that the first stop was Banbury (70 miles from London). The guard consoled her by an assurance that she would or.tiY get new as to where her husband would ioin her. In the' meantime, the husband had dashed on to the platform as thctrain receded from view. "This is a pietty fine start," said he to the ticket collector who had reserved the carriage for them and had shown the bride into the train. "Where is the next stop? Can 1 get to Shrewsbury to-night?" were among the questions lie fired off at the collector. The captain then found that by catchinsr the 7.30 he could reach Bar/bury at D.HO, and, with the help of tl:t- G.W.E. officials, proceeded to get in touch with Mr. Short, station master at Banbury, who was requested to waylay the 'bride And make certain that she left thr train at that station Mr. Short acted with promptitude. Tie not only rescued the bride, from the train, but booked hotel accommodation, and when the 0.:i0 arrived at Banbury with the bridegroom on board the bride was on the platform awaiting him. The honeymoon journey to Shrewsbury was continued in the morning'.