NORTH SHORE BREEZE 6: 
The Sign of the Crane 
ig was a sunny April morning in 
the year 1988, and the annual 
meeting-day of the- Women’s Indus- 
trial Union. of Manchester-by-the- 
Sea. Two ladies sat in the sun par- 
lor of the *Woman’s club House, 
which had recently been completed 
on the site of the old building. They 
were Mrs. John Pearson, born and 
pred in the dear old town, and 
young Mrs. Field, wife of Capt. 
Field of the nearby Fort & atid, 2 Te= 
cent arrival. Out back in the han- 
a trim 1989 aeroplane rested after 
ite’ early morning journey from 
New Hampshire, under the. careful guidance of Mrs. 
Pearson, who for some years has held the Woman’s 
Aero Club cup. Both ladies had arrived early, and Mrs. 
Field was sitting spellbound while her friend told her the 
history of this “wonderful Industrial Union for women. 
“Why it’s simply thrilling to think that all of your 
money came from just doughnuts.” 
“Yes,” answered Mrs. Pearson, ‘grandmother Neil’s 
doughnuts were famous to the Pacific Coast, and though 
mine still go under the same name, they never can be 
quite as good. I’ve often heard grandmother tell of the 
day that food ship started how she fried a batch of 
doughnuts over the hot coal stove. They dressed mother 
up, put her in the baby carriage( you know baby car- 
tiages were pushed by hand in those days), and after 
trudging a mile in the sun, timidly offered the doughnuts 
for sale. ‘The shop was then known as the ‘Sign of the 
Crane, and was started by Mrs. Bean, about the time of 
our last war. You remember in your history the war with 
Mexico. This Mrs. Bean convinced the women of the 
town that it was poor economy to build a coal fire (to 
say nothing of suffering with the heat in summer) just 
to bake one loaf of cake or a pie. ‘Why not let one 
woman’s coal fire cook the cakes for a dozen families and 
make pin money at the same time,’ she said. Funny that 
75 years ago any women could foresee our delightful way 
of living. Well, that was the beginnig of many Manches- 
ter fortunes, and as you know we are now the richest 
town in the world. In three years time Grandmother 
Neil had the first electric cook stove in Manchester and 
there were twenty-five women drawing salaries from that 
little tea shop. Every family owned its own home and 
each cook specialized usually in one thing. There’s Mrs. 
Ross; can you see her? (levelling her field glass at a 
pretty little woman, just stepping to the landing from her 
Submarine at the foor of the garden). Well, their 
money’s from sweet pickles—you know the Ross pickles ?” 
‘Why, yes, Mrs. Pearson I’ve bought that brand 
when we were stationed at Vera 
CruZ4 
“And Mrs, -Carrol there, ,just 
coming in, whose father built the 
beautiful bridge to Misery Island, 
erected and endowed the Manches- 
ter Hospital on brownbread money. 
“After a while the summer res- 
idents began ito figure that they, 
too, could save money by econo- 
mizing on pastry cooks and it was 
at that time that Mrs. Bean terned 
over the business to the Woman’s 
club. Of course in those days there 
was See difficulty with foreign and 
long distance orders, until the advent of the aero and 
submarine expresses. Now we fill European orders over 
night and Manchester-by-the-Sea is known all over the 
world as the great centre of cookery and the only in- 
stance where its women outshine the men in businéss. 
Grandmother has said that in her day one of the draw- 
backs of our little town was the mud flats at low tide. 
Before she died she had the pleasure of seeing perpetual 
high water in our bay—after she gave the tide dam to 
the town. She did this just on the interest of her dough- 
nut money.’ 
“Go on, go on!” said Mrs. Field, “I’m so excited I’m 
going straight home and bring up some of my fudge.’ 
“Do if it’s good. It will surely be sold.” 
“And tell me” continued Mrs. Field; 
became of Mrs. Bean?” 
“Well, she lived to a good old age. Why I remember 
seeing her at grandmother’s one day when | was a little 
girl: a'tall stout old lady with white hair.” 
By this time Mrs. Field was standing,—“Why you 
make me feel so lazy I can’t wait for the meeting to end, 
that I may go home and cook something. And to think 
that even after there is no necessity of it, all you women 
still cook and make money. 
“Ah my dear,’ replied Mrs. Pearson “there you have 
it in a nut shell. It’s not only the satisfaction of making 
our Own pin money—no matter how much our husbands 
may give us for allowance—but that wonderful happi- 
ness which comes from work and independence.” 
By this time all had arrived mostly by aeroplane, 
and submarine—but some few of the older bodies still 
favored the old-fashioned automobile. 
And as they passed to the large gymnasium where 
meetings were held, each one stopped at the bustling food 
shop to order her cooking sent home for the day. 
[Note] The Woman’s Club House is situated on 
Beach St. overlooking the bay with a public garden across 
the street in front running to the water, on pe site of the 
present park. 
what finally 
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Willis Jones of Boston have 
opened “Highfields Cottage” 
for the season. 
at Magnolia and are down 
Only thoroughly trained 
‘competent servants (male 
or female) supplied.  Re- 
ferences personally and care- 
fully-investigated. ..... 
MISS WILD 
Registry Office 
305 Fifth Ave., N. E. Gor. 3ist., N. Y. 
Telephones 8822, 8823 Madison Square 
Edward C. Richardson of Boston are 
They have a fine estate on 
Mr. and Mrs. 
at Magnolia for the summer. 
Norman avenue. 
Special Attention Given 
to Out-of-Town Orders. 
