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28 HISTORY OF CLEVELAND
education in the public schools and for one year was a teacher in a private
school. During all her life she has been interested in charitable and mission
work and is today one of the best known women in charity circles in this city.
Her labors have been of a most practical character and of far-reaching benefit.
They have not consisted of the giving of a sum of money without thought of
the recipient; on the contrary she believes in investigating the different cases
and in addition to substantial gifts, which have met the physical needs, she has
been quick to speak the word of sympathy and encouragement that has brought
hope to many a heart and caused the hearer to again put forth earnest effort to
rise superior to conditions and environment. It has been said that no worthy
person has ever been turned from her door empty handed.
The secret of this Hfe of service is found in her church membership. From
childhood she has been identified with the Franklin Avenue Methodist
Episcopal church, has been a most active worker in the different women's organizations,
and has filled the office of president of the Home Mission Society. Believing
that anything that tends to uplift humanity and inspire to nobler purpose and
higher living a feature of church work, she has extended her efforts into various
fields, the far-reaching influences of which are immeasurable. She was one of
the charter members of the Health Protective Association, the first civic society
of Cleveland, and for one year served as its president and for seven years
as its secretary. She did much active work in introducing and promoting the
plan for an outing for poor mothers and working women to different parks of
the city during the summers of 1899 and 1900. She was also instrumental in
introducing gardening in vacant lots that children's time might be thus employed
during the summer of 1898. She was associated with others in the establishment
of the first public playground and sewing school, a work introduced at
the Eagle Street school and continued through the summers of 1898, 1899 and
1900.
In 1899 Mrs. Buhrer worked hard to secure the passage of an ordinance in
the city council making it a misdemeanor for any one to expectorate on sidewalks
or in the street cars and thus constitute a menace to public health. The
introduction of waste-paper baskets throughout the city was another law that
came about through her diligent work, and it was Mrs. Buhrer's thought and
effort that resulted in the establishment of the board of women visitors appointed
by the governor to visit the state public institutions. She was instrumental
in organizing a society among the deaf and dumb of the city and thus
adding much to fives deprived of many things that the majority of mankind
enjoy. She filled the office of national secretary to the National Health Protective
League for five years and she is a member of the Ohio State Suffrage
Association, serving at the present time as chairman of the enrollment committee.
She has also been selected as state delegate to the National Women's
Suffrage Association at the three meetings held at Buffalo, Seattle and Washington.
Seven years ago the Cleveland Emerson Class was organized in her home
and with the literary development of the city she has also been connected. A
dose student of the great economic and sociological questions which confront
the country, she has so informed herself on these subjects that her exposition
and support of a cause is always a clear enunciation of facts as well as of practical
plans along which organized effort may reach substantial and desirable results.
At present she is endeavoring to procure rest and recreation rooms for
the young boys, as well as girls, employed in factories and stores, where they
can go after their lunch for a chat or a game or to rest or to sit and read
awhile before returning to work. Another feature of her success along many
lines is the interest she has awakened in other women in certain important
questions of industry, philanthropy and civics, getting them to work with her
and then stepping quietly aside that they may have the credit of the work accomplished.
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