Worcester Daily Press

"DEAR BROTHER GRANNIS." - SOMETHING ABOUT A WOMAN IN JOURNALISM.

New York Letter to the Baltimore Bulletin,

An editor has just been discovered here, whose personality and surroundings are worth mention. I allude to E. B. Grannis, editor, publisher and proprietor of the Church Union, a large quarto of the size of the Independent, devoted to breaking down sectarian walls. Grannis bought the paper when it had 500 subscribers, and has raised it to 10,000, a valuable property. Grannis publishes the paper, edits it and canvasses for advertising, and does all the heavy work, with the assistance of a young and bright eyed girl who keeps the books. In fact, Grannis has become a power in the religious journalism of the country, and receives scores of letters every day addressed to Rev. Mr. Grannis, Rev. Dr. Grannis, D. D., Elder E. B. Grannis, etc., and beginning "My dear sir," or "Dear Brother Grannis." Grannis, I ought to explain, is a woman-a little nervous, active, black eyed woman, who weighs about ninety pounds, but represents a hundred horse-power.

I asked her the other day: "Do all your correspondents recognize you as a man?"

"Yes, almost invariably," she said. "My subscribers, agents and contributors think I am a man. The question of my sex is nothing to them. I have men working for me in every state, who always addresses me as 'Dear Sir,' I have hundreds of ministers in my parish,' and they all think of me and speak of and to me as 'Brother.' It seemed odd at first, but I have got used to it."

"What is the object of this disguise?'' I asked.

"I have never intended to mask myself." she said. "but I have always felt that if the paper suited, my sex was nothing to anybody, and that perhaps my recommendations and arguments would seem weaker and less weighty if it were known that a little woman uttered them. So I have never intruded my womanhood on the readers of the Church-Union. I think it would not disturb their confidence now." She called my attention to a pile of letters on the desk, almost all addressed to "Rev. Mr. Grannis," and she added, "I had a letter the other day from a confiding clergyman in Ohio, who saluted me as 'Brother E. B.,' and asked my private opinion as to whether women ought to be allowed to speak in prayer meeting. I wrote confidentially that I did not think it would do any hurt." Mrs. Grannis, I may add, has mustered Drs. Duyrea, Crosby, Burchard and four other ministers into her service as assistants, and with seven strings to her bow, she manages to do a great deal of very effective work for "the Lord and Gideon."