Wolverhampton

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

a town of S. Staffordshire, England; 12% miles N. W. of Birmingham; on rising ground amid a network of railways and canals. Of its numerous churches the finest and most ancient is the cruciform St. Peter's, which, dating from the 14th century, was enlarged and elaborately restored (1859-1865). The public buildings include a town hall, corn exchange, market hall, agricultural hall, theater, free library, an Athenæum, concert hall, etc.; and there are also an orphanage, the Southern Staffordshire Hospital, and a free grammar school (founded 1515; rebuilt 1874). Lock making has for more than two centuries been Wolverhampton's staple industry, next to it rank tinplate working, japanning, and galvanizing, and there are besides large iro iron and brass works, smelting furnaces, chemical, coal, grease, color, and varnish works, etc., and in the neighborhood collieries, ironstone mines and quarries. Pop. about 100,000. WOMAN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPER- ANCE UNION, The National Woman's Christian Temperance Union was organized in Cleveland, O., in 1874. and is the woman's crusade. It is now regularly organized in the 48 States of the Union, and in every Territory. There are about 10,000 local unions, with a membership and following, including the children's societies, of about 500,000. The Woman's Christian Temperance Union has 40 distinct departments of work, presided over by as many women experts, in the National society, and in nearly every State. All the States in the Republic except one have laws requiring the study of scientific temperance in the public schools, and all these laws were secured by the Woman's Christian Temperance Union; also the laws forbidding the sale of tobacco to minors. The first police matrons and most industrial homes for girls were secured through the efforts of this society, as were the refuges for erring women. Laws raising the age of consent and providing for better protection for women and girls have been enacted by many Legislatures through the influence of the department for the promotion of social purity. The World's Woman's Christian Temperance Union was founded through the influence of Frances E. Willard in 1883, and already has auxiliaries in more than 40 countries and provinces. The white ribbon is the badge of all the Woman's Christian Temperance Union members, and is now a familiar emblem in every civilized country. The headquarters of the National organization is Rest Cottage, Evanston, Ill. The organization was active in bringing about the passage of the Woman Suffrage Amendment.