Even in her suit jacket, Stella Maguire has a rough yet undeniably charismatic edge that the other reformists in her women’s rights group just can’t hold a candle to. Bold, beautiful and not a bit afraid to speak her mind against the social mores of the day, she is different from most of the other ladies who clamor for change privately and then clam up when amongst polite society.
 
Stella throws herself into her work with passionate verve, determined to improve the lives of the less fortunate. Though the other reformers appreciate her vehement pursuit of justice, her mysterious past is still a source of much gossip and muttering at the local charity balls. Where was she from and how did she come by her immense fortune? No one knows and Stella isn’t saying. But, she’s happy to talk about women’s rights and the need for charitable donations.

Bryson Feldspar, Researcher in the Alternative Sciences, has never been one to kowtow to convention. While the ivory tower professors of “this” and “that” hypothesize about the obvious, this eccentric man of inquiry pshaws their tunnel vision regarding progress, evolution and natural laws.
 
In his opinion, the era’s starched-collars see scientific discovery as a series of stepping stones, with every outcome fitting into its proper place. But far-ahead-of-his-time Feldspar knows in his very soul that giant leaps in science can happen, in the blink of the eye, for those receptive toward here-to unimaginable possibilities. Currently, this maverick researcher is traveling to every corner of creation to perfect his top-secret, ectoplasm-fueled engine.

"Grease for the gears of progress" is how Mr Swarthmore describes his role as a go-between connecting real estate, money and the public good. Over the past decade, he has been instrumental in arranging private and public backing for major projects such as the cross-county canal, the city center El, and the recently-completed Tri-Cities Dam.
 
Currently, Mr Swarthmore is actively engaged in soliciting interest in a promising new venture to back Mr. Tesla’s new helical resonator project at Wardenclyffe. (TM)

“Private Detective, Lost Soul and Misplaced Treasure Retrievement Services,” or so says the shingle hung out by Miss Philomena Moxley. Determined to use her gift in paranormal communication for the benefit of humanity, this pleasingly peculiar young lady is making a name for herself in spite of tongue-clucking naysayers.
 
Able to focus through the terrestrial cacophony, a cocktail of crying babies, incessant chatter from costermongers, and clackity-clacking of carts over cobblestone, the audibly-enhanced Moxley can hear otherworldly soundscapes that her customers cannot. Miss Moxley’s services are well worth the price and she advertises a money-back guarantee for unanswered inquiries into the next dimension.

The Huntington family has a long and storied history, beginning with her grandfather, Erasmus, whose reputation in academic circles was cemented by his discovery of ancient encampments in Northern Africa.
 
Augusta and her father have been inspired by curious similarities between fossilized remains brought back from the east coast of Brazil and the coasts of western Africa. In the upcoming season, father and daughter will each lead an expedition down the opposite sides of the Atlantic to gather fossil and geologic evidence to bolster their theory of continental displacement.
 
Augusta’s unique fashion sense may be a source of comment for the local grand dames, but her drive to succeed combined with her mechanical and linguistic abilities and her intrepid approach to fieldwork have earned her a respected position in the research community.