In her early career, she was a teacher and instructor in Latin and German in the
Indianapolis High School. There, her persistent refusal to accept less wages than had been previously paid to a man teacher for doing the same work resulted in the passing of a rule by the school board that teachers of both sexes in the high school should receive the same salary. In 1865, she became a regular contributor to the
Saturday Evening Post, of
Philadelphia, under the name of "Zig." Later, she wrote for the Cincinnati
Commercial, (later,
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune) signing the initials "E. A"; she joined the editorial staff in 1878. Conner went to
New York City in 1884, serving as a literary editor of the
New York World. In the following year, she accepted a place on the editorial staff of the American Press Association syndicate in New York. In editorial writing, she regularly furnished two columns daily of 1,000 words each. Connor performed various types of newspaper work, including police-court reporting, as well as editing a live-stock and dairy department, and served as a war correspondent, covering the
Philippine–American War. Her letters to the
Commercial from Europe were published in a volume called "E. A. Abroad" (Cincinnati, 1883). She also wrote several serial stories. An important part of her work for the American Press Association was the preparation of a series of newspaper pages of war history, describing the battles of the
American Civil War. Conner is also remembered as a novelist, and for her address before the International Press Congress of Chicago. In her girlhood, Conner worked towards the emancipation and advancement of women. She originated classes in parliamentary usage and extempore speaking among women. Wherever occasion permitted, she wrote and spoke in favor of equal pay for equal work, and of widening the industrial field for women. She was deeply interested in psychological studies and in oriental philosophy, accepting the ancient doctrine of reincarnation. She was an enthusiast on the subject of physical culture for women, believing that people were meant to live outdoors and sleep in houses. She was a member of
Sorosis and of the
Woman's Press Club of New York City. ==Personal life==