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THE MOJtNTNG- TIMES BTJXDAY, MAT ,23, 1897.
THE WOMAN OF FASHION.
A Forecast of. the Summer Girl The
Dannies on Her CliQtolaluc.
The summer girl has not yet come out
. in her full toggery. She Is btlll lying low,
tor shedoesnot wish to takeoff the edge, no
to speak, or the bensatlon which she Is ac
cubtomed to create. She wants her tri
umph to he complete, with never a. chance
for anyone to bay she is an old story from
the May number when the June issue is
out. No, she is saving herself for the month
or roses, to blossom simultaneously with
theother beautiful summer things. But :iy
the same token bhe is budding and rapidly
unfolding her petals under the careful and
bolicitous nurturing of her best friend
the dressmaker. Indeed, hhe has already
bloomed in the modiste's conservatory,
but has wisely rerrained from displaying
her gorgcousness until a more suitable
Benson. Nevertheless she has been dis
covered arrayed in all her midsummer
glory, and this ib the way she looks and
will look for one day in the bcason, at
least.
She wears a suit of white pique, made
quite plain, for upon this particular day
she will prefer to be fetching rather than
'winbome and lacy." Thesklrl is plain, and
bhort enough to display her lound-toed
bhoe. The bodice is a blouse, with collar
and bow tie and buttoned cuffs, very like
a. shirt waist, and sh3 wears a chatelaine -by
nil means a chatelaine with everything
useful and useless dangling from it like a
warden's prison keys. And who knows but
that eacn one of those chains may repre
sent a heart enthralled in enchanted mis
ery by her many charms.
It is becoming quite the correct thing, by
the way, for young gentlemen to present
their sweethearts, or even tho.se whom
they merely admire, with things to wear on
their chatelaines. It is not necessary to
wear all the attachments one has upon
every occasion, and thus one can have more
than can be worn at once and vary them
to suit the time and place, as
well us the character of one's es
cort. Some girls even go so far as to
carry match boxes, Tom which they pro idly
produce the "light" Tor his loidshlp's cig
arette if they don't happen to object, and
there are a few who do, more's the pity.
Tho stamp box, the court plaster ca.se. the
folding scissors, comb, penknife, and the
thousand and one things that the foul fiend
invented for man to carry in his overbur
dened pocket have now been Iitted with
ring1-and are being vNited upon the summer
girl by long-suffering man in seeming e
venge for the tons of fol-de-rols he has
been compelled to carry about in the shape
of Christmas presents.
Chatelaine buckles arc being sold In all
grades from wlate metal to enameled gold
of the finest quality, and no gown is too
elegant to admit of tlie chatelaine, none
too poor to be in harmony with it- Of
course, the quality of the chatelaine should
suit th.it of the dress with which it Is worn
A fine gold one. for Instance. looks out of
keeping with the shirt waist and sailor
hat of tho morning, just as diamonds and
cotton dresses are inadmissible, or dia
monds and anything else before noon Sil
ver buckles at from $2 to $5 are now on
the market, in all sizes and shares, with
designs of which no two are alike. Some
of the oxidised buckles are set with dull
Jewels, such as turquoise and queer-looking
stones suggestive of Asiatic charms
and talismans, that are very much in char
acter for summer girls. Some have three
chains, some five, and others have a ring
upon which a number of things can lx
hung at once. I counted eleven chains on
a gold burklc. It seems to be the thing
to wear an uneven number of them, as
there Is a mysterious connection between
chatelaines and flirtations, and there is
said to be luck in odd numbers. One of
the prettiest gold chatelaine I have seen
had only three chains, from which there
hung a' memorandum tablet, a gold pencil
nnd a vinaigrette, each of which was set
with a large amethyst. The particular
git I who wore this preferred to put perfume
in the vinaigrette rather than smelling
salts, a.s she is a strong, healthy young
woman not given to fainting and sic is
fond of sweet cdors. It is her fancy to
affect purple In everything, and so, as she
has her clritelaine set in amethysts, she
wears violets when she can get them and
carries violet neifumc In tlie vinaigrette
ns a substitute when she is without them
The gold buckle with its equally Tine
attachments is without doubt a thing
of beauty, and many a young woman
yparos for it as she does for :i si'k pet
ticoat, "but after all the silver one an
swers every purpose and is extremely
useful, particularly to the working girl.
To have one's pencil and notebook always
at hand in attractive form is a convenience
whlchis worth the money spent for it, and
the more additions one can make to the
collection without overburdening onceir
the greater is the advantage derived there
from. The stamp-box, ror instance, though
often scoffed at as a nuisance, will be
found very useful to fill that want for "just
one stamp' which no woman feels until
she has written a letter In a lodging house
late at night, when all Uncle Sam'supplv
si ores -were closed up. Of course, the
stamp-box. is not intended to hold all
one's stamps, but it is very convenient to
have a means of carrying two or three
somewhere about one's person without
having them stick together or break to
pieces In one's purse. The change purbe
with a limited supply of car rare Is another
convenience which the working woman
likes to have dangling from her belt, even
though, the average man does disapprove
of this seeming carelessness of one's, cash
The silver chatelaine and the linen or
pique suit make an excellent combination
jor summer service as well as attractive
ness, rique 6iiits in blue trimmed with
white, or all white, are being made for
yachting gowns. The white ones arc
usually trimmed withembroidery and pearl
buttons. One blouse that buttons at the
Bide hasembroidery running from the waist
to the shoulder on one side, with pearl
buttons and straps to balance it on the
ether.
rlain hats are not very much in favor
with the summer girl. Nearly all are
trimmed with flowers, and that very pro
fusely, too. "Wings arc very fetching on
the sailor hat, and one cannot have too
many. A combination that is very pretty
Is light-brown straw trimmed -with large
wings of a lighter tint, mull loops and
twists, and purple asters, with a knot
of green velvet to relieve it. Such a hat
can be. v.orn with any dress. A sailor hat
with a wide plaid ribbon band makes a
stunning bit of plain headgear.
One is often puzzled to know how to
trim the made-over sleeve around the
wrist, for. of course, it cannot lie left
plain. If the sleeve has been cut long
enough to turn back an inch at the
hand it may be merely faced with bilk
and rolled back But if, ns Is usually
the case, the sleeve Is Just the right
length, It can be pieced a couple of
inches, and then faced. Open the sleeve
on the lower side and then quill in some
lace or pleated mousseline ruffling, making
it nearly threeinches wide on the underside
and narrowing to nothing at the inside scam
on ton. -- -
f A half yard of that Wide, cream lace,
which tins gone out of fashion for flohhc
ing, may be utilized for a yoke or chem
isette to wear with any dress that is cut
c little low In the neck. Buy a half yard
of cheap, cream-colored satin and make
a yoke and collar of it, covering the
yoke with the lace laid flat and smooth.
Any shade of ribbon may be used to tie
aronnd the neck. It is often advisable
to cut the neck of the dress low and
quare and 6ew the yoke down to it,
but the yoke should be opened in the
back to be pretty.
FOR MERMAIDS.
Costumes Ju Which to Take Suit
Water Baths This Summer.
New York, May 22. There is a lather
picturesque saying thntas boon as tlie dan
delions bloom the mermaids begin to ilse,
which implies, in other words, that by the
first of May it is time to liae one's bath
ing gown ready, againbt the near approach
ing season for a preliminary dip. Dan
delions have been industriously bloom
ing for a matter of moic than a fortnight
now, and ahendy borne of the smartest
bathiug costumes are on view, quite com
pleted, at the good drcssmukeis and in the
leading shops.
To all appearances this ib to be n tea
son of almost unpiecendented splendor
among the salt-wuter mermaids. Only
-women of eccentric, not to bay perverted,
taste, will, however, give any attention to
tlie amazing creations of brocaded gieen
satin, fine pongee silk and lnce-tilmnied
printed cretonne, displayed along with
other ready-made sea things in some
shops. They are among the extrava
gances to which the fabhion for elal
orate costuming on the beaches threat
ens to be cairicd this year, for it Is .nly
the simple truth to say that the bathing
diess is not the easy, informal and stu
dious plain gaiment it used to be. To
Mint a blue ilannel blouse and bklit with
red pipings or nairow white gimp Is not
all-biifficicnt this year.
There must be dazzling flashes of color
and boincwhnt richl yornate decoration
used in tlie two most popular of swimming
goods. These aremeltonand along-napped
open-meshed marine etamine, that are
not only pretty, but excessively comfort
able and durable materials, lather usurp
ing, or at any rate fully sharing, the popu
larity of serge, flannel, silk warp, mohair,
and stiff sailcloth or naval check, cvhich
has a vogue of itb own. If it is a ques
tion of choosing the color of jour new
bathing suit, do not be hampered, oh, wave
loving woman, by conventional bciuplesln
favor of navy blue, black, white or brown.
Rather ask for clear, poppy red, iris
purple or mange leaf green wool stufr.
They arc all to be very much worn, and
instead of navy blue two shades of dark
and light cornflower blue flannel will
predominate. Gray, with tones of pink
in it, golden vellow, combined with black,
and brown liorderlng on orange are all
among the gowns to flash with a commend
able effect of gayety among the waves at
the watering places. But again it must be
said that in woolen materials these new
and charming suits are designed with their
skirts cut to the knees, or Just an Inch and
a half below; with very few exceptions the
sleeves arc rather short and the knicker
bockers arc rather oftener made of fine
mohair, matching thcsklrtin color.thauot
flannel.
A number or expert mermaids are going
to try, under their skirts, hilk tights reach
ing to the knee and at the waist fastened
there to a band buttoning to thebsltof the
bodice. But beyond all doubt or n tumor,
and in actual evidence, setup forpurchase,
are bathing stays, which can be highly
recommended. The bestoneis hardly more
than a belt, six Inches wide, to fold about
the waist and lace up over little bone
hooks in front This wide belt is made or
the heaviest white flannel, and has four
whalebones in it. When properly worn
it need not compress the bod at any
point, nor interfere with easy move
ments. The second waist Is a Kinthol woolen
corset cover, short-sleeved, low in the
neck, slightly boned nnd buttoning up the
front. Stockings are considered in best
taste wlien worn to exactly match the
pi criommatlug color m the suit, while nearly
all bathing shoes are either flat-heeled
slippers made all of dark blue canvas, with
a bright bow on the toe, else they are of
white or blue, or brown wash leather, flat
heeled and lacing with gay ribbons high up
on the calf of the leg. Many women, of
course, piefer to wear in the water no other
Toot covering than the stocking iffords,
slipping on, as they come out, shining black
rubber slippers, having gay scarlet rubber
bow knots on the toe.
The plaid handkerchlerin Madras or oiled
bilk, is the appropriate protection for heads
against the salt sea waves. The desire or
every pretty girl is to learn how West India
negresses ariange their tignons and knot
their own 'kerchiefs accordingly. Some of
tlie oiled silk handkerchiefs sold are deco
rated with large or small black polka dots
on brilliant scarlet, yellow, green or bright
purple backgrounds, anil over her tignoned
head, when parading the beach in her volu
minous bath gown, every woman will wear
a bath hat. Only those who timidly dip
Into the water, as high as the knees or
waist line, will wear their hats beyond
the tide mark and into the waves. The
swimmers dof f thelr's on stepping into the
brine, but on coming out instantly resume
their smart sailors, wide leghorns, trimmed
with wreaths of blooming roses, or pull
Into place very festive looking fishermen's
caps.
At the edge of the water they will also
assume their bath robes, taking in both
thee innovations a hint from the seaside
Frenchwoman, who wisely concludes that
however fascinating her appearance may
be in a dry bathing suit, and when she is
actively enjoying the water, on coming
out it is most discreet to hide her moist and
.o
JP Of Coral Flannel.
clinging raiment under a captivating little
robe de bain. A similar idea having re
cently penetrated the understanding of
her A merican sister, a new scene of beach
activities will be dally enacted at Newport,
Narragansett, and the other important
seaside resorts in Juno.
Pretty bathers in tignons, gay costumes
and blight slippers will run down to the
water from their bathhouses, carrying,
every oue on her arm, a big robe and a
bat. These will be left on the sand until
the dip and swim Is over. After this lmt
and robe will be assumed and a bit of a
promenade on the warm sands enjoyed,
after the fashion at Dieppe, eta Of the
two robes sketched, oue is of cream white
fleece flannel, having triple rows of coral
red embroidery running down the back and
front. A big white silk sailor collar falls
over the shoulders, is edged with a pleated
frill of white silk and bears in Up corners
anchors in red siik needle-work The other
beach wrap is made of baby pink French
serge, and has a great rotated collar ruf
fle of rosy china silk decorating the
Ehoulders
Now to discuss the real mutton of (he
moment, the bathing suits themselves
Be it known to all readers, that with
embroidery the great majority of them
are- trimmed. Or braid is applied in
yokes and bolero jackets, and many a
pretty water dress is worn with a smart
bilk sash girding the waist- Njmbers
of the smartest little suits have 6kirt
and body made of Prussian blue flannel
or mllton, the sash of dark blue silk and
the shoulder epaulettes ami yoke worked
in navy blue braid. Broad bands of em
broidery or braiding ornament the skirts
while many of these last have their plasket
hole on the lert hip. Occasionally enly
an elbow long sleeve, fitting clobely, is
seen, for in the majority of cases, just a'
little crescent-shaped flap, split up the
middle, finishes off the armhole, while
necks arc cut out square and a little
lower than formerly.
In most instances bathing suit waists
arc fulled into a belt from a square em
broidered yoke, but there are waists
ftlg
Ready lor a Dip.
with zouave jacket fronts and marine col
lar. Oddities that may appeal to some
women are the accordion and kilt plaited
Bwimmlng skirts, and entire suits" made of
serge, showing the bright royal Stewart
or McDuff plaid. A very pretty Taney is
that of attaching the skirt to the walfet by
means or a row of big buttons, carved in
'the form of shells from mother of pearl.
Where this device is not used, nor a sah
employed as a waist finish, a belt of wash
leather, with carved pearl buckles, makes
Km vYI
Vf 9
THE SUJJ3IEI1 GIRL OF 1807.
everything snug nnd complete about the
middle.
The leather belts sharelthe'honors with
embroidered ones of avooI nml canvas
that arenotso prot.ty.butrarimore'durable,
and women there are houTuitdiubtedly
wear into the water a cprtaIriamount or
Jewelry in the form of chnteliiines and
handkerchief pins; whlleiirnsng tfje odditi-s
shown at the counters where toilet articles
are for sale are masks td use when swim
ming. This appeals particularly to the
mermaid who wishes her shafo of salt
waer fun wlthoutany damage tqjhcr com
plexion. She wears, of j course,' a long
MeeMi, high-necked suit, rod then a n nsk
of dark blue waterpioof silk, opening only
at the eyes andnoie, and adjusts to theface
by means oi tllver hoops passing behind the
cars l '
llapp ; Is the miss of tsn.wlth her younger
sisters, and tbo.se only a. trifle older, who
goes in for her bath arrays! in fullknicker
bockers nnd a man-o'-wars-manrs blouse
Up to her kneeb her iegfTare Innocent of
all covering, her sleeves are short, her
blouse neck cut low, nnd upon her curls Is
tied a wide straw liat; this last to keep the
sun outof her eyes, but nor from her cheeks.
After the 10-year mile post is rassed a
girls gets into a sUitcs. will as lull under
breeches, and she wears quite ns gay a
dress as her youthful mother or debutante
sister
If there Is any special distinction to be
made this seaon in children's bathing
suits over thosq worn by grown-ups, it is
the preponderating number of white flan
nel and serge swimming gowns, trimmed
with white braid. The most convenient
child's dress is, however, the one made
like a union undergarment, woven all in
oue, striped gayly, and for the girls show
ing a short tunic buttoning on around the
waist.
SUMMER VEILS.
Fish Net, liatlste, Shadow and Float
lug Veils Extremely Fashioc
nblc This Season.
New York, May 22. r.very woman must
take a little extra thought an to the where
withal she shall be veiled, for hnlf a tcore
of novelties in face coveiings are clam r
ing forherattentlonatthemlllineis. Now,
what is at this moment smai t in the veiling
line all depends on what hat you are
weariug and where you are going. Sup
posing you've got on a llowered toque or
bit of a bonnet. If you consult your
millluer on the queMion she will instantly
tell you a shadow veil is the one and only
protection for your features.
A shadow veil comes in the very finest
black or white silk tulle, and is cut on a
pattern so skillfully manipulated that when
the veil ib pinned in place not a single
wrinkle crosses ones face. The pattern
takes somewhat the form of a gibbous
moon, and the point striven after is to
avoid wrinkles in the veiling, for they seem
to throw lines of age into the face. The
bottom edge of a shadow veil has a nar
row selvage, and then through the tulle,
run, an eighth of an inch apart, parallel
lines of black thread that are very fine.
Shiulow veils arc bold with six, or eight,
or ten of these lines, some of them ruu
nlng up high enough to cast their shadow
over the mouth, while coquettish young
ladles wear those that have lines clear
up to the level of the eyes.
It is almost an Inexplicable, but, nev
ertheless, very important fact, that any
skin under a well-lined shndow veil ap
pears to excellent advantage, and that
under thisc-obwebcovering, whether bought
in black or white, defects" of the facial
cuticle are not apparent to tlie keenest
With sailor hats two kinds of new veiling
arc worn; the batiste veil, Jto keep oft
sunburn and freckles, and the. fish net, to
show off afresh young skin. Every woman
is going to the country, this glimmer with
at least a half dozen hafistevcils packed
in her hag, because they are,,the only ab
solutely sure shleldagalast the sum and he
cause they wash, so thalj It Is never neces
sary to wear one longer thanjtwo or three
days at a time. They are pretty, too, as
wcllas useful; the majority cutln squares,
and having three little hemstitched tucks
running around three sides of the square,
while the fourth bide gathers up with a
ffr.e white cotton cord, and is intended to
betled about thecrown of the hat.
This makes the veil very easy of "ad
justment, and as the body of It Is usually
white, with the tucks In pale pink, blue
or green, the general errect is exceedingly
gay Naturally, only the very sheerest
batiste is used, and in the laundry these
squares are merely washed out and ironed
without btarching or folding them. Fish
net is the single fashionable dotted veil
KOVJEL
this season. 'Tis woven in a very wide
mesh, exactly like a castnet and, at every
angle In the weaving, a tiny chenille
dot is placed. Black fish nets have gray
dots, brown nets have dark blue dots, and
red ones, green dots, and one prime recom
mendation of the weave is that It Is as
strong as if woven of buttonhole twist
and positively refuses to wrinkle
All these Innovations, however, have not
quite done away with that mainstay of
late years, the chirfon veil. It is the only
face protector women now buy by the
yard, for all other smart veils are made up
to pin right over one's hat. The really
admirable chiffon veiling is not at xres
ent dotted, but figured in pretty lace and
chenille designs. For Instance, you can
buy white chlfftn veiling, all over with
minute green velvet Bhamrocks, or gray
chiffon embroidered along the edges with
cornflowers. Then there are perforated
chiffons, that is on the material tiny
leaves, btars or circles of net or lace are
applied and the chiffon cutout underneath.
But all these yeflings are mere frivolities
beside the net draperies meant for the top
loftlcal, rose-smothered hats women are
wearing. A veil for a big bat comes from
a yard and a half to two yards and a
quarter long, edged with lace, put on
straight or in a Irill, and this is first
drawn over hat and face and tied in a
knot behind, a little to the right Draw
ing the ends down, a howknot in formed
and pinned to the hair, Just back of the
right ear, and then tlie remaining length of
net Is left to flow down on the shoulders.
It is permitted to add bright Jewel-headed
pins In arranging these bows and nets of
every bright color are used in this way.
"Women who put a deal of profound thought
into selecting their veils usually choose
these big ones to match the straw of their
bats, whether grass green or poppy red.
TO EXTERMINATE INSECTS.
At this season or the year the careful
housekeeper looks to her closets and
pantries. An ounce of prevention now is
worth many pounds of cure later on, when
the really hot weather has set in. The care
or the larger rooms, so open and Tree or
access, Is comparatively easy, but these
pantries, with their closet recesses, m.iny
shelves and numerous furnishings arc at
once the most exacting and unrelenting of
all c housekeeper's manifold duties, for
where food is kept or prepared the least
oversight or neglect will cause serious
trouble.
Cleanliness is the Lest safeguard against
insects, fresh air, toap and water being
all rowerful, jr no scrap or refuse be left
to decay unnoticed. Floor and shelves
should be wiped with a damp cloth daily
The outside of all jugs, boxes, 'buckets and
barrels kept free from every drop or grain
of the contents within. The slightest care
lessness in this particular being Kurri
cleut to bilng a whole army or pests,
and, let them once appear, tho most vigor
ous measures are necessary to expel them.
Covered utensils not In dally usq should
have their covers lert slightly ajar to ad
mit air and prevent mustincss, and 'ft
times rust.
The refrigerator should be- kept near
a window, so that it may be frequently
flooded with air and light. "Well may a
housekeeper pride herself upon the liiun
ner in which her refrigerator is kept, for
in no place is more apparent her thrift,
painstaking and untiring energy
Camphor will prevent the ravages of
mice For waterbugs, fill cracks and
crevices with a paste made of fvro table
spoons of plaster of paris, one teaspoon of
sugar and onetablespaon or green tea.
A sponge wrung from cold water and
filled with fine white sugar, pressed well
into pores, placed where red ants fre
quent, will exterminate them After a
few hours Immerse the sponge in boiling
water. When clean", refill aud use as
before. When all are captured, scrub
the place well and sprinkle with red
pepper and borax.
To guard against buffalo bugs, the
floors should be wiped with water in
which spirit of turpentine have been
ml red to a large pailful of hot water
add a pint or turpentine This is a per
fect preventive against this pest, so
much dreaded by the best ho iscktepers,
and is well worth trying by those whose
clo'ets and pantries have been incited
bv these dreadful vermin.
THE TRAVELERS' AID SOCIETY.
One of the institutions or Chicago is a
special police force of women for the pro
tection bt young girls and children who
may be traveling alone. The members of
this fore? make it their especial duty to be
at the railway stations when the late trains
come in, and come to the aid of anyoue
who seems to need It. Youngglrls who have
run away from home and are beginning
to wish they hadn't done so; girls whose
friends do not come to meet them; girls
who are in suspicious company, all are
looked after by these good women, who
bee that they get to their friends if tbey
have any, or to some respectable boarding
house IT they have not, and who dispose
of suspicious characters who may try to en
trap them. Their work is not confined to
roung girls, however. There are elderly
women unused to traveling, to whom the
bight of a "woman with a badge of author
ity in a crowded station is a sort of god
SrTd. This force is a department of the
Young Women's Christian Association,
known ab the travelers' aid departmet.t.
The lady officers wear a badge and star
VEILS.
like that or a police officer, and receive
the hearty co-operation of the railway of
ficials In all that they do. They have been
sworn in as special police oMcers, so that
they may have power to resist by force
any people of the criminal class who have
designs on girl travelers. This idea has
been more or less carried out in other cities,
but it reached its full development In Chi
cago. Cptild Only Afford u Wife.
A brawny Swede visited the city hah
the other day to procure a marriage license,
aud a couple of clerks to whom tie inno
cently stated bis wishes directed him to
the department where dog licenses are
issued.
He approached tlie license window diffi
dently, gave his name and address, and
asked what the document would cost.
"It will cost you $1 a year for every dog
you keep," replied the clerk
"Dog?" echoed the Swede.
"Why, certainly," continued the clerk.
"Don't you want a dog license?"
"Hal, no," cried the would-be benedict
"Ay kaiut affoord to buy dogs dees year,
vant to get only a voman now." Chicago
Times-Herald.
HAND SPINNING
Ten Thousand Busy Wheels Helpto
Clothe the People of the .Northwest.
Chicago, May 20. There have beenmany
importations of spinning wheels Into this
countryu. the last twoor thite years, and
in a little shop in the Scandinavian district
"of the city of Minneapolis the largest
Scandinavian city of U.e world, by the way,
with but two exceptions In Sweden and
Norway I. rw not long agoIdrge Jioxes
of wheels, in pieces, which had jiibt beenv
opened on their anival from Sweden- - It
is estimated that theje are at least 10,000
of these spinning wheels In the humble
homes of these poorer people, not bought
for picturcsquenetis, but because, at .the
prevailing low prices or wool, amidnt times
which have been hard, they might nfrord
a way of reducing expenses among those
who are obliged t5 practice the stiictest
economy. By Xar the greater numLer of
these spinning wheels hae Leen brought
fiom the Scandlnai Ian countries, and are
in the liomes of people riom these countries.
Tlie deater sells them by the hundred?,
shipping them as far South as Texas, and
ns rar Webt as the State or Washington,
though his largest tradels in the more im
mediate West and Northwest. There Is a
duty or 25 per cent on the wheels, which
brings their rinal cost, laid down in the
little country crossroads, whereto many
or them go, atS6 and $6 CO eachilFor an
outfit rjr .spinning and weavmgoiwid
eiably more than this is neeopd, and, once
boughf, the larger number or articles in
volved are lasting in their character, and
need notto be orten replaced Herelsthe
simplest outfit Tor successful weaving in
a country place, suitable Tor the produc
tion or cloth for garments for men and
women; blankets, etc., not the finest In
the world in rinish.'but serviceable and
economical:
A hand-made loom, worth say.... 525 00
Spooling machine, for winding, the
after spluuing l so
Reeds, to make tlie cloth firm 4 50
Litzcns, for stretching threads.... 1 50
Shuttle 50
Stretcher, for holding the cloth
taut 100
Total $34 00
But a very large number oriuall termers
who havebutrew sheep In theirriocks can
not arford even so comparatively inex
pensive an outfit as this, so they are com
pelled to make use or more humble and
primitive methods. For them the spinning
wheel is, or course, as in all cases, a ne
cessity, hut they do away with the loom
entirely, end, after the yarn or thread is
spun from the wheel, wind it in balls and
thenknltitintocloth. Tliisisa much more
crude form of cloth making, but the
wares produced are particularly service
able aud stiong. Some or tlie cloths aro
used ror shirts and blouses, the Iceland
coat, or reerer, so much seen in seaccast
cities along the wharves where merchant
men from foreign climes unload, being of
the type made. In Tact, some or the Ice
landic settlers in the far northwetandin
Manitoba make precisely the tame reefer
here that has been so long an Icelandic
product.
Tlie poorei farmers make much use of
'he wool also for stockings, and to strong
and durable arc they that a pair of men's
stockings will easily tell Jor from 40 to
50 cents. For this kind of weaving or
knitting the only needful things are the
knitting sticks orpins of wood, which may
be bought for 5 cents a set With these
the thrifty housewife will knit a heavy
coat for her husband, a skiitfor her daugh
ter or a pair of trousers for her ion.
The peasants are quite skilliul, too, in
the coloring of the garments and yarns,
and very bright and picturesque effects
are produced.
The cards which are used for picking up
and separating the wool cost but a trifle,
and are quite lasting The raw wool, as
it comes from the sheep, after shearing Is
carded and combed until all the burs aud
pieces of straw and seeds are removed and
the wool is flurry and comparatively clean.
It is then ready for the spinning wheel,
and is rapidly converted into yarn or
thread, coarse or fine, according to tho
deftness and skill of the spinner. Some
times this wool is used in another form by
the poorer classes, who buy cheap cotton
cloth, make it up into squares the size of
a bed blanket and fill in between the
pieces with the wool, stitching and tying
it as in the old-fashioned qinltmg-bee man
ner. Very comfortable blankets are in
wa y made.
The warp for use in the more elaborate
weaving costs from 30 to 40 cents per
pound..
When the price ot wool went down a
few years ago many of these thrifty Scan
dinavian r.irmers who had a few sheep in
their keeping found that it was not worth
the while to keep them, for they were not
prepared to raise the sheep for mutton, and
the price of wool was too low to make the
shearing profitable. So they turned to the
spinning wheel which had been brought
from the old country. The refcidt has been
that all over these Northwestern States
these small farmers have been converting
their wool into cloth and yarn, making
cloths for coats, pan talooas, overcoats, blan
kets, stocking yarn aud so on.
Of course, much of this homemade prjd
uct would not stand the cntlc.nl test of she
great looms in point of fineness aud finish,
but it is strong, serviceable and honest.
No shoddy has been chopped to make it,
and it will wear likeiron.
Oue of the most important features of
the situation is tfca.t the work can be done
In the dull season, when it is sometimes
a rather difficult thing for some small
farmers to find enough piofitable work
to do to occupy the attention of themselves
and families. There "Isn't any doubt in
the minds of a good many students of mod
ern life that a good deal of tlie insanity as
well as the vice which manifest themselves
in country dlstricts,is due to the fact that
these people live such abnormally isolated
existences. Occupation of land and mind
is no doubt u rare aid to sanity and irtue
in many instances, and en this ground tho
spinning wheels should be welcomed.
During the long winter months, fiom No
vember to April, many a dollar may be
earned, many a dollar has been earned,
and saved in this wide Western country,
by those who have been glad of an op
portunity to kill time in 10 jrofitable a
way. The actual expense involved is
slight: the money saved by making these
necessary garments is. laige, when the
revenue of the people is taken into account,
and the time of many an otheiwise wasted
day is taken up most satisfactorily.
It would be difficult to say to what ex
tent the trade in woolens In the towns nr.d
cities have been reduced by theintroibiction
in these last few years of these humble
cloth manufacturing establishments Prob
ably definite figures could not be obtained,
and, indeed, It Is likely that a large num
ber of the Tanners who are making their
own cloth and stockings would not have
been able to buy woolen goods had they
stocked up at the stores. Yet the money
which had been saved to these people has
been large in the aggregate for, as noted
aliove, there are at least 10,000 or these
formers, who have hegun the making of
their own garments, to say nothing of
those who are not included in this number,
who brought all of their spinning and weav
ing paraphernalia from the fotherland.
And No Wonder.
"Iwassurprlssdto hear thatPenelopehat
broken her engagement. Ithoughtshe was
determined to stick to him in spite of tho
opposition or her rather."
"She was, but the Idiot wrote her soma
poctry.as hccalledit. And hcrhymedher
name with1 let us then elope.' That nettled
hun."-CInelnnati Enquirer. Y
