The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-12-29
TfIEHKfEJ CITY
From the New York Sunday Times1
THE FAMILY SEWING MACHINE
BY JENNIE JUNE.

To understand the value of the Sewing
Machine, and the happy changes which it has
effected in the social and family relations, one
must be familiar with the quiet households,
scattered throughout the East and West, the
North and South, of this great and thriving
country.
Everywhere in the interior domestic assis-
lance of any kind is so difficultto be obtained,
that 1t is scarcely looked for, and every good
housewife relies upon her own exertions, not
only to keep her house in order, her lardet
we'll supplied with the essential luxuries Of
home made bread, cake, and pies, but her
own, the children's, and frequently her hus-
bands wardrobe furnished with all the use
full if not the ornamental, articles of Dress
This necessity provided an immense amount
OF. work for one pair of hands to perform
the female head of the house, the hard -tasked
wife and mother, found not moment for
relaxation. The drudgery of the kitchen was
succeeded by that of the work basket whose
pile of shirts and small garments seemed
-A~'~a " NNNLtdSc. ANOL u IuUmenL Oh Tune
could be afforded for the qualification Of any
SIMPLE fancy, even in ornamental needlework
all, to the last moment, and far into Saturday
night, was exhausted in the necessities of the
p!ainest work upon little aprons, frocks, and
drawers, and the inevitable weekly collection
of family mending. &
In large number of these households, the
case is now widely different the Sewing
Machine, generally the Grover & Baker,
occupies an honored place in the family sitting
room, and accomplishes more and better than
the most skillful seamstress. 1t is in sense,
which only those can appreciate who have
known what it is to sew all the household gar
ments by hand, the family friend. 1t is looked
upon with eyes of real affection.
The interior of country house, at this
season of the year, is as pleasant as can be
imagined; and it is made so, in great de-
gree, by the presence of q Sewing Machine
An hours work in the afternoon, upon a
bright, rapid, wonder working GROVER &
BAKER, viii accomplish more than could be
done by weary hand working almost into
midnight. 1t will not only finish the dozen
shirts in less than no time, but it will tuck
drawers and chemises, ruffle nightgowns,
stitch trowsers, quilt Innings and coverlids,
and all this, and much more, with such
strength, beauty and precision, as would
throw the neatest hand-work into the shade.
A Sewing Machine needs only to be pur-
chased once in lifetime, it is therefore Of
the greatest Importance to get the best; the
one which, all things considered, is most per
fectlv adapted to meet the requirements.
THIS we sincerely believe, and the opinion
is corroborated by the highest authorities in
the community, is the GROVER & BAKER Ma
chine making the celebrated "GRovER 4 BA-
kERf stitch, the only stitch as far as we know,
sufficiently elastic, to be adapted to all kinds
Of family sewing.
The peculiar qualities of the Grover & Ba-
ker Machine, are strength, beauty, elasticity.
and versatility, or adaptation to any kind of
work. 1t compasses the whole range Of fam
lily sewing completely, and without any of the
vexatious delays in reminding, fastening, and
finishing which are common to other ma
chimes. and which occupy so much time. and
waste so much material. Ii makes beauti-
full. smooth, elastic seam upon cloth or cam
brio, which gires WON it is washed or stretch
ed without breaking. and in which every
stitch is SO firmly locked. that the seam can
be cut off between every half dozen stitches
without impairing It's strength.
Testimonial letters from ladies and house
keepers all over the country speak unitedly
of the beauty and superior elasticity of stitch
One lady says, it is the only machine that can
'quilt n another, that ii is the only one ''ft
for boy trowsers and third, that she is
particularly delighted with the way in which
it makes "woolen drawers and flannel gar
ments.
The Grover 4 Baker stitch is the only one
that can be properly used upon tias seams,
and is therefore adapted to an immense vari-
ETY. of garments containing such seams, and
also seams which are subjected to much
stretching and wear. In addition to the fact
that no reminding and no fastening is requir-
ed, great deal of time. and temper, too, is
saved to the operator, by the simplicity, regu
larity. and ease of the various movements,
the adjustment without change of tension to
different kinds oil work, and the method by
which it is thrown from the machine with
out delay or embarrassment. and also in such
way as to enable the operator to maintain
pleasant and graceful position.
For dress makers, the Grover i Baker is
the only suitable machine /; it is the only one
that will accomplish satisfactorily, and with
an immense saving of time, all the plain sew
ing, stitching, and quilting, which they have
to accomplish.
For the heads Of families it is equally valu
able II trW do ererything. 1t is simple, re,
liable, perfect in its operation, easy to be
understoo |, not easy to get out of order, and
gives such thorough satisfaction, as to leave
no room for complaint.