Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-12-11

WHERE AND HOW THEY ARE MADE.

On the street, on the cars, on the ferry
boat one cannot but observe the number OF
artificial flowers that nestle so costly under
the brim of round hats, peep from folds of
lace or bonnets, and adorn in every con-
ceivable way all sorts of feminine head
gear, and which sometimes seem so dain-
tily formed and tinted that to think of
their home being anywhere but in shady
woods or by the side of some softly rip
pling brook seems almost like desecration.
But in the side streets Of the great city, the
very antipodes of forest aisles or grassy
fields, is where we find them springing,
not exactly from the soft damp earth, but
from the various combinations of muslin
gum, paints, wire and the labor of hun
dreds of young girls. This, of course, takes
away all sentiment concerning them, but
makes the process of their manufacture
none the less interesting. There are in
this city alone over 1000 girls employed in
this apparently unim portant manufacture.
Let us follow some of them and learn
something of the way these dainty imta-
| tions are made. The material used is
nainsoOk .auIL'io aud s"tin joan, anu
sometimes satin. This is first cut by
means of dies into the proper shape the
work being rather heavy, is done solely
| by boys. The next step is the coloring,
which is done all by hand, a greater part
being done by boys, but few girls lik-
ing to do this part of the work, the details
of flower-making being far from cleanly.
| Sill there is but little resemblance to flow
l.. -. Al
But come into the rooms where we see
! dozens of long tables, each surrounded by
numbers of young girls; all busy at work;
and we see at one Of these tables these fiat
pieces shaped and curled on the edge with
a large steel pin. These are for the outer
petals, and now we wonder about the in
ner ones. "Crumpled rose-leavesr 1t
seems very suggestive of color and beauty
and dewy fragrance, but we find that the
"crumpled" appearance is given them by
means of a heated iron which presses
them into an India rubber cushion. They
are then gummed and fastened into their
proper position by girl who receives the
stamens and wire from still another.
The leaves 60 through nearly the same
process in regard TO the cutting and color
ing, the only distin ctive feature being the
veining, which is done with heavy press.
The stems are nearly all imported, as they
are of much better quality and of lower
price than can be bought here. Indeed
the whole manufacture of flowers here is
comparatively in a crude state, as is de-
monstrated by the fact that only the lower
grade OF flowers are here even attempted
In France each woman manufactures wha
flower is best suited to her, and wears it
be it a daisy, pansy or rose, and if Nine
Blank says: "Grapes are worn now, my
dear, pansies are old style" does she
straightway go and change her soft-eyed
panses for an immense bunch of grapes
Not she, any more than we, who do no
even attempt to follow the fashion hav,
one year all violets in our garden, and tht
next weed them all out TO make room fo
snow-drops.
Here there is one year "perlect rage
for daisies, and tall, gaunt woman wea
them as complacently as the fair-faced
blushing school girl. The next year they
are a drug in the market, and they mus
give place to roses. This difference il
France leads, of course, to nearly absolute
perfection in the manufacture of each par
ticular flower. One man makes only vio
lets. He has workers who have been will
him for years, marriage making no dil
ference in their occupation. He has takel
pains so teach them, and their long ap
premiership, together with their natura
taste, make the flowers which they pro
duce far superior TO those which are man
ufactured here, where, perhaps, the girl
are changed each month. Their perfection
in one branch is the end to be attained
For this end he has access to the Jardine
des Plantes, where he may obtain flower
that he wishes to simulate, to books de
, scribing them, and to free lectures, all G
which have a refining influence, and whic
tend to educate his tastes. Flowers ar
? often brought here by the gross and branch
ed here; this, while giving us the advan
T tage of the foreign manufacture, tends {
D lessen the price, as in that way they cal
, be packed very closely. Another thin
which would scarcely be thought of as
branch of the business, is the preparation
: of moss for the moss roses which are wor
l In such profusion. This is the same as ca
r be found in our own native woods, but
= all imported. In France a firm takes
a numbe OF poor children, providing ther
t with ho-r a, food and clothing for thei
= labor in ga, ring, cleaning, drying, an
Q coloring this IS, they becoming so eI
Q pert in the course ofa year as to prove it
, good Investment Some idea of the valu
a Of their labor may be given when we lear