Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-04-29

/ WHAT We PAY FOR PERSONAL DRESS.
For hats, bonnets and hoods, and for trim
mlngs for these articles, we paid in the last
fiscal year 81 ,574,S00, and on the same articles
was paid S52S, 696 for duties, which will swell
! their first cost to over 100000 But that is
not all we paid for adjoining and protecting
our heads. Feathers and artificial flowers
cost US s3,31509S For human hair and arti-
cles manufactured from it, such as wigs
curls and ringlets, we paid 81 ,11Z945, and
for hair-pins, with which to give it pose and
effect, SOC, 4S0 Adding these items together
we have S6,633,013, which represents the
original cost of merchandise purchased by
the people of the United States during the
| twelve months ending June 80, 1874, for
adjoining the head alone, and in that sum is
not included the value of ribbons, which
| form a conspicuous part of the head gear OF
our fashionable ladies. To cover our hands
with gloves, mitts and nittens cost us
S4,972, 066, and for the privilege of car
rying fans we paid S464 ,430, which does not
include therefreshing palm-leaf, of which we
| imported 70,131 dozens, at an expense of
! 5000. For our handkerchiefs, hemmed and
| hemstitched, we paid 1898, 072, and for per-
| fumery, cosmetics and dentifrices S251 1872
| Our combs cost us $685., 223 The cost of
umbrellas, parasols and sunshades ran I'D to
| S267, 975, and 81, SIS, S36 was paid for our
| pocket-knives. Many ladies will be surprised
to learn that 1881 dozen corsets, valued at
| 81 ,255 ,5S9, had to be imported to add to their
| symmetry and grace. The importation of a
| few additional dozens would be equal to one
corset for every woman in the State of New
| York, according to the census of 1870. 1t re-
| quired larger expenditure of money to
cover our pedal extremities than to cover
and adorn our heads, 81, 81, 347 being the
amount paid for hosiery, and that does not
include the cost of carriers. This hosiery is
classified as follows Cotton, Sc 40S, S76;
wool, NS,9A pounds, valued at $76S, 1884;
silk, S169,6S7 Considering the quantities
of enamel to be seen on sale in
our fancy stores, adorned with labels
get that article very cheap, as s207
was sum sufficient to pay for all
the enamel imported in 1874. Whether
! the enamel thus returned as imported was
| for purposes of personal adornment or for
use in the mechanic arts the report does not
state. For the ready-made clothing import
| ed we expended 81 800 ,029, which does not,
| of course, embrace the clothing smuggled in
| by tourists returning home. Our apprecia-
| ton for buttons is illustrated by the fact
that we expended for those little articles
| So, 2S1 500. Our cotton laces trimmings, and
| gimps cost So, 49,, 1896; thread laces and in
settings, $33, 1852; epaulets, laces, tassels, and
other articles made Of gold and silver, $102,-
| Al; embroideries of cotton, WOOL linen, and
silk, So, 337 $50; velvet, velveteens and braid
ings, s., 758,9n; furs dressed and undressed,
So, 139, 100. For braid, laces, fringes and gal
| looms, made of silk, we expended $2,67S, 274,
! and for silk ribbons we were required to pay
| $685. ,21S, of which sum the United States
| received for duties the sum of 81, 321 obs, be-
ing about 80 per cent of the importers valua-
! ton of the ribbons.
| THE COST OF DRESS GOODS.
We paid for dress and piece goods made of
silk $40, 554 which is about equal to the
sum paid for importations of wines and
| spirits; for silk velvets we paid 81, 705,583;
| silk goods and goods mixed with silk, not
| otherwise specified, SO, 491 ,07S; silk and
india-rubber goods, S273,737 The total value
| that, it must be remembered, merely repre-
! sents the cost of the merchandise delivered
| on our docks with the freight unpaid. In
| piece-goods made Of wool we received TO-
| 5S1, 4O8 square yards, for which we paid, in
| Guiding duties, $}5, 372 764, an average cost
of fifty cents in gold per square yard. Of
piece-goods manufactured of cotton we i'm
| ported 40, 107 ,047 square yards, worth $685.
| S64, to which add 81 ,457 1926 paid for duties
and the list is Swelled to $11 1897 ,1S9. The
| quantity Of piece-goods imported manufac-
| tured of wool and cotton, Joined together,
would cover surface of thirty-nine square
| miles. For cotton goods not otherwise spec
flied we paid 49, 299, 9S4, and for ID ,026 pounds
| of wool Balmorals, $16, 483.
sHAwLs, DIAMONDS AND JEwELRY.
| For 682,525 pounds Of wool shawls we
| paid So, 3S0, 97S, and 364 silk shawls cost US
|
| Webbing, betting, binding, braids and
| buttons manufactured of wool were val
ued at $1,668,2 and goods manu-
! featured from flax, jute or hemp foot up
| s14 ,4O5,S73. To cover our floors with for
| egn carpets cost So, 172, 564, while our beds
were supplied with foreign blankets for the
! sum of 1926. In the way of watches and
! jeWelry we encouraged the foreign manufac-
turers to the extent of So, 1888 ,675; limitations
of jet, S379, 041; bogus jewelry, $3.50, 1863, and
| coral, $50 ,596 To adorn ourselves with
| diamonds, canoes, mosaics and other pre-
| cious stones we paid So, 1877 $50 All the val
ues here given include the amounts paid the
| United States for customs duties, save in
few instances in which the amount paid for
duties is separately stated. Freight and 9TH
| are not included.
OTHER ARTICLES.
| A few other articles may be mentioned
which will prove of interest While not ar
| ticles of dress or ornament most of them
are nearly allied to such articles. Some of
! them are for our amusement, few are arti-
| cles of utility, and several are medicines and
drugs. Beginning with small articles, we
| find that to import quill toothpicks VIC have
to pay S1S,630, and for musical instruments
81, 1913, S14. The 81 ,291 packs of playing cards
| imported were invoiced at SIS, 733, and for
| the privilege Of shutting and dealing them
we had to pay the United States 1889 du-
!
we CUT our cards of foreign manufacture.
| The first cost of our imported doll-babies was
$555, 400, that of our Christmas toys S616,057,
| while our Bologna sausage only cost $751;
673, and our sauerkraut only $8,S75. For
empty skins, into which we stuffed our own
Bologna before consuming it, we had to pay
| 1872, 709. We broke 7,519,S03 dozen of for
eign-laid eggs, for which we had to pay
| STAT 500. For fireworks we expended 81 ,149,
and for 155, 235 boxes of Chinese fre-crackers
we paid the heather manufacturers S1257S3,
| and TO the United States the sum of S155, 396
in duties, thus making the original cos of
annually celebrating our natal day in hat
class of pyrotechnics foot up 1921 ,179. For
every pack of fire-crackers exploded by
Young America the Government of the
United States exacts 81 cents. For bladders
we paid S10,500; skeletons and other Prep
arations of anatomy, 50, 543; and for siIews
and nerves, So, $50. Of metallic pens, We re-
ceived 304 1914 gross, S166,971, and wood bad
! pencils, 81, 450 gross, for which we ;aid
s167,S12 There was imported 2, 72,j4S3
pounds of CASTLE soap, at an expens4 of
S234, 1914, and 200, 167 pounds of perfuned
| toilet-soap at cost of $3.50, 6SS. For g-een
fruits from the tropics and for nuts we paid
81, 800, $50, and for olive and salad oils St4S-
314. For L, 122 $50 pounds of indigo we paid
1867 ,954, and for 4 ga ounces of musk and
civet S33, 145. For the benefit of apCthe-
y r 81