Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-06-07
COSTUME OF THE LAPS.
The Land Where Patent feathers. Strip
ed Stockings and Pull Backs are I'm
knOwn-An Interesting Sketch.

The Land Where Patent feathers, Strip
known-An Interesting Sketch.
From Frazers Magazine.
The dress of the Laps is peculiar,
but seems specially adapted to the neces-
stiles of their climate and mode of life.
The boots which they wear look rough
and uncomfortable, but are notwith-
standing more suited to country like
Lapland than the ordinary European
boot. The Lap boots consists of two
parts; the under, which is made Of fox
leather, is quite thin, and is, in fact,
simply a piece of leather sewn together
at the heel and toe, and is consequent
ly peaked In front. There is neither
heel nor sole beyond the leather, which
accommodates itself to the foot, and
through which you feel each particular
stone you chance to step on. The up
per part Of the boot is usually made of
reindeer leather, which is softer than
the other. 1t is sewed on to the under
part with thread made of sinews, and
is wide and loose about the ankles,
round which it is tightly fastened by a
long band. The color of these boots,
when knew, is a bright yellowish brown,
but in time becomes almost black, part
ly from dirt, partly from the oil with
which the boots are smeared to make
them easy to the foot. In winter, the
Laps use boots covered with fur, but we
did not see any Of them. These boots
are used not only by the Laps, but also
by the settlers, who find them useful in
crossing morasses and other places,
where ordinary boots would not keep
out the water. The Lap boots, on
the contrary, are almost water
proof, when well smeared and
tied carefully at the ankles.
Our boatmen never hesitated to step
into the water with them, and sat with
their feet in the water in the boats,
without apprehension of getting wet
Until, indeed, they get old and begin to
crack, these boot require a good deal of
soaking before the water comes
through, and even then the wearer is
not much incommoded, because, in
stead of wearing stockings the Laps
stuff their boots with hay, which makes
them more comfortable for walking in
and soaks up any water which may
come through. In Lule Lapmark
some of the Laps now wear stockings,
and the settlers, excepting the very
poorest, always do, but they always
continue to use the hay. The only hay
harvest with which the Lap concerns
himself is the gathering of sufficient
quantity of grass to serve him through
the winter. This grass he dries in the
sun, and, after picking out all foreign
substances, carefully combs and
hackles it, so as to make the hay soft
for the foot. When the Lap comes
home in the evening he takes the hay
out, and dries it at the fire in his little
hut, and, with the occasional addition
of little new hay, the same stuffing
will last for one or two weeks. Both
men and women wear trousers reach
ing down to their ankles, and their
lower end is tucked into the boots, so
as to prevent the water making it's way
through. The trousers are made
either of skin Or of rough homespun
the latter of which the richer Laps pre-
fer In summer. The skin trousers,
when old, acquire the same blackish
look which the boots have, but at first
they are brownish in color. The women
are fond of having trousers ornamented
with red and green. The Laps rarely
wear linen shirts, or indeed any linen;
but some of the Forest Laps wear in
summer a sort of shirt made of home
spun under the tunic, which is the
most important article of their dress.
This tunic is worn alike by men
and women, is open at the neck half
way down the breast. It generally does
not reach below the knee, and is made
of reindeer skin or homespun. The
only difference between the tunic worn
by the men and that worn by the
women is that the former has high,
standing-up, stiff collar. The tunics
are ornamented with blue and red
strips round their edges, and the wom-
en- are specially fond of variety of color.
In winter furs are worn by all, and
are required to keep out the intense
cold. The tunics are fastened round
the waist by belt which is highly Or
namented, and depending from which
the women generally carry a bunch of
scissors and needle-holders. The wonl-
en- also frequently wear bright-col-
ored handkerchief round their necks.
The headdress of men and women is
the same, VIZ: a tall sugar-loaf-shaped
cap, made of blue cloth, sewed with
red, though sometimes other colors are
used. Such is general description of
the Lap dress, but there are, of course,
differences in material and ornaments
ton, arising out of comparative wealth
OF the Wearers. It is said that
in Lule Lapmark ornaments are not so
common as they once were, and that
the Laps have used the money which
they obtained by their sale in main
tanning schools.
Saving Money.
A woman was about to move, and
convinced her husband thot +boxy