The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-11
81. J.fLENTIvE'S DIY.
Introduction OF Valentine. Forty Years Ago
New styles aud Costly Devices.

Next Wednesday Is the day Of days in the
lovers calendar. st. Valentines day. who st.
Valentine was. and how came about the custom
Of sending valentines on the l4th Of February
are matters Of considerable doubt. Some one
says thatValentinc was abishop- else.
that he was Prcsbyter who was behcadcd at
Rome by the Emperor Claudius in go. and
aiterward canonizcd. 1t is hard to speak with
certainty about the matter. but Nhcatlcy does.
H. says that st. Valentine q" was a man Of most
admirable parts and 50 famous for his love and
charity that tho custom Of choosing valentines
upon his festival took its rise from thence
Others say that the custom Of sending valcn-
tines arose from the suppnsitiop that the birds
srlst their mates on this day. others from a
practice prevalent in ancient Rome at the Fnsti-
val of the Iupercalia DURING the month OF Feb
ruary. AT ali events, there grew NJ the custom
Of giving Ne presents gloves carriers. and Jew
elry. and then love notes and then gradually
came the elaborate valentine OF to-day.
Twenty years ago the boys and girls in coun-
try district schools sent INK smirchcd notes
which informed the receiver that
Il You Ia, me
NJ mite can cut
Your faithful VALENTINE
There hrs been no modern Improvement in
this sentiment hut the form ~ the missiVc has
been gradually developed into "a worn Vi art and
a Tim. oi beauty.
The newest thing n Valentines this year is n
bouquet of artificial flowers. seemingly nothing
morc but II the receiver hunts diligently she
discovers "a hidden spring thai permits the tip
of III" bouquet To- open. disclosing Il dainty re-
crIiarlc for a dainty low" sentiment some val
"ntine. this year are expansive. One IT, an cc-
guut velvet box. an losing satin cushion. N
which are delicate flowers painted 10y hand.
This il surrounded toy lace and silk cord. At
thu top IL a tiny hummlus hlrd-the real thing
7iufrd holding IN H. hoax he motto. tn"
prlre ui ms Na'niln" T. So men thor" are
baskets Of flowers. with hidden love messages.
Jewel cases. with valentines proper enclosed,
which can be removed, leaving IA case of real
utility. These are a lew devices.
The cheaper valentines are much as Of old
lace paper and gilt paper. cupids and flowers
and the Inevitable motto. Then there are the
comic valentines; hut th"y are not worthy Of
nirntioni beng an abonln'nion anu nuisancr
fcring humanity.
Notwithstanding tho hard times" said Mr.
4. j. Fisher of y Nassau street who has long
dealt in valentines. | have never sold So many
valentines ~ this year. All told. must have
SG n nm T., s ., th rr K Pa prh r "nf
Atl"nilnes wholesale at thirty cents q gross
They are tn coW'~. W. MAKE th"m because
We have to. People want them The trade want.
them. II We dca! III valentines We must sell
But does my ono over buy n $50 valentine p"
Certainly not many to be sure but some. |
could name t. You "a PROMINENT downtown iHw-
yer who Inns bought on. and will probably slnd
II to the object of his affections.
Most Of the lace paper and other material of
which u valentine il made comes from London
N Me n 'n l ,9s ,eIm nre b "w Im.
of this clara TER showing a small -h It Nalcn-
TIM. ON which the pulling Of a SUP displayed
q motto. or tiny, picture SprimEing from q
bouquet. or hidden behind 1t. " The French
continued Mr.. Fisher strangely enough. make
very Tow va, ntine-, and those ul very inferior
Kind. Their" are "A dozen manufactures in Lon
don 10 ono in Paris.
II learned only last Christmas how valen-
tines werc introduced into this city In 1854 my
I'm lie, A. Fisher. WIS in IN" firm Of Turner &
Fisher. in Chatham street, where Crooks Hotel
now stands. Looking over "a chest of his ia
Tiers my uncle found some valentines. lie
placed them in the window and sold them. lie
then sent Tor more and sold them. Two years
after. Nh Elton. the father-in- law Of one Of the
McLoughlins. took up the idea and began 10
manufacture them. and the trade began aud has
ina. inc a