Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-06-17
EmIkrants' Costumes.

One thing that strikes the observer
contemplating the emigrante as they ar
rive, says IA New York paper, Is the
fondness for vivid colors evinced by the
people of the old world. The national
costumes that formerly gave such pic
turesque appearance 10 the emigrants,
and marked each people dislinctively,
are disappearing. From Germany, Hol-
land, England, Sweden and ireland come
now about thesame general style of gar-
ments, varied simply in cut and color,
all bearing a close resemblance TO the
general fashion of raiment worn here.
Yet, occasionally, one still encounters
groups from countries more remote or
further in the rear of universal progress
toward assimilation who are well
worthy Of attention and remark. A
party of 1celandic men, six in number,
arrived here not long ago, whose garb
would have been q prize for side
show. Their pantaloons of dark gray
frieZe extended up to their armpits.
Their vests and coats just met the upper
edge of the pantaloons, and from each
coat dangled between the shoulders of
its wearer pair of the funniest, most
ridiculous and diminutive tails II is pos
sible to imagine. Big silver buttons
that had been bequeathed from father to
son for many generations studded the
garments. The handsomest mems cos
tunes worn by any emigrants are those
worn by the Tyrolese, consisting of
long stockings, velvet knee breeches,
embroidered vests, short cloaks, cone
shaped hats adorned with feathers, etc.
IL is dress that has been familiarised
throughout the country by the many
bands of Tyrolean singers who have
"yodel-ed" all over the land, and one
which, by its beauty, deserves TO be re-
tanned. The women from the same coun-
try have brightly-striped petticoats,
sometimes with strips Of gold or silver
lace that make very bright and pleas
ing show. Almost always both men
and women have finely developed. hano-
some forms, which their costume dis
plays to the best advantage. Their
faces are generally very good-the
women often very pretty and Of all
emigrants they are among the cleanest
and neatest.
The ayest-plumaged emigrant birds
are the Finlanders. They wear mostly
homespun materials, but gaudy with
bright colors. Generally they come in
colonies OF forty or fifty persons, and
when such n band arrives they seem TO
brighten all their surroundings. The
women's dresses are like very fancy
bathing suits of red. white and blue-no
half tints or shades, but strong, pro-
nuunced colors-and their headgear
consists Of snowy white frilled mob
caps. The fondness for color which dis
tinguishes them Is shown even in the
dress of the men, who wear coat bind
ings of brilliant contrasting tints. On
their heads the men wear colored caps
OF knitted wool like the fishermen of
Brittany. Finland babies are brought
here slung conveniently in leathefn bags
on their mothers backs, in just the same
fashion that an Indian squaw carries
her pappoose. They seem to be n seri-
Gus, sedate sort OF babies, weighted
down by the depression that must assail
n baby's mind when II finds itself slung
about like package in that extraordin-
AIRY way. The last colony of Finlanders
that came here, only few weeks ago,
all seemed well-to-do. and brought with
them from their home sufficient guam
tity of dried meat, dried fish and other
edibles to last them until they reached
their destination in Minn esota.