The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-06-05
The Decline q Bassan..

There can be but one opinion among
close scientific observers as 70 the ultimate
fate Of the button Il Is doomed 10 com.
plete extinction, and that at no very dis
tant day. This is decidedly matter upon
which we may congratulate ourselves, for
the button has been anything but q bless
ing to mankind.
The term button Is loosely and eFr0ns-
ously applied to objects which are not but
tons, and is often withheld from other OBJ
jects which are true buttons. Thus the
stud, when used to fasten wristband, Is
commonly called sleeve-button. It ia
obviously nothing of the sort, for the true
button requires but single hutton-hole,
whereas the stud is useless without two
button-holes.
On the other hand, both hooks and eyes
and clasps -ineaning by the latter term
variety Of hook aud eye made to simulate
to some extent a buckle--are undoubtedly
buttons. They differ in shape from the
common round button, but 1t il conceded
by our best authorities that button may
be Of any conceivable shape. What has
led careless persons to fail to recognise
them as buttons Is the fact that they are
used in connection with artificial instead
Of natural button-holes. The @eye" Of q
pair of hooks and eyes is merely an arti-
fetal button-hole, and the same may be
said of that part Of a clasp popularity called
the "catch." Cuvier's definition Of the
button as "a solid substance attached to
one object and intended TO be passed
through an opening IN another object, IN
order to connect the two together" clearly
recognizes the hook and eye and the clasp
as buttons, and as clearly rules out the
stud, the bnng, and the cork.
The origin Of buttons is lost in the dim
! distance Of remote antiquity, but they un-
doubtedly attained their widest diffusion
ia the middle of the present century.
= Since that time they have been gradually
reeeding and yielding to other devices.
, There was time when man, and for that
! matter, woman, was kept together chiefly
. by buttons. II has been estimated that
= twenty years ago every thoroughly dressed
J, man carried about him no less than ninety
: three necessary buttons, excluding those
"a which, like the buttons on the back Of the
coat, are purely decorative. For obvious
u reasons it is impossible TO arrive at the
&c exact number Of buttons worn at any time
+ BY women, but Il has been estimated that
p the average women Of the year 1860 wore
T. during the daytime two hundred and seven
u necessary buttons, while on full dress oc'
d easions fashionable woman often added
u to these from eighteen to nineteen hundred
u decorative buttons.
e. The first indication that buttons were Il
u be superseded was the appearance Of de
I, !, vice for attaching masculine braces to th'
- trousers band by q species Of metallic
AZ clothes pin 1t was claimed by the advo
I- Gates Of this device that it rendered boti
70 on-holes unnecessary, and constituted
= far more efficient system of connectini
70 braces and trousers. In practice, how
~ ever, il was found that 10 adjust the me
re tallic clothes-pins was an operation requii
y ing much time and great delicacy Of mar
Is ipulation, and that in many cases th
esi clothes-pins would not hold their grasl
er' aud were hence untrustworthy. This WI
ys' fatal to them, for If there is one thing J
nc, which man must feel absolute confdenc'
ny if he is to have any comfort in this work
ne il is his braces.
N They must be above suspicion, and the
10 must be able to endure with safety strai
ay Of at least ten tons, or else the wears
'n- must refrain from all athletic sports, ID
~ Guiding those Of tying his shoes and I
'e9 picking up lady's handkerchief IL
uu said that the clothes-pin device was adop
al hxr4 he
Gu substitute complicated system Of halyar'
ai and guys for the common garter as
ID means Of keeping stockings in position.
tn The halyard system was probably abal
poy dODed ut the same time that the clothc
m pin device fell into disuse, and we wei
ng, thus saved from frequent repetitions
'eF the awful disaster which young lady
oe Boston sustained in consequence Of b
10 balyards becoming entangled with a
handle Of an umbrella, and thus. b
the subject Is too painful a one to be nj
necessarily dwelt upon.
1t is clear that before very long Il
800 button will be practically superseded |
en- the knob and cord device. Probably bu
eat tons will survive for decorative purpose
Gus but they viii cease to be used as fasie
the ings. This is result which all good m,
I'M will hail with enthusiasm. For ages mat
Ira- inability to sew on buttons has ma
uld countless women mourn. There is hard
'rto a single industrious matron now living vi
cks has not employed, on an average, six hou
vail every week in sewing on buttons, or
Of making or repairing button-holes.
hey The amount Of energy thus employ
alls must have been enormous, and now II
] Of the promised abolition Of buttons viii en
!, 5 bic the energy to be diverted into 9th
10 channels, great things may be done BY
This telfigent women. Hard words and bli
did phemy on the part Of men will be great
ort- lessened when fierce wrath against lc
A. buttons no longer tears the soul, and v
lug shall enter on better and brighter exi
me- tenee when the last button has rolled aw
or and vanished foreyer.---N X Times.
an