San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-01-19

CHARACTERIZATION. VIVA 80 f-;al
and fire.gilt, applied to the maseI ns
seems most tremendously gr0unaea.
mis- ALSO takes the form OF higher ART;
Tins az a aft for gentleman WI
taste for aquatic sport, u letter-pook
NAV have perhaps on one side an aito-
reliayo group in silver, representing
o,rsmen seated in boat, or the design
may be that of q single figure WIN All
oar carried in the hand. pocket-pocAS
of this skin are frequently manuiaS'
tured here on imported frames, whicn
are lighter and less clumsy than those
Of our own production, and an alligator
slim book with silver-plated steel frame
and lining of English calfskin may be
exceedingly light. Purses OF this SKIN
are lined with plush, chamois, sea- OF
calfskin. The cardcase is rendered YET
more beautiful by jeweled mountings'
SNAKES AND LIZARDS
Recently snakes and lizards has
been furnishing some share OF the ma
ter;cl for what are considered the most
elegant STYLES of pocket-books. port
manteaus, gentlemen's match sales,
card cases, side-bags with girdles, ana
fashionable trifes of all kinds. Yet IL
is Inv rather slow degrees that the boa
constructor elegance has been winding
Itself into favor with us in some OF the
Enropean cities it is reported as having
become much more the rage. Here IN
the manufacturing shop, however, may
be seen the snake skin Unframed, just
as brought from South America, ana
resembling what one sees I'M the BRUSH
museum. It's markings are very beau
tiful. with the gold-touched stripe
through the center and the irregularly
conioined diamond and triangular
shapes at either side. 1t is this natural
design which is so much priced for OBJ
iects like the side-bag or the pocket
book. Yet the material may have, per-
baps, the fault of not wearing quite sat-
isfactorily. The edges of the scales are
ant to get rubbed up the wrong way so
as to cause very soon seedy appear
ance of the article. For the prevention
of this roughening tendency gums are
introduced. however, with more or less
success in the process OF preparing the
skin for manufacture. In Its flrst 1resn-
ness this Offering from the serpent is
frequently beguiling. The side-bags
formed of it are lined and bound pref.
ily with, perhaps, fine calfskin, and
mounted with silver, or sometimes with
nickel and white enamel. In articles
of smallest size, like the pockeS match
case, the central stripe OF the skin Is
not exhibited.
SHARKS AND OTHER FISH.
The order of fishes, like that OF rep
tiles, has come to play an unenvlabie
part in this parade of fancy. The skin
of the shark in particular has made its
appearance in variety Of small articles
which are frequently of no small cost !;
thus card case of this material may De
valued at 5000, although known to
break and warp and change color read
ily, being indeed capable of but little
wear; the finely notified skin is, never
theless, something to be admired, with
a beautiful style of sprayed gold decor
atoms extended upon the side OF the
object from the clasp; within may be
found an ivory tablet of the finest quail
ity, accompanied by good pencil. In
addition to this kind of articles varl-
ety of small bags are formed of the ma
terial, of which there are also imita-
tions. Yet nothing manufactured from
shark skin is made to appear half SO
beautiful as the material in it's natural
state. Not less than hundred varie-
ties may be found in the seas, if not in
the shops. The colors chiefly range
among the states, blues and grays, and
to that of the great white shark, the
dreaded man eater familiar about Cal
cutta and in most tropical waters. A
great beauty of the skin is that of its
peculiarly graduated surface, and this
has also been serviceable to the cabinet
makers since the days of the old Greek
writer's. Yet there may be seen beau
tiful roll of the skin which, although it
might we'll serve as rasp, will have its
texture of cleaning pearls cut and
shaped to dantier purposes. This is
covered with little, thick-set, cone
shaped protuberances of cream and
ivory hue, and shining with lustre be-
longing only to the things of the sea-
He had 'Fit."