Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-17
Modern Sources of Pin Money.

'There are hundreds of ladies in the
city of Albany, far removed from neces-
sity, who turn their skill, ingenuity and
energy to account in these aesthetic times,
of whose handiwOrk little is known ex-
cept to themselves, but the profit on
which is very handsome penny" said a
gentleman whose relations with an enter
prise in this city makes large amount
Conformation available to him. 81 have
means of informing myself regarding the
extent of this thing, and have been sur
prlSed to find it so general a practice.
Ten years ago a lady who worked with
her hands would be frOwned down in So
ciety. Now many ladies cultivate some
of the fine arts for no other purpose in the
world than to replenish their purses by
the employment of leisure time. Paint
ing and embroidery are the most popular
forms of art work, chiefly, perhaps,
because anything good in these
lines, particuly that created by
the needle, find ready sale at
good round prices. The decoration of
menu cards and china is also remunera-
tive occupation, yielding excellent pay
for fine work. The art rooms of Boston,
New York, Philadelphia and our own
city accept these products on commission.
| understand that young lady in Albany
WieldS one Of the daintiest brushes In ap-
plying cOlOrs TO menu cards. She dis
poses of all her work i'm New York bY
means of the decorative art rooms. Sew
eral ladies not only do embroidery for
sale, but one or two of the deftest give
lessons in the art and get nice return
for teaching others what they know. 1t
sounds odd, but some of the incest people
in Albany sell their handiwOrk. They do
it occasionally as a qualification of their
pride, to convince themselves that il put
to it they could earn their own living.
These are what are called in polite circles
aristOcratic arts"
''Is not the prevalence of the custom
fatal to its probable cOntinuance?'
sit is very apt to be, that is true, but
within year new art has been devel-
oped calculated to relieve the pressure ON
the embroidery and painting business.
High art has been introduced into the
preservation of fruits and the baking of
cakes and sweetmeats. This, too, has be-
come popular employment with people
who are able to acquire the skill neces-
sary. At the various art rooms now you
will find canned fruit and fancy bake
stuffs on exhibition, made by ladies for
the most part, who do it TO employ their
leisure time. These goods command the
highest prices, being bought at rates
which dealers i'm these stores would not
dare to ask. The i'll success of so many
people in making their preserves makes
this business supply something OF
want. Cake-baking, too, is an equally
profitable venture. / see advertised
in the Albany papers the wares
Of lady resident in city in Central New
York, who supplies cakes to a vast num-
Der of customers. She made herself
famous by baking what is called Angels
Food She is Il member of family who
were once immensely wealthy, but are
now reduced to straitened circumstances.
Her business is worth $1,000 year to her
ut present, and is growing all the time.
Another case is that of lady who puts
up canned fruits. She is the daughter of
an eX-COngressman, and is married to the
son of the greatest diplomat America has
produced in recent years. There is no
need of her applying her skill in this
manner, but she was induced to make
business of what was pastime by the
urgent solicitation of friends who ate her
preserves. She now gets very handsome
revenue from the work.