New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-26
INDUSTRIAL FRANCE.
NV poprRT p. PORTER, MEMBER OF THE LATE
BY NoDf-Ni TARIFF COMMISSION.
JACE-MAKING.
,.so. . SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF rue TRIBUNE. J

A., ,,olcanio mountain region OF the AuVerghe ana
Velav the rocky platforms of which are capped WIN
lined castles and dark green fir trees has developer
ON IGNORANT and superstitiOus but industrious raceo
nonntaineers who, owing TO the poverty OF the SOIL
were Obliged centuries ago TO exc out their existence
nv making coarse kind of lace. The industry mas
grown and often prospered when the lace-inaAoi'
of other districts producing the more expensive
articles were starving until it is now distributed oE
or the four departments of the Haute-Lolre' N"h'o
Puv-de-D6me and Loire. Along the steep mountain
roads of this region and especially in the vicinity
of LePuv. NAV be seen women of all ages DuSy "i'n
tbeir lace work They sit in front OF tnen eo'''s0
doors or in their gardens, oreven on 'he nisn go,
in tbe shade with their pillows on their laps
and busily ply the bobbins Inc lace iNI -
this part of France are rather sVuh'oO -
s+ature with nut-brown cohpi0A,0", ~.
All hair and ewes. They are neatiy uIesSeu
uiiA n ~ cboon stuff gowns, generally bright
- aud around their heads are pouhd
o,,est sort of ribbons. Part of the year these
,.ooon work in the fields, and at all times attend
"a household duties. The cottages IN Whch uheS
live are oftentmes the most dilapidated Old novels
l;ttle better than mud huts. Some are OF plas'er
covered with yellowish wash with shutters pant
ed green. and have q balfcomfortable ar ABOUT
them /,
barely averaged more than 80 cents per day. Ihey
live on the simplest fare, eating meat seldom In
some cases the earnings of the women were added
TO those of the other members of the family, ana III
such cases they lived comfortably. Upon Ine
whole | should think the condition OF the nun
drcd and thirty thousand lace-inakers OIL tlls us
trict was as good, if not better, than taC Vi tno
makers Of the more expensive kinds OF lace III 'ne
damp cellars of Belgium. Though the wages are
L flnn QIy
fresh air and sunlight.
Loco for,,s tI,e sole industry of this Department,
and over half the number Of lace-makers IN the dis
trict are employed in the Ilaute-Lore ACCOM-
ranied by Mr. PeixottO United States Consu
ot LYONS | visited a number of the places al
LIE Puy in which the work is given out Ihey
were generally in musty old buildings with stone
spral staircases up which we had TO climb perhaps
to the fourth or fifth story. They are kept oy
shrewd women who occupy much the same posllioh
in the lace district of France the FoggeIs do III
the nail districts Of the Black Country. They give
mt the thread to the makers and pay them for the
lace when returned, taking care to keep good
margin for themselves between the poor worker
and the wholesale buyers who collect their stocks
of lace from these small dealers. Consul Peixotto
and were astonished at the large stocks OF lace we
found often slowed away in small wooden boxes IN
rooms used as sleeping apartments. "eiound IN
some places the atmosphere of which was almost
sitting nearly every description of lace produced
in this important district: white and colored, SILK
thread and worsted, blondes of all kinds, black
silk puipures and Others of the finest r7seau
ground application double aud single ground from
the highest price 10 lace edging worth few cents
ner ward. The account of what shall call the
LACE Foyer as to wages differs from that OBJ
tanned direct from tho lace-makers. The average
earnings they told u.s. were from 30 to 40 cents per
day: some could make so or 80 cents, but such
instances think. must be very rare indeed. They
admitted that the workers lived miserably and that
most of them worked i'm the fields.
According to a recent writer as early rs the 18th
century the country-women of this mountain region
would congregate together during the winter within
the walls OF the neighborng cities, and there form
ing themselves into companies gain their subsis-
teuce by making coarse lace to ornament the abs
of the priests the rockets of the bishops, aud the
petticoats of ladies of quality and very coarse and
taseless were these early products, 10 judge from
the specinens which remain tackled on faded altar
cloths still to be met with in the province-a mix
ture of netting and darning without design. 1t Is
easy to believe all this after visit for to-day one
finds villages, and people, too, that look more Ike
phantoms of the 10Th century than living realities
struggling for subsistence amid the dir and cOmpeti
ton of the 10Th century of steam and electricity.
The lace-makers as a rule are dcvOut Catholics and
aorges precipiees and rccesses of these werd noun
tains with wizards witches fairies enchanted water
and other supernatural things. On the Puy-de Dome
it should be remembered, stood in ROman-Galc
times a temple sacred to Mercury Dumiatus, god OF
the sixty Gallo cities and the mountain top served
as pedestal for the bronze statue.
As shall not have a better opportunity 70 take a
birdseye view of the past and present Of the lace
industry of France will attempt it while tarTy
in the largest lace district of the country have
visited several of the other districts spending some
time both in Normandy and the Vosges.
From Italy the French owe their fashion for ex-
pensive lace and for some time the finest was i'm
ported from italy and Flanders In 1886 the prod
gality Of the mobiles in this direction had become SO
great that the wearing of lace was altogether pro-
bibited Edicts Of this kind were found Of
Ittls use, as the lace of France at that
time. AS | have shown above, not
comparable in artistic taste or Workmanship
with that of Italy. Spain Flanders. Colbert the
great Minister OF Louis XIV, probably the greatest
and most successful PrOtectiOnst the world has
ever seem determined TO develop the lace manufact
ure in France and produce fabrics which should III
val the points of Italy and Flanders. For he wisely
argued if fortunes are ayished upon these luXuries
the money at all events should not be sent out Of th
kingdom 10 procure them. 70 carry out his plan
he boldly secured from the Low Countries and froi
Venice a number of the most sldlful workwomen
whom he distributed among the manufactures al
ready existing, and in the towns where he estab
Hshed new ones. In 1868 Royal Lace fact0rc
were established in DH Quesnay, Anas, Rhen, 81
dan Chateau Thierry, LOudun, Alancon, Aurla'
and other places. Anexclusvc privilege was glVei
for ten years aud grant Of &c., 600 francs with TN
start at the end of ten years. tho factories wer
paying handsome profits; France was manrtacturin