St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-10-20
Modern Sources Of Pin Money.

s.There are hundreds of ladies in the
city of Albany, far removed from ne.
cessity, who turn their skill, ingenuity
and energy to account in these aesthetic
times, of whose handiwork little is
known except to themselves, but the
profit on which is very handsome
penny" said a gentleman whose rela-
tons with an enterprise in this city
makes large amount of information
available to him. II have means of in
forming myself regarding the extent OF
this thing, and have been surprised to
find it so general practice. Ten years
ago lady who worked with her hands
would be frowned down in society.
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, be-
cause anything good in these lines, par
ticularly that created by the needle,
finds ready sale at good round prices.
The decoration of menu cards and
china is also remuneratiye occupation,
yielding excellent pay for fine work.
The art rooms of Boston, New York,
Philadelphia and our own city accept
these products on commission. under
stand that a young lady living in AL
bany yields one of the daintiest brushes
in applying colors to menu cards. She
disposes of all her work in New York,
by means of the Decorative Art Rooms.
Several 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 i'll Albany sell their handi-
work. They do it occasionally as
qualification of their pride, to convince
themselves that if 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?
50 1t 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 bust
ness. High art has been introduced into
the preservation of fruits and the baking
of cakes and sweetmeats. This, too, has
become popular employment with
people who are able to acquire the skill
necessary. 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 COM
mand the highest prices, being bought
at rates which dealers in tie stores
would not dare to ask. The ill-success
of so many people in making their pre-
serves makes this business supply some
thing of want. Cake-baklng, too, is
an equally profitable venture. | see
advertised in the Albany papers the
wares of lady resident in a city in
Central New York, who supplies cakes
to vast number of customers. She
made herself famous by baking what is
called Angels Food She is men,
Der of a family who were once immense
" wealthy, but are now reduced to
straitened circumstances. Her business
is worth five thousand dollars year to
her at 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 diplo-
mat America has produced in recent
years. There is no need of her apply
ing her skill in this manner, but she
was induced to make business OF what
was a pastime by the urgent solicitation
of friends who ate her preserves. She
now gets very handsome revenue from
the work. albany journal. s. ss..