Morris tribune., 1884-05-21
AN HUMBLE BEGINNING
Origin and Growth of the Popular
ssManicure'' Business.
a Wide Awake Yankee Woman HIM.
proves an Accidental Opportunity
---FOrtune from the Tide
Taken at the Flood
[aH. H. Az in Chicago Tribune. ]

["H. III. A." in Chicago Tribune.J
Ten years ago the care and treatment Of
the fnger-nailS was an unheard-of business.
Its beginning was of the humblest de-
scription, as I shall relate later on. l
have taken pains to ascertain to what ex
tent this "profession," as it is now called, has
grown, and am informed that in every city
of the United States Of any Importance, and
in many Of the smaller towns, there are
from one to twenty manicures, and that in
New York, Boston and Philadelphia they
arc not to be numbered by the score but by
the hundred.
CAUGHT AN IDEA.
Less than ten years ago there happened to
| be in New York q certain chiropodist who
was occasionally assisted in the treatment of
his lady customers by his wife. Fortunately
for all parties concerned, this wife was all
enterprising American woman and typical
eastern girl. 1t was her habit when the hus
band was engaged at his Office and call
came for the doctor to attend patient at
his or her residence, when the patient was
lady, for the wife to attend her. One day
she went to a wellknown fashionable woman
| in New York city, and, after attending to
her duties, was about to leave when the lady,
who had recently returned from Europe,
| said to her: II suppose, of course, you take
care of the fingers as well?"
| Our American had never heard of any par
ticular care of the fingers, but, true to her
blood, did not propose to be faxed by little
trife of this kind, and answered, "Oh, GER
tainly," having no idea what was to come
next. The lady then said: "Have you your
instruments with you?" to which the Yankee
replied no, she had not, but would make an
engagement if the lady wished and bring her
them. Accordingly it was arranged that she
should come the following Thursday, and
that she should give the client treatment
| for her fingers. When she returned to her
partner in the pedicure business she informed
him Of the agreement she had made, and they
both began to consult various works on the
treatment of the feet in the vain hope that
they would find something also regarding the
hands. As neither of them spoke French.
for it would have been very easy to have
found something on this subject in that
language they were kept in state of ignor-
ance, and even had no idea that the word
| "manicure" applied to doctor for the hands
GETTING THE MATERIAL.
The wife, however, recollected that she
had seen in the pharmacy showcases certain
little boxes with tools therein which were
called "Nail-cases" for the identifying of the
hands. She accordingly purchased one of
these boxes at drug store, and upon open
ing the various little pots, found that one
contained powder, another sort of red
paste, and there was channels pad, or pol
isher besides the scissors. file, etc. This lit
: tie case was imported, and had slip of paper
with some writing in French upon it. Our
/ oI, IN
| ant of that nationality living in the same
| house with her who translated the same, by
| which she gained the information that the
care of the nails was of as much Importance
to women of fashion as the care of the teeth,
and that as much time should be spent on the
beauty and preservation of one as the other.
| This was, of course, very instructive and to
the point, but gave no particular informa-
ton as to what she was to do with the va
| rious instruments of curious shapes which
| the little box contained.
Nothing daunted, however, by a little trife
| like the fact that she was prepared to wage
war on the delicate hands of her patient with
the intention of using every blessed one of
these tools, be the effect what it might she
proceeded to the house of her patron. The
lady herself unconsciously aided our Yankee
friend, and appeared with a dainty bowl of
warm water into which she dipped her rosy
| fingers before delivering her hands to her sol
disant manicure" By dint Of absolute
"cheek," for there is no other word for it,
the operation was successfully concluded, the
lady appearing very well satisfied. The
manicure, now fully hedged, pocketed her
fee after making another engagement for a
future day, returned to her husband and re-
lated her experience, and resolved forthwith
to set up as sort of branch to his depart
ment room where she could treat the fingers
| of such of the fair sex as could be inVeigled
into her den.
ALARGE BUSINESS.
From this simple and most ignorant be-
ginning the woman of whom write is now,
suppose, the most successful manicure by
all odds in America, and should say from a
pretty fair experience is as good as any OF
the French women who after serving quite O
long apprenticeship undertake the business,
which is a very old one on the other side OF
the water. 1 do not know how much of q
fortune this first manicure has made, but ]
am certain it is no inconsiderable sum. She
not only has suite of large parlors very ele-
gantly furnished, where, on bright morn
ing, may at times be seen fifteen'or twenty OF
the most fashionable New York women, but
she has for the last two or three years done q
| large business in the manufacture of the
goods necessary for the proper. care and
treatment of the hands. Each lady, OF
course has her own instruments just as much
as each lady has her own combs and brushes,
and, while am not aware that the fabrica-
ton of them is very expensive, | am perfectly
convinced that the retail price admits of an
immense profit, most of which, of course
| accrues to the manufacturer In every city
in the United States these goods are sold.
Most Of them are patented, and besides the
instruments the same person manufactures
the powder and paste.
should think this was one Of the remark
able instances of taking "the tide in the af-
fairs of women at the flood, which leads on
to fortune From mere accident which,
to less observant and ready woman, would
have been passed by without perhaps fu.
ture thought, has arisen q lucrative and
well-founded business, which not only sup
| ports and brings a comfortable income to the
woman by whose cleverness it was created,
but is the means of giving a livelihood tc
hundreds of Others, most OF whom lsve
started out without o dollar of capital, and
With nothing to depend upon but their OWE
aptness and some little skill, for understand
an apprenticeship of three or four days or a
week is all that is necessary to learn this
business.
what II iiaed the Ostriches.
+. [Philadel Aia CALI
The California ostrich farmer has lost tep
birds this winter Some foe of his must have