The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-08-16
FEATHER DRESSES.
Live Butterflies on Bonnets OF
real Flowers-Some Tricks
In a Remarkable Trade.

III
Don't cit there; there's . big
beetle on the chair. Here, III gel
YOU q seat. What something there
also? Oh. that's only my big spider
"Here, I'll flep him Off" So sopk'
a worker in feathers to q syn report
| er he had invited to lock at What
he called a new folly in dress. He
took from q band box . diMinutive
! bundle of roses, from which depend
| ed two strings, and which th<
| possessr was wili-ling to take oath
was a bonnet. Yes its q carriage
bonnet. As it appears now there
| is nothing remarks lie about it, but
! it is not ready yet. One moment,
and I'll show vou," and from q
bandbox on the shelf he took out a
magnificent butterfly. and by .
dextrous movement attached 1t to
! the flowers on the bonnet, that now
looked like an ordinary bonnet with
the butterfly on the flowers.
81 am only experimentiDg,'
continued the man, "but when the
bonnet goes home it will be ready for
3 not with dead insects. but live
ones. Under the penals ofthe roses l
have q very delicate set of claspers,
each lined with q soft wax, into
which the feet of the insects dt, so
that the animal Is not burt in the
slightest. When the bonnet Is used
the insects is put in, and duriDgthe
ride rests naturally. raising its wings
as in nature. In fact, the bonnet,
when ready, will be made of fresh
flowers. set in and caught by the
springs of the frame. Oh, yes, they
are extremely fashionable. You see
every lady can have her bonnet of
voilets entirely, and l have a tutter-
fly from South America that WILL
cost S35 to 70 with it as an exact
match.
"Alive? OF course. 1 have the
cocoons of almost every kind you
can think of and can bring them out
wherever l wish by increasing the
temperature of the Matching box.
Arich spring bonnet is made of
daisies, and I have seen n made
of b%uttercups. 1t had two sulphur
colOred butterflies upon it of the
genus Colias. You see the b0nnets
are either for q single. drive or for an
evening entertainment where the
head dress is to be worn. Some cost
more than u hundred dollars, just
for one night, and you can make
them cost as much as you wish. Yes
animals of one kind n another ore
in fashion, and the more they
cost the better they suit. You know
among the people who MAKE money
the majority judge every
thing by this standard and when l
get one as a customer l always make
all l CAM
IA lady of this SOFT called on me
some time ago. | knew Sue was a
little fresh with her money, SO when
,he asked me what I would make
,uch and such garment for l bowed
md said $3.50. This was $3.50 more
han it was worth, AS I expected,
he demurred and I Immediately
begged her to pay what she wished
/ made the garment. sent 1t home.
md received q check for $500. l
made, as you see, $50. There are
thousands like ter They won't buy
lDything unless it is expensive.
Last winter a lady came to me and
Nr:- there Is going to be a mas
lerade in CleaveIaud next month
md l wish to have the handsomest
md most original dress there. Can
,ou promise to supply it" Il can,'
aid /. What will be the chracter
you would suggest?' said she. I
sain I. that madame-would
ook well in bird of paridise
,0stume.f She gave me the order,
md l made a train dress of the feath-
RS of the red, superb, king, and other
birds Of paradise that cost
that is, it cost her that. 1 had
the skins the day tef re from
lar who got them from Mr.. Hell
and at a loss Between you and me
hey cost me $l;0. But, after all I
anne NEAL losing her as a customer.
She had a fri.n |, who 1 imagine
vas something OF rival, and several
lays after I received Che first order
he came IN and told me about the
anne story, and also wanted the best
costume. You knew what some of
he costumes are to be, don't you? she
looking me in the eve l
confessed that I did. Well, and here
he handed me q bill, and a big one,
il a retainer that | am not out
hined.' You can wager that she
vas not"
"What was the costume?" the re-
porter asked.
ut was made up entirely of the
breasts Of humming bird, was a rich
METAL purple, and / don't know how
many skins ] used in it But 1t was
the prize costume. OF
curse, the other lady came to me in
rage, and the ouly way l saved my
lair was by telling her that her
|ress cost the nest and was the rich
st and in the best taste. Feather
Of course: are not common
9 the cost is excessive. The EN-
'erOr of Brazil has a robe of state
hat cost nearly ten thousand dollars,
0 I have been told. On one side it
!, made up of the selected feathers of
be cock u the rock. and on the other
f feathers from the hummer, so rare
hat there are hardly ten specimens
D the United States.
II occasionally get All order for
rogon feathers. They are found in
Outh America, and Mexico, and are
t a magnificent green, / made an
pera cloak OF them for a Mexican
ldy last winter We have found.
new use for the English sp-
rrowsThey are sold for about a cen
piece. The body. sells As reed birdt
nd we take the wings, dye them
ID, yellow and blue, and sell them
, South Ameicans birds. No one
'ould know the difference"