Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-12-05
SERIAL SHIRT FRONTS.
An Amazing Invention Lately PATENT
ed by a Pennsyivanian.
Philadelphia Times

Philadelphia Times
IF anybody things that the inyen-
tive genius of the American people is
on the wane he's hopelessly left, that's
al, remarked one of the leading
patent lawyers of Philadelphia yester
day afternoon as he sat with his feet
on the office table and smoking s
patent Connecticut cigar warranted
to deceive the most expert judge of
Havana tobacco. James," he con-
tiaued, addressing the Office boy,
bring me that package that came
from Wisconsin yesterday"
The lad produced a large paper
parcel, from which the lawyer took
what was to all appearances an ordin-
airy colored shirt, being apparently
of white linen, with a small design
in the form of horseshoe and jockey
cap stamped all over the bosom and
cuffs.
81 have just taken out patent on
this for man in Lackawauna coun-
ty." Here the speaker inserted his
thumb nail at the bottom of the
shirt bosom and proceeded to tear off
layer of paper, of which the shirt
was made. He then tore off another
layer, and tken another, and another,
until six separate sheets in the shape
of the bosom lay on the table. and he
still held what looked like the original
shirt in his hand. You see, it's a
really remarkable idea. Here is this
shirt, made of very tough paper, that
won't tear without a good deal of
pressure, and the bosom is made up
of seven layers, one for each day in
the week, if a man chooses to be
lavish with his linen, or, if he like to
be an out-and-out swell, he can
change half dozen times day. No,
on this sample all the fronts are the
same, but they will be made in all
sorts of styles. so that fellow can
wear this horseshoe figure if he wants
to go to Coney island to the races, or
a crossed base ball bat design if he is
going out to see the Philadelphia play
the Athletic, or neat little design in
dots or bars, or something of that
sort, if he is going off with his girl to
Atlantic City or the matinee. ThatH
be all fixed by giving card with each
shirt telling the pattern on each of t. {
ScNcu lF0uGS, WHICH Will NC mum OOi Co
from one to seven. Enough collars
and cuffs will go with each shirt fol
the seven fronts, and the whole outfit
will be sold for the small sum of sc
cents for the assorted patterns and 81
cents for the white. Why, it's the
biggest thing that Ihas been struck
since the telephone was patented.
"But what about the novelette, par
of the scheme2"
''Ah, l had forgotten to show you
see this, and the lawyer handed oyel
one of the torn off shirt fronts, on the
back of which was printed in fine type
one chapter of story entitled: 9TH,
Phantom Jockey, a Romance OF
Sheepshead Bay" There you are
chapter one of sporting novelette,
and it's continued and finished on the
other six fronts. Of course, some
times you will run across the same
yarn twice on two shirts, but some
thousands of different stories will be
printed, and TIE lots made up so as tt
give each city and town as few dupli
Gates as possible. Anyhow, the care
will tell you what story is on the shirt
and you can be careful not buy the
same shirt twice. Some men will gel
so interested in the story when they
rim off Mondays front that they will
tear the whole week off, so as to learn
the hero's fate, but that will be al
the better, and is, Indeed, part of the
scheme in printing them all. Oh,
tell you, this invention is going to be
great 60, ana, aside from its other
virtues, will do more toward driving
the Chinese laundrymen back to their
native than all the political howis
that ever were heard"