The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-11-21
SERIAL SHIRT FRONTS.
Invention ny u Wan Who Knows
tE.e weakness of Mankind.
PHILADELPHIA Record

philadelphia Record
oIf anybody thinks the inventive genius OF
The American people is on the wane he's
hopalessIy left, that's all," remarked one of
the leading patent lawyers of Philadelphia,
as he sat with his feet on the Office table and
smoked patent Connecticut cigar. James,"
he continued, addressing the office boy,
"bring me that package that came from
Washington the other day"
The lad produced large paper parcel,
from which the lawyer took what was to all
appearances en- ordinary coiored shirt, being
apparently of white linen, with small design
in the form of a horseshoe and jockey cap
stamped all over the bosom and cuffs.
Il have just taken out patent on this for
a man in Lackawanna county, who calls it
the Excelsior patent paper shirt and
| novelette," Here the speaker inserted
his thumb nail at the bottom of
the shirt bosom and proceeded to tear off a
layer of the paper OF which the shirt was
made He then tore off another layer, and
then another AMI 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
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 n man chooses TO be
| lavish with his linen, or, if he likes to be an
| out-and-out swell he can change half dozen
| times day. Now, ON this sample all the
| fronts are the same, but they will he made in
| all sorts Of styles so that fellow can wear
this horseshoe figure if be wants to go to
| Coney island 70 the races, or a crossed base
ball design if he is going out to see the Phila-
| delphias play the Athletics, or neat little
| design in dots or bars, or something of that
sort if he is going off with his girl to At
| lantic City or the matinee. That'n be all
| fixed by giving a card with each shirt telling
the pattern on each Of the seven fronts, which
will be numbered from one to seven. Enough
| collars and cuffs will 20 with each shirt for
the seven fronts, and the whole outfit will be
| sold for the small sum OF 80 cents for the as
sorted patterns and IS cents for all the white
Why, it's the biggest thing that has been
struck since the telephone was patented"
| But what about the novelette, part of the
schemes"
| "Ah, l had forgotten to show you; see
this and the lawyer handel over one of the
| bcti pA Silii AipltS on Tue bi'h Ol WHICH
was printed in fine typ one hapter of a
story entitled: "Thc Phantom Jockey Ro-
nance of Sheepsheal Ee5." "HhoTe you are
chapter |, OF sporting novelette,, and it's
| continued and finished on the other six
| fronts. Of course, sometimes you will run
across the same yarn twice ON two shirts,
but some thousands OF dilTorent stories will
b. printed, and the lots made up SO as to
give each city ard town as few duplicates as
possible. Anyhow, the card will tell you
what story is on the shirt, and you can be
careful not TO buy TIE same twice Some men
viii get 50 interested in the story when they
rip oil Mondays front that they viii tear
the whole week of, 50 as to learn the heros
fate, hut that VIII be all the better, and is.
indeed, part Of the scheme in printing
| fhrru al