The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-03-25
SERIAL SHIRT-FRONTS.
An Invention Patented by Pennsylvanian
Who Knows the Weakness of Man
kind.

"If ANYBODY thinks that the inven-
tive genius of the American people is
on the wane he's hopelessly left, that's
all, ," remarked one of the leading pat
ent LAWYERS of Philadelphia yesterday
afternoon, as he sat with his feet on
the Office table and smoked a patent
Connecticut cigar warranted 10 deceive
the most expert Judge of Havana to-
bacco. "Jsmes," he continued, adj
dressing the offioe boy. bring me that
package that came from Washington
Yesterday.
The lad produced large paper par
eel, from which the lawyer took what
was to all appearances an ordinary col
ored shirt. being apparently OF white
linen. with a small design in the form
Of a horseshoe and jockey cap stamp
ed sll over the bosom and cuffs.
u have inst taken out patent on
this for n man in Lackawanna county,
who calls it the Excelsior paper-shirt
and novelette, Here the speaker in
serted 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 an
other layer, and then another and an
other. 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 soc
its really a remarkable idea. Here -
this shirt made Of very tough paper.
that won't tear without n good deal of
pressure, and the bosors is made up of
| seven layers, one for each day IN the
week, if man chooses TO be lavish
| with his linen, or. if be like 10 be ont
and out swell. he can change hail
| dozen times q day. Now. on this SAM
ple all the fronts are the same, bnt
/ thev will be made in all sOTts Of styles.
| 90 that a fellow can wear this horse
shoe figure if he wants 70 20 70 Coney
| Island to the races, or a crossed base-
ball bat design IL he is going TO see the
| Philadelphias play the Athletics, or a
neat little design in dots and bars. or
something of that sort, IL he Is gong
/ with his girl 10 Atlantic City or 70 the
matinee. That'll be all fixed by giving
a card with each shirt telling the pat
tern on each of the seven fronts, which
| will be numbered from one TO seven.
Enough collars and cuffs viii 60 with
each shirt for the seven fronts, and the
whole outfit will be sold for the small
sum OF fifty cents for the assorted pat
| terms ana ID1TtN-uNb CEHAs AoE AuS al
white. Why, it's the biggest thing that
| has been struck since the telephone
was patented"
But what about the novelette, part
of the schelne?'
"Ah, ] had forgotten to show you;
see this" aud the lawyer handed over
one Of the torn-of shirt fronts, on the
back of which was printed IN fine type
one chapter Of a story entitled: "The
Phantom Jockey: Romance OF Sleeps
head Bay" There YOU are. chapter
L of sporting novelette,, and it's CON
tinued and finished on the other siN
fronts. OF course, sometimes you will
run across the same yarn twice on two
shirts, but some thousands of different
stories win be printed. and the lots
made up so as to give each city and
town as few duplicates as possible
Anyhow, the card will tell you what
story is on the shirt, and YOU can b
careful not to buy the same stor,
twice. Some men viii get so interest
ed in the story when the rip of Mon
days front that they will tear of thi
week, so as TO learn the hero fate, bu
, that will be all the better. and is, in
deed part of Of the scheme in printin;
| them all. Oh, ] tell you this invention
, is going TO be all the 60, and, asid
: from its other virtues. will do NOR
r toward driving the Chinese laundrymei
. back 10 their native land than all III
e political howls that ever were heard.