St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-14


reception room of detached house on
a fashionable street. Turkish rugs par
TALLY covered the hardwood floor, heavy
bronZe-green pOrtiereS hung in the
doorways, ludian silk paler green
draped the mantel piece, slender glass
vase held a careless handful of lilies OF
the valley; on the open piano was a
Waldteufel waltz.
eyes" said Mrs. X, ''and ten
years ago that woman hadn't penny!
Her husband failed in business, and
they were absolutely destitute. Now
look at them! She built that house out
of her own savings in $50; she keeps
three maids, and one of her daughters
is at an expensive Philadelphia board
ing school. How did she do it? Well,
before her marriage she had been a
dresSmaker in small way, and had a
real talent for the work. Then she is a
clever woman, and had brains enough
to make herself fashionable and build
up reputation. She knew better titan
to begin on back street or in shabby
rooms. She borrowed large sum of
money and started out boldly in an ex-
pensive fiat. prettily furnished. Those
must have been anxious times for her,
though. She was quite young woman
then, but her hair turned gray in the
first two years. Did she begin with
low prices? No, indeed. She charged
almost as much at first as she does now,
and people took her, as they very often
do, at her own valuation.
''Of course that plan doesn't invari-
ably succeed. 1t was always something
of an experiment. But it answered
with her. You see, she really was
good dressmaker, though L have no
doubt there are many in the city just as
competent who blush unseen. Of
course there were some bad debts at
first, but as soon as her reputation was
established she began to carry matters
with high hand, and sued one of her
SWEETEST customers. Dangerous? Well,
it did her more good than harm in the
long run. What about her prices? Oh,
they are shamefully high, but still she
is what call an honest dressmaker.
When you take your material she tells
you exactly what your bill for that
particular gown will amount to, 800 or
$50 or $40, as the case may be.
Findings in the technical phrase, are
included. Then you know Just where
you are,' and are not haunted
for the next week by terrible
possibilities in the way of bills
for extras Most dressmakers adopt a
different plan, and,n doubt, they find it
pays. You go to one of these individu-
ais with, for instance, twenty yards of
foulard, and ask her what she will
charge for making it into gown. Eff
teen dollars she tells you, and if YOU
are ignorant of the city and it's ways
that are dark you 60 away congratulate
ing yourself on tolerably moderate
figure. You have heard blOod-curdling
tales of the eXtOrtiOns of dressmakerS
and the difficulties attendant on cloth
ing ones self in this part of the world,
but you come to the tOo-previous con-
clusion that this is not so hard after all.
Twenty dollars for your foulard, SIS for
making, and. say, S. or So for Innings,
etc. Aout $40 in all. That leaves you
SO for your bonnet, and surely $50 is
moderate for spring costume. Alasl
you findyOu have counted your chickens
very much too soon. When that fOulard
comes home you discover a strip of
paper about half a yard long pinned to
it wherein is stated in spidery charac-
tiers that you, unlucky one, are indebted
to Mrs. Blank to the amount of at least
$50, and very likely S32 or S33. Aghast,
you examine the items, which run some
thing like this:
To making dress ...........S15 90
Tape E. ...... 80. 63
Braid Observation-Disclosures. so
sewing SILK -..-.. ...................-. w
'And so on. Of course, you know
perfectly well that no one could use
more than 25 cents worth of sewing
silk on an ordinary gown, and it's the
same way with most of the other charges,
but-there is nothing for it but to grin
and bear it as best you can. Redress is
hopeless.
If you give them the opportunity
many of these women will be very eX-
travagant with your material. As an
instance, went the other day with a
young friend of mine to buy some pink
satin for decollette basque. I want
three yards she said TO the clerk at the
silk-counter, and then, turning to me:
Doesn't that seem rather too much for
a low-necked and shOrt-sleeved waist?"
Said the clerk: For waist of that de-
scription, madam, one yard and a-half
is the proper quantity
"But my dressmaker told me to get
three yards
81 assure you yard and a-half is all
that is necessary. | shouldn't feel JUS
titled in selling more than a yard and
three-quarters for that purpose
swell, she took the yard and three
quarters and gave it to her dressmaker
without a word. The basque was made
out of it. And that sort OF thing is quite
common"
EE answers received from an ad in
WORE Sundays GLOBE than from all