The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-10-17

Haw the People Of the soufh
Clothed Themselves

al a Gw.len 81 e Ceafnrr.

4 G Gs~scn IN sAe Csarnrx.
Costly fhy hahit as my purse czn
buy was maxim q Necessity IN the
hard times. for there was no rainsnt
the subject Of barter or sale which
was inexpensive Sporadic instances
taken At random prove the general
ruIe- In August. 1864, private cisi-
xen's coat and rest. made OF Eve yards
Of coarse horne--p1n clofh. cost 5 30
exclusive of the cost paid for the max
ia<- The trimmings consisted Of cd
cravzts: and for tbe cutting ard Yuf-
ting together, country tailor CHARGED
$50 Ii Is safe 80 say that the private
citizen hooked yerlfahle guy in bis
nex suif. in spite Of is heavy drain
upon his pocketbook.
In January. ISIS. the material for .
! ias1r's dress which before the var
would have cost SO. could not be
bought FOR less than $50 The mas
culine mind Is unequal to the task 81
guessing how great 3 SUM might have
{ been had for b0nnefs brought through
the lines for In spite Of patient self
sacrifice and nnfAftering devotion af
the bedsiies Of The wounded in the
hospital. or IN Ininistering to the
needs OF relatives and dependents at
/ hasne. the Southern women OF those
feys are credited with as keen an IN
terest in the fashions rs
women everywhere in civilized lands
are apt 70 De IN times OF peace. IL
was natural that they should be so in
feressed. even though that interest
could IN the main not reach beyond
theory. Without II they often would
have had q charm the less and pang
/ the more. ANY feminine garment in
| the share OF cloak or bonnet or dress
which CHANGED TO come from the
J North was readily assarled its need
OF praise. and reproduced by sharp
eyed observers, so far as the scarcity
OF materials wonid admit
But fashions rules were necessarily
much relaxed In the Southern Con-
| fetleracy SO far as practice went when
even such articles IS pins brought
through the blockade Sold for Sl2 a
paper, and needles tor SO, with not
enough Of either.
The superstition expressed in she
eunpset.
See pin, and pick itup.
All the day you'll have good lack.
gained its converts by the score; more,
however, as can be readily imagined.
for tie sake of the pin itself, which 1t
was stroke OF happy fortune to ind
and seize, than OF any other good luck
that was to accompany the finding.
The broken needles OF Confederate
times did not go into the fire nor out
OF the window, but was care
fully laid aside until the red sealing
wax OF the ransacked desks
aud secretaries lent II head where
with 10 appear a. handsome and
useful pin. TO obtain the bare ma
terials out OF which to fashion gar
ments for the family and for the ser
wants soon became serious question
The house carpenter and the black
smith were called into service to this
end, and cotton once more became
king, though of 4 greatly diminished
sovereignty. Carding combs OF n
rough pattern were constructed for
the purpose OF converting raw cotton
into batting, and thence into rolls of
uniform length and size for spinning.
The hum Of the spindle ans the clank
OF the loom treadie we're the material
music with which the women at home
met the fierce attacks OF the legions OF
cold and nakednesS.
Sninning wheels, reels, bobbins,
looms, and all the appurtenances for
the weaving OF cloth were made and
used ut home; and the toilers in the
cotton fields and the spinners in the
loom shed worked on contentedly,
with seemingly sublime indifference
10 the mighty struggle that was con-
vuising continent for their Sakes.
OF this dusky people it may here be
said that, no matter what philanthro-
pists, politicians or philosophers
have said OF them in the past or shall
prophesy OF them in the future, they
were true to every trust imposed in
them; and with most tremendous
power for direst evil in their posses
sion, the negroes of the South in the
days of the civil war did naught but
good. Ii the .'colored troops of the
Union army fought nobly,n the
slaves OF the Southern plantation 20
bore themselves in those stirring times
as TO merit no smaller need of praise.
Cotton and wooden fabrics OF firm
and substantial texture were woven,
cut aud fashioned into garments for
whites and backs. Plentiful crops of
flax reinforced the array OF wool and
cotton. and many little flax wheel
which in the days OF peace has since
moved North to adorn in its newly
gilded and beribboned state the bou-
DOR OF some q thetic girl, might tell
pathetic tales Of its former place of
re idence, II the tongue of its tiny
spindle had but speech.
The dyes OF the forest wood hark..
Of the samac, 0i the Carolina indigo
aud OF The copperas from the numer-
Gus eoppesas wells were utilized to
color the cloth thus woven. We
read in the current newspapers that
- handsome brown dive" j. made by
combination OF red oak bark and
bluestone in boiling water: and that
"a brilliant yellow" may be obtained
by pouring boiling water upon other
component parts OF ''sassafras. swamp
bay and butterfly root The same au-
thorities tells us that vivid parples.
redssnd green" were produced from
composition OF coal oil and sorghum,
tinted With the appropriate tree bark
though OF coal on for other purposes
there was all too little Ii great -in-
ilariiy Of quality ami texture existed
IN the homespun clio h, the euumera-
ton OF the foregoing means Of dyeing
clearly demon .trates that there WAS
at least opportunity for a great diver
sity OF coier n dis ingai he'd the ia
nous coat OF Joseph: though the
reader OF to-iay Is apt To ioSk with
some suspicion on the cjnSpie4ayS
orwardnes- al the adieetives @yivid. =
/ brilliant. splendid" which always
accompanied tie tall manic setipes
strong thread Tor sewing was evolved
from the little iax Wheels. For any
unusually handsome work. II hv any
odd chance such work should happen
to be demanded, sewing silk was pro-
cured In an emergency by raveiins the
fringes oi old 81 k shawis OF picking 10
pieces ak scraps which has survived
times tnuch, and cartiine. cnnabine
and twisting them into tine threads.
1 These iiste -iikea han. s wcre some
times o lFethiy coloSe.j hy mean. Of
the dyes that have been described, L,
to become in the eyes Of thc woman
kiad ~ thai generation almost as
beautiful a the many .iaaaeI dainfv
q . eilea Of the Pre- euf are 20 the we
men 81 TODAY.
At the Agricultural College.
Tiaas.
How are yaI getti ~ along siih the