Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1889-07-12
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INNISHMACSAINT LACE,

'ooo Improvements IpoiA Viz V1lS u4dlS LII
Cretan.
INN1sHMACsAINT LACE.
The Innishmacsaint lace comes from a
region still more interesting, not only
from the loneliness of the scenery about
the upper and lower lakes Of Tough Ernie,
that splendid northern rival of glorious
Killarney in Kerry, but also from the
singular beauty of the maidens and
mothers who dwell and labor amid these
mountains, wales, glens and upon these
transcendent shores. Innishmacsaint it.
self is a dainty island half mile from
shore in upper Tough Erne 4 famous
abbey was founded here in the Sixth
century, by st. Nenn or Nernid of the
roya! blood Of Ireland. The saints bell,
ornamented with gold and silver, is still
preserved here as sacred and precious
relic. The parish, partly in county Done
gal and partly in Fermanagh, derives its
name from the island of ruins, and the
entire peasantry of this wild and beauti-
full region, in manner and dress, strik-
inSly remind one Of the picturesque folk
nf the Tvrol.
Nearly every family has Il member
who is a lace maker, and without organ
ization, technical instruction, or any at
tention whatever to preserving or devel-
oping artistic effort, these blue eyed, black
haired, red Tipped women produce mar
wells i'll point lace as wonderful as were
ever known in point d'Alencon. I found
one worker who had been employed
more than five months upon one hand
kerchef She said two months more
would be required to complete it. "What
will you get for it?" I inquired. Faith,
an I'm thinkin' a pound it'll bring. "And
what will you do them" I asked again.
Go to America, phase Godr was the
reply. And yet the rich Belfast lace
dealers showed me handkerchiefs by no
means as rich and delicate for which
they easily got $3.50 each.
LABOR BETTER PAID IN THE SOUTH.
Their peasant sisters of the south are
more fortunate in the matter of training
and just and generous supervision. The
nuns of the Presentation convent at
Youglal have assiduously striven for
fifty years to not only secure the best
copies from the most famous lace max
ers Of southern Europe, but have insisted
upon constant instruction Dealing direct
with the importing houses of America,
they have been able to pay the best
wages known in Ireland for wornen's
labor These fifty years of effort have
also brought most magnificent artistic
results Irish point" as the Youghal
lace is called, is practically perfected into
an original combination Of old and mod
eln stitches, closely resembling, and in
many instances far superior to, some Of
the rarest specimens Of Malines; and it
is doubtful if today there can be found
rarer. more exquisite]y and marvellous
ly designed work than comes from hum
dreds of homes Of the sunny wales Of
Cork and Waterford. s..,..-
There is also a black lace in silk, and
a white lace in thread, both pillow
1laces,' made by the peasant women
about the sleepy old town Of Tallow,
from instruction during tho last half
century by the nuns Of St, Joseph's con-
vent. -
From the most conservative estimates
it would seem that e, 900 women in Ire
land are constantly employed in the va
rious forms of lace making; $4,000 are
at-work in the linen spinning and weav-
ing mills; $4,000 are employed in en-
ployed i'll embroidery alone, and from
$4,000 to- 100000 in such pursuits as
knitting. shirt making, hem stitching,
finishing, laundering and boxing; or, In
round numbers, 100000 Irish women il
homes and factories are endlessly striving
to hold their howell homes and their be.
loved Ireland together, or: wages which
!: will not exceed an average Q; four skill
+ lings per week!-Cor. New York Com
merciai Advertiser. go
e United States Marshal Campbell last
week sold at auction the 400 pounds of
opium seized at Minnesota Transfer last
spring. Among the bidders were several
Cinnamon from San Francisco. Moves
Bros. & Cutler, of st. Paul, bid $3.50 q
pound and secured the opium. It was
bought by them for San Francisco par
ties. The duty alone on opium is $40 .
pound. IS. S3.., Z.
Fayette Marsh has instituted criminal
proceedings against Alderman George
I Low, 7. G. Kitty, F. B. Yates, A. w.
Pattee and James Goodman, the mem
bers of the city council Of Saltwater
who have held Office prior to the present
year. Marsh, in his complaint, charges
that the council had levied assessments
for the Improvement Of certain streets,
but applied the money to other sources;
that they voted to pay bills on con-
tract in which one Of the aldermen were
interested, and voted to pay more than
his contract awarded him. .G