Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-28
THU FAIR SEX CHHATHD
An Adventures Sells Shoddy
Cloth AS Imported Goods
to Society Leaders.
Painful Disclosures Follow Her
Disappearance-Her Hus-
band Causes a Scene.

From Wednesday Daily.
A number of the most prominent society
ladies.of Butte are looking longingly but not
lovingly for the return OF a comely and &C
complished English woman who should fiji
to their graceful figures beautiful tailor
made costumes that would rival the pro
auctions Of the most noted eastern estab
lishments where ladies street attire il
fashioned by the deft figures OF mon. They
are looking in vain.
The story is an old m in plot and new
| only in execution. This mature daughter
OF the queen-her name 10 wholly imma
terial. because fictitious-aIrived in this
| city some weeks ago. She was accom-.
panied by a man whom she called her hus-
band. He had no occupation and seem.
ingly did not seek employment. The wife
was the executive officer of the combina-
ton. She had a large quantity of ''iln-
ported" cloths; had brought them all the
way from England; would sell them cheap,
partly because she had paid no duty for
their Importation Inc partly because she
needed ready money wherewith to open q
stylish and ~pretentious establishment in
Helena for the manufacture OF women's
attire, exclusively.
The p~lausibility OF the woman's story,
the ~graciousness of her manner and the APP
parent honesty of her countenance COM
pletelY threw even suspicious people off
their guard n she found very little diff
Guilty in disposing Of her smupgled goods.
The purchasers did not wish, of course, to
encourage wrong doing by assisting in the
disposal OF property which had escaped
the vigilant eye OF the customs officers, but
then the goods were so cheap and seine
of them were perfectly lovely and then
again the prospective buyers might not
another chance to secure such bar.
gains. Care in the selection of victims
the business of the British ma
and in a remarkably short period
time she had sold enough OF her
imported fabrics to fill a gen.
purse to overlooking and to
provide many society leaders with mate |
rial for winter suits and wraps. In each |
case the price paid was about o%ne-fourth
OF the professed value of the goods. Cloth |
appraised by the woman at So per yard
was sacrificed for a paltry 50. In each
case, also, the accomplished swindler as |
sured the unsuspecting purchaser that she
could and would make up the dress or
wrap for about $S-an enormous saving
the cost OF the same work done else
where in Butte. She could not do the
work Immediately after the sale, however;
The would be obliged to return to Helena
or a few days to s~uperintend the opening
her establishment there. But she would
'eturn; oh, yes, she would return. Right
lere may beremarked that prior to the &C.
'omplished peddler's departure she and her
had a m. st violent and
vithal a somewhat disgraceful domestic
at the Paragon hotel. The hubby
lad returned home drunk after q half-night
nth kindred spirits and an explosion on
he part OF the woman whose earnings he
;ad squandered was the result. The other
'oarders were somewhat shocked, but they
aid nothing to betray their knowledge OF
he unfortunate marital relations of the
trangers.
A few days ago one OF the ladies whose
magma zion had been busy in picturing her
elf as she would appear when arrayed in
IL the splendor OF q tailor-made costume
t imported cloth, became impatient at the
r%otracted absence OF the English woman
carried her purchase tn q we'll.
tailoring establishment, where I
lomen's wraps are made as q matter .
I accommodation, and requested that !
garment snch as the little Britisher {
I'D described be made for her out of the
lateral she had bought. The impatient
'ciety leader was surprised when told I
the work which the c~loth-yender would '
o for So would cost $25 or $50 at a y
lilors. Nevertheless, she left ter measure g
nd showed her priced material. Excuse 9
%, madame" was the tailor's apologetic i
mark, 'but surely you do not wish US to v
'e this materially" The question natur- g
~ piqued the desirable patron and she I
'ther CURLY asked, "Why not" An es- T
anation ensued in which it was made g
ain that the perfectly lovely material n
hlch had been bought so cheap from the p
was American shoddy of the Ii
'orest quality and that the purchaser y
d been most outrageously swindled.
Other ladies will have the same ~exper.
ice when they tire OF waiting for the com
: erring sister, and apply to a home
odiste or tailor for the making up of M
cir beautiful goods bought at such a bar.
in. As to the English woman, she and
E precious consort have left for parts un.
own, but presumably have filled their &C
INKS with other shoddy stock, and are n,
actlcing their wits on other society =,
ders in another city. u