Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-01
COST OF COSMETICS.
Shirley Dare Treats Of a Topic In
teresting to the Fair Sex.
THE PROFIT In FACE POWDERS.
Decayed Gentlewomsn Who Make Money
by Preparing Face Lotions.
POOR PAY FOR NEWSPAPER WORK
WRITTEN FOR THE p1srAroH.1

If "man is immortal till his work is done" I"
as the school notices used to tell us, life
insurance may be dispensed with for some
time to come in the present case. Whether
all the homely women travel in summer
and the good looking stay at home, or not,
think some thousands of the former, all
freckles, eye teeth and deep leathery
wrinkles have gone on the same railroads
If one were a cosmetic Consuelo, it would
be temptation to take van, like the
quack vendors, and travel from town to
town, applying freckle washes, face
bleaches and wrinkle pastes. What hosts
for whimsical genius, and what mis-
sionary work in general? To our CORES
pondents at once.
It is out Of the question to answer all let
ters which desire private reply, were time
and strength given up to them. Still those
wishing personal letters should at least risk
stamps on the chance, for if the answer to
their inquiries is not worth postage to them,
it can't be worth taking the time for. A
letter was lately received from Ireland, i'm
ploring directions for removing personal
blemishes, in heart-burning terms, but the
evidently well educated writer quite over
looked ocean postage.
WORTHY OF HER HIRE.
If people, Imagine that authors write be-
cause they are good for nothing else, it will
do to remind them that this may be true of
good many writing folk, but those who
make the truest success of writing are usu
ally capable of making more money in COM
mon business. Mr.. Isaac Bromley wrote
the wittiest articles, political and otherwise,
for the Tribune years ago, at 5000 year.
Times changed and the salary was reduced,
year or two, when that was thought too
much. Mr.. Bromley left newspaper work
and took railroad Office at a salary of S10,-
900, where he is considered we'll worth the
sum. So a newspaper man told me. know
newspaper woman, very bright and cute,
whom the Jealousy of unscrupulous women
writers without half her talent at anything
but lying, edged off the Boston press into
other business, where she is able to clear $50
a week, which is thrice more than any of her
rivals are doing. Two or three women I de-
clined to help forward in the crowded field
of newspaper work-your thanks, if you
please, Messieurs editors-were wroth with
me until they found themselves substan-
TALLY placed in other work, with three times
the salary they could possibly hope for in
journalism. So please inquire within your
selves if $40 day is very moderate price
for an authors time, who could make five
times as much outside of newspapers, and if
a letter of advice often takes hours of study
and writing. isn't that reply worth postage?
REAL NAMES NECESSARY.
Another rule which writer's soon find
themselves forced to observe, is never to
notice letters without the writer's real name
and address. 1t is not remarkable that
women do not wish to sign some of the silly
efusions they send. Bear in mind, it is an
afront to yourself to write letter you are
unwilling to sign, and nearly as much to re-
ceive it, and all such are quickly dropped
into the waste basket
Women are queer about their own inter-
est often. For instance, one writer pathet-
ically deplores Disagreement of face and
person, which she fears will render her an
object of dislike to the husband whom she is
soon to marry. She has been minded to
break off the engagement on this account,
but to do SO, she says, will be TO break her
own heart. She has found proprietary
remedy which entirely removes the defect
in most satisfactory way, but she grudges
the price, and comes to me to tell her how to
reach the same effect for nothing, Now,
here is defect which is likely to cost her
future happiness, and safe remedy whose
virtue she knows. Does she ever balance
the two things and ask herself whether she
would rather let her life's hopes and af-
fections go, or pay even 800 to be without
blemish. and happy? If good looks and
contentment with ones self and the gain of
a husband are not worth dozen bottles of |
depilatory, even at So bottle, the price of |
about, and decline to spoil other peoples !
profits.
THE COST OF COSMETICS.
The papers have had good deal to say |
about the price of certain cosmetics in pro-
portion to the cost of material. To be con- /
sistent, they should attack all articles sold |
by druggists, for it has long been one of the
proverbs of trade that no business was more
profitable than the sale of drugs. The story
has gone from Maine to California about the
Norwood druggist near Boston who put up
a lotion for friend, charging % cents.
"See here" says the buyer, "you needn't
spoil trade like that if you are friends with
me- The last time had that lotion put up
in town, they charged me $1.25." 81 guess
I won't suffer-" said the druggist, dryly.
81 only made "a cents on the bottle"
They say the drug trade has gone down
since then and doesn't make so much money,
but it is pertinent to say that the cost of
bare material is usually the least item in
or medicines. People leave out
the rent of buildings to manufacture and
sell them in, the cost of the mere putting
up, clerk hire and advertising, which often
costs more than all other expenses put to-
gether. Put these things together, and a
medicine or cosmetic at 81 bottle will be
no more expensive than sewing machine,
or hay cutter, or pound of fine cheese.
1t is odd how people weekly pay charges
in dozen directions tor necessaries of life,
which they
GRUDGE BITTERLY
for the essentials of refinement, which no.
body compels them to buy at all The law
Of trade is that necessaries of food and COM
fort are to be sold as near cost as possible,
aud profits made from luxuries which peo-
pie can buy or go without, as seems good.
Yet we are every one of US paying cents
pound for the hundred weights of sugar
used yearly, when the Scientific american
tells us sugar can be raised at a profit in
Kansas for III cents pound. Borax had
Oeen sou contenteuly lOr years at centS
per pound, when it suddenly took jump to
20 cents, a year or two ago. and suppose
because it is as plenty and cheap as sand in
;he Western States. Copperas. the best
lisinfectant for family use, costs few mills
4 pound, but we pay at least cents. The
BAR soap women use tor the laundry cost more
han their cosmetics in proportion to the
to manufacture and putting on the
market. Curiosity led me to look into these
hings lately.