St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-03
IN RENTED PLUMAGE.
The Glittering Gems That
Trembling Hang From
Beauty'S Ear,
And the Brie-a-Brac That
Adorns st. Paul's Hand
some Homes,
Are Frequently Not the Prop
erty OF Those Who Are
Adorned.
JeWeler s Who Do a THRIVING
Jeweler s Who Do a THRIVING
Trade in Renting Out
Finery.


number of them," exclaimed a very
simply though charmingly dressed
young lady TO her elderly chaperone as
the twain were ushered into the Ryan
reception rooms, on the occasion of the
event recently given in honor of the
visiting South Americans. The remark
was called forth by the dazzling appear
ance of a certain st. Paul lady, whose
hands. throat and cOrSage literally gilt
tered with jewels: Jewels that must
have been worth at the low est estimate
$4,000.
''She must be the wife of one of your
merchant princes" continued the late
arrival, who had heard some one say in
Chicago that Pat Kelly. Tom Lowry,
and few other fellows owned st. Paul
and rented it IN patches to the rest of
the population. The elderly chaperOne
smiled a gentle smile as she informed
her fair charge that the wearer of the
diamonds was the wife of a man whose
salary did not exceed 5000 year, and
vino had worn the same ulster for four
SEASONS past. They live in a flat"
continued the matrOn as she bowed to
people she recognized about her. George
say lilCN olN pun WV
and all that sort of thing. Terrible,
isn't it. OF course you know" and the
voice was lowered tritle, her Jewels
are not her own--they are hired"
At this point in the conversation. the
company of the younger lady was
claimed by youth who declared with
smile intended to be Ian guiShing, and
an accent intended to be English, that
he had been looking for her ''almost an
Ow-ah." The matron. having done her
duty in providing the fair Chieagoan
with an escort whose papa is worth at
least a million. opened her fan and
smiled over il blandly at every one in
general. and the foreigners in partic-
nlar, until a dark-skinned Brazilian en-
gagged her in a conversation as unin-
teligible to the hitherto involuntary
listener as it apparently was to those
engaged in it.
A TOUR OF INQUIRY.
The idea of renting jewelry was new
one to the GLOBE man. who gaZed won
deringly at the wealth of ornament dis
played by the maids and matrons pres
ent. There were diamonds and pearls.
rubies, emeralds, amethyStS, SapphireS
every gem known to the code was rep
resented that evening. How much of
occasion was the question agitating the
mind of the scribe, and 1t was with a
view to settling that question that tour
was madeOf the principal jewelry stores
OF the city yesterday.
''0h, yes" said well-known dealer
in gems. II do large business in that
way. In fact, l may say that there is
more money in the renting business
now that it has assumed such proper
tiOns than there is in sales. All the best
known people in the city hire jewelry
for state occasions, and the custom is
becoming generally recognized. have
$4,000 worth of set gems which keep
for that purpose exclusively, and by an
arrangement with Eastern wholesalers
the settings are changed every little
while in ord er to avoid having to lend
people tIinkets which might be recog-
nized as having been worn by Others"
"HOw much do you usually charge for
the use of say $1,000 worth of jewelry
for one EVENING"" was asked.
"WeIl. it depends on the customer. If
the person desiring the jewels is I'M
known to US, we require full security,
and refuse to do business unless it is
furnished. With any of the we'll known
local people, however, it is different.
Regular customers will pay $40 for the
use OF a
FULL SET OF DIAMONDS
for an evening, and that pays"
HAS not the introduction of the syS-
TEN lesSened sales considerable"
mot appreciably. The idea in rent
ing jeweiry is not, think. chiefly an
economic one. The system has grown
out of the desire for change character
istic of the people of the American con-
tinent. A full collection of gems of all
classes would cost a large fortune.
There are gems which look well with
some costumes, and hideOus with 9TH
ers. Before the Inauguration of the
new system ladies had to choose their
costumes to suit their jewels. Now the
order of things is changed. The lady
can order her costume, and hire her
jewelry to match it."
Still another well known caterer to
the public taste for ornament told his
visitor that he not only rented jewelry.
but had at this time hired to people
living in rented apartments about the
city about 100000 worth of articles
for the decking of these apartments in
fashionable style. Pretty little bits of
Seyres china, all sorts of expensive
brio a-brac, brass candelabraS, and, in
fact. almost all sorts of fancy wall and
mantel ornaments, are now rented for
season. the lesSees, of course, being re-
SpOnsible for all damage done the prop
erty. "0f course" SAID the dealer, II
could say nothing as to who
ANY OF MY CUSTOMERS
are, because such a proceeding would
materially damage my trade, but as
sure you that my customers are many
of them the best people in the town.
This is not new departure by any
means. The custom of hiring jeWelry.
and. in fact, everything and anything,
for the adOrnment of the person or resi-
dence, has been in vogue in the East
for many years, and has been carried on
here for four or five years past. There
is a dealer in this city who makes spe-
cialty of renting pictures to people for
the adOrnment of their walls during the