Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-06-20

ings range from $3.50 in plain color up
to $40. Add in this list the fancy, all
silk articles, those hand-embroidered
with all kinds Of artistically
figures produced in open work, and
done to match the costume, and the
price ranges from $40 to 800. But put
the average down to So pair-and you
can scarcely purchase an all-silk pair
for less-and the bill for the 10000
pairs is $1,000, 900, which added to the
half million dollars for the stockings
worn by the poorer classes amounts to
81, ZOO, 900. It would be no exaggera-
ton to say that 1t costs New York city
every year for socks and stockings for
her female population round $2,000,-
900 or enough to maintain nearly 10000
persons, whole city, for q year in food
Just few words about the stockings
worn by the multitude and the fashions
that prevail. The article of common
commerce is the cotton stocking, and it
is worn by children, schoolgirls and
women. Its price ranges from four or
five cents q pair up to a dollar. For
less than dollar, indeed, for thirty
cents, there are nowcin the market sew
erul brands, secured to the owners UNI
der patents, of guaranteed fast black, -
and the same color up to the highest
price. Black is now the queen of fash
ion, and It is not alone so in cotton but
In Isle, wool, worsted goods and silk.
Society girls and their mothers wear
black silk, black Isle or black fine
merino and other woods; actresses
and other women fond Of display even
wear them, and the yellows, pinks,
light blues, crimsons and other fancy
colors are relegated to second-rate bal
let dancers and song and dance ac-
tresses Of the variety stage. Black was
long in disfavor because the dye came
off upon; the leg and foot and was
supposed to be capable Of blood poison
ing. Girls who stood all day were apt
to find their feet swollen when the dye
came out profuse1y, and the doctors
have records Of numerous deaths re-
sulting from the dye. Dread, not FASH
ion, turned women to light fancy col
ors, but now that the other dye Is fast
they are back again to black, nearly
three-quarters Of a million strong, in
the city of New York alone.
| But the women are being cheated
every day by hundreds in buying for
Isle thread stockings that have no Isle
in them. You cannot buy the genuine
article for less than so cents a pair, and
that is very inferior quality, and you
must go to at least dollar to get q
good article. The limitations are sc
skillfully made that It Is easy to be de-
ceived; the best plan is to be guided By
the price and character Of the store.
No reputable dealer will sell the fc-
titious for the real to an intelligent GUS
toner. In woolens, so called, there h
half the time not more than q fourth OF
third Of wool; and this too has largely
to be determined by the price and the
reputability Of the dealer. "Woolen''
stockings and socks sell from 10 cents
up to IS; but II you buy for much les:
than dollar be sure you are getting
some cotton.
For those interested in curious results
may add that the stockings worn by
the women of New York If fastened to
lgether would make a row about 2,00t
miles long, q row longer than the At
lantic cable. To keep these 1000 mile:
of stockings in place it requires about
400 miles of garters-
The 100000 women and girls of the
metropolis all wear carriers and 1t is no
an overestimate to allow two pairs eacl
to them In the year. Scores of thou
sandsof them wear topsy carriers which
Is nothing more than torn strip of cot
ton or flannel, and all those old ladie
with antique notions, especially II the,
were born in the country. tear the pinl
II