The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-10-29

Short Skirts at the Hub.

There is no use waiting for the first
rainy Saturday in October" said Mrs.
NJ. E. S. Ingersoll, the earnest apostle of
mudless gowns for womankind, and she
went out in her famous short dress in
Boston last week, and star and few"
were the people who bothered their
heads to look after her as she went
quietly through the muddy streets.
A few small boys were exercised in
mind over the shortness of her kit and
the fneness of the leather wrinkles of
her romantic operatoed topboots. There
are the hypercritical who will say this
rainy day dress is trife too short, the
trifie in this case meaning about an
inch. To take an inch of freedom when
given an ell Ia not much, however, and
the wearer Of this most comfortable OF
gowns says that she couldn't accomplish
her object of an entire lift above the
mud of the streets with another inch on
the length of her skirt.
1t is SO inches long, and it's wearer
could sweep the street only by wearing
a longer than 41>inch skirt The mate
rial is repellant water proof light of
weight, and soft, DARK green of color in
this case, trimmed with tan braid, W orn
with Turkish trousers, topboots, and a
cloak and hat to match the gown. The
topboots are concession, since they do
wrinkle over the ankles in way that
neat CATERS would not, and that pleases
the conservatives, especially here in
Boston, where rubber boots, when slush
is deep, are we'll known to the feet of
those who go about in them on deeds of
philanthropy bent.
The fashion papers Of to-day show
just such boots, useful and pretty riding
and mountain costumes, and there is
little doubt that fashion follows, though
afar of, where thoughtleads So when the
Boston girl of the twentieth century
considers her rainy-day short dress as d
necessary part of her wardrobe, these
pion eer days will not be wholly forgot
ten, and people will say, with remi-
niscent smiles, "Yes, we used to think
those dresses were very odd, way back
in the early nineties."
Senator Harris, OF Tennessee, has writ
| ten letter for publication, in which he
| answers some questions calling for his
views as to the sub treasury scheme and
similar things. The drift of his letter
may be caught from its concluding para
graph, in which he says: II have al
ways been, as | am now, ready and anX
| ious to relieve the farmer from all un-
| lust burdens and to secure to him every
advantage and encouragement within
the scope of constitutional power; but
am not willing to attempt the usurpa
| ton of power not granted to Congress
or to enter that field of class legislation
which is the most vicions and unjust OF
any that government could adopt. 1t
is curious that in his letter Mr.. Harris
includes in his list of instances OF class
legislation the silver act OF 1873. He
saws that this act was passed at the be-
hest of capitalists who wished the
amount of currency in the country re
duced. Mr.. Harris would have a fine
time proving that allegation.
-
The Toronto, Canada, Mail says: 4
blacksmith named Ferdinand Allard
living at Lewis, has, after sixteen year
of patient effort and persevering expert
ment, made discovery, or rather re
discovery. which is destined to rende
his name famous and probably to brini
him fortune 1t is claimed that he ha
found the secret of the lost art by whicl
the Egyptians, many years ago, hard
ened and tempered copper before tn
use of iron and steel were known, an
used it for the same purposes as we us
tools of the latter materials in the pres
} emit age. He has already turned GU
ayes and other tools of copper whlc
arc declared to be equal in hardness
edge and temper to similar instrument
made of the best steel of the presen
day, while they are superior TO them
| freedom from rust.
The regular Republican organizatio
, in Roanoke having determined to plat
, candidates in the field against jude
! Marshall and Mr.. Thomas, the Demo
:, cratic nominees for the Senate an
House OF Delegates, the Parsons organ
cation will take no action, but unite wit
> the regulars
Mrs Annie A. Dodge, of Butte, Mo-
tana. 80 wears of age, has been notihe
e that she is heir to $8,000,000, left by h.
J, Grandfather in England. Her faith
i moved to Virginia where the heiress
# 80 was born.
/ Mrs. Hannah Randall, who is 81 yea
e old last week accompanied an lnval
n son AS his nurse on continuous jou
6 new between Providence, R. l., and 81
= Francisco, CAL Mrs. Randall is said
7, have crossed the continent seven tim
since 1870.