The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1891-05-05
METALLIC MILLINERY.
Congo Africans Competing with Ameri-
can Bellies.

4 ne IaSn1On WHICH began some Ll1le
ago of trimming the collar and cuffs Of
women's dresses with lace, network and
other articles in metal, has not been
confined to the daughters of Europe and
America, but has struck a responsive
chord in the savage breasts of the deni-
zens of Africa. From all parts of the
dark continent comes a cry for the
cheap and gaudy metal millinery of
Christendom. The demand is particu-
Iarly large, says brakes Magazine,
from the communities where brass, cop
per and other wire has long been en-
4 ployed as an ornament for the neck,
arm, wrist, waist and ankle. The prac-
tice is followed by the warriors as well
as the women, and is said to produce
very picturesque results. A chief or
belle whose costume consists of mile
of bright brass or FURNISHED copper
wire, with small cloth around the
loins, must present a brilliant effect to
the European traveller.
In Christendom the practice has grad
ually grown to rather large proportions.
According to late price list the metals
employed to make the fabrics are gold,
platinum, gold plate, silver, silver plate,
Nickel steel, german silver, pewter,
lead and Berlin iron. The articles
manufactured include collars, collar
cites, Wristbands, belts, sashes, braid,
lace, crochet work and embroidery.
Over three thousand designs are in the
market already, and more than twenty
manufacturers advertise to reproduce
any design within reasonable time to
please either jobber or retailer. In one
system the goods are produced in the
rough by passing sheets of metal be-
tween embossed cylinders of hardened
steel. This makes the cheapest and
poorest work in the market. 1t is
chiefly employed in manufacturing met
al collars, belts and attachments for
hanging watches, handlzerchiefs and
pocl5etbooks to the waist. Its only adj
vantage is that it enables poor shop
girl to buy a silver-washed belt for one
dollar which resembles in q faint way $
handsome silver one costing forty dol
lars or more. The rolls will not turn
out fine goods, such as lace work and
the like.
A second method employs dies run by
team power and the requisite metal
solled in sheets of high tensity. For
merly it was difficult to get dies and
stamps to do really fine and delicate
work. The coinage of silver and gold
and the enclosing of tin were about
the highest points reached. Recent i'm
provements in mechanical science and
art have brought in vast change for
the better, and now enable the metal
smith to stamp out fabrics as fine ana
delicate as Brussels lace. In series OF
apartments, according to this mode OF
laanufacture, admirable reproductions
b steel, tin and aluminium bronze were
made of ferns, cycads, Nottingham lace
I'D crochet work. The work is ex-
.uisitcly delicate and can be bro ght |
down to thickness not much exceed
ing silver foil. The imitation of fab
lies is excellent, especially that of lace
york. A steel collarette, to be fastened
to the outside of a coat collar, is made
by this method with such clean-cut |
angles and fine lines as TO suggest the |
finest kind of the jewelers. art.
The third system consists in so modi-
flying the knitting machine and the lace
loom as to allow the use of metallic
threads instead of others. The first ex-
pertinent in this line probably took
place in the successful production of |
wire netting. The next step lay in the
braiding and weaving of wire into
all sorts of patterns. The third step
was easy, and brought Interviewing
down to common level with all other
kinds. Metal work has this advantage
over linen, wooden, cotton and silk. 1t
can be drawn into threads of almost
mathematical perfection, and through
treatment with chemicals
can be made almost finer than
the human eye can perceive.
When such flaments as these are
in weaving, the resulting web
is moro delicate than the gossamer of
Jacquard loom, it is possible to weave
,olored pictures in metal, using red,
green and yellow gold, white or black
silver, gray platinum, red copper and
other distinct shades. BY using the
same variety of metals with lace loom
,hromatic effects can be produced such
Is no point ever displayed With the !
proper kind of metal, the durability of
III these new-fangled art products APP
,roaches indestructibility. The cost of
his textile process is much greater
han with the rollers or the dies. The
prime cost is very great, and the ex-
lenses increase rapidly with the iptri-
acy of the design employed ana the
ineness of the wire.
A fourth process has just been intro
uced from Paris. Any article to b. re-
is immersed in strong bath
nd exposed in a peculiar way to the
ction of heat, electricity and powerful
The atoms of the article are
under these conditions and
eplaced by those of any metals desired.
lmong the things thus treated may be l
lentioned insects, blossoms, leaves,
ice basket work seeds shells and |