River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-03-10
ANOTHER USE FOR SOAP.
IL May BE Used as an Adjunct to the Sew
fnr MACHINE


ing Machine.
II had an amusing experience the
other day." said a middle-aged lady tc
visitor as they sat INDUCING in Bit
of gossip. "A very amusing expert
ence, and one which aptly illustrates
the smartness of young and inexperi
enced human nature. | presume you
remember, years ago, before sewing
machines were as perfect as they are
now, that with many machines there
came, among other fittings, cake OF
soap about one inch wide by an inch
and half long. In those days most
of the cotton cloth was full of dressing
indeed, it is but few years since soft
finished cottons came into general use.
Well, as said before, these cakes OF
soap were often furnished with sewing.
machines They were used to rub
over the seams of these starched goods
when there was any extra thickness to
stitch through. If you never tried it.
you would scarcely believe the differ
ence it makes, either for hand or ma.
chine sewing, if the goods are the least
bit stiff. / have always made a prac.
tice of soaping the seams of goods that
had any suggestion of dressing in them.
! had a number of cakes of this soap,
and they lasted me for years.
Not long since / had some white
lawn to make up. and, as it was very
full of dressing. was about to use the
soap according to my custom, but found
that there was none left The next
time that / was down town, l stepped
into the salesroom of the company
whose machine have been in the habit
of using. The retail department hap.
pened for the moment to be in charge
of youth who from all appearances,
had for the first time in his life assumed
the responsibility of such position. /
asked If they had any such cakes of
soap. and you would have been amused
at the impertinent airs that youngster
put on. He couldn't understand what
use the operator of q sewing machine
could have for soap. In sympathy for
his ignorance, / explained to him the
use of the article, making some remarks
on its convenience, and the greater ease
of sewing dressed fabrics and the less
danger of breaking needles. With a
supercilious smile and an air OF superb
GRITTY which was absolutely overwhelm.
ing, he informed me of course he didn't
know what cheap machines might re-
quire, but theirs needed no such assist
ance, and equally, of course, they kept
nothing of the sort
There may be among the rising gen.
GRAFTON many persons who have not
learned the advantage of this old Gus
tom. To those it might be well to say
that a bit of well-d CASTLE soap
kept in the sewing machine DIRE ser,
and used upon thick seams or dressed
fabrics, would not only save many a
needle, but is almost a certain prevent
i've of cutting the cloth. 1t softens the
fibers of the fabric, and allows the nee.
die to pass through much more easily
and smoothly. Indeed, il is as useful
as an emery cushion, and will be found
Of great advantage either for the wom-
en- who occasionally sew a seam or for
those who earn their livelihood by the
use of the sewing-machine. One might
moralize little on the marvellous
smartness of the average youth, and
wonder if the time will ever again
come when toys will be boys, and not
at least in their own opinion-minia'
ture encyclopedias of universal knowl-
edge."-N. Y. Ledger.