Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-06
STARTED BY MAKING PAPER DOLLS.
How Paying Business Grew Up Around
Three Young and Pretty Girls.

How q raging business Grew Up around
Three Young and Pretty Girls.
About ten years ago three girls in the
interior of this state, brought up in af-
fuence, were suddenly deprived Of their
money. It became necessary for them
to earn money, and it suited neither
their tastes nor inclinations to go out of
their homes, nor had they been educated
in any special direction. They had
skillful hands, however, and with these
they got up paper dolls and put them in
Buffalo shops for sale. These inciden-
tally came to the notice of a stationer
here, who surprised them with an ennis
sary and proposition to make these
dolls and give him the exclusive control
of their sale.
Imagine the astonishment and bewil-
derment of these three housekeeping
girls. They were, however, persuaded
into the enterprise, and got together
thirty housekeeping girls like them
selves, who came to their house and
helped them. This year they made and
disposed of 5000 paper dolls. The or
ders for the next year were larger than
ever and had outgrown their home.
They now engaged offices; the financial
arrangement their mother took charge
of, and the packing and shipping fell to
the father. In the midst of all this prep
aration the firm failed, and they were
left to struggle with discouragements
and vicissitudes, as if they were in the
great world indeed.
Then came a proposition more aston
ishing than the last, which was to equip
novelty for an American bazaar in
the Cyclorama of Niagara, London,
and to three girls who believed them
selves unknown outside of their homes.
Then came letters and propositions from
here and there, and their wonder grew.
But their fingers kept pace, and they
found themselves obliged to keep larger
offices, to give themselves a firm name,
and until scarcely realized by them
selves they found themselves swimming
along gayly in the great current of
trade.
Now they added thirty moro girls to
their original thirty and to their paper
dolls all sorts of pretty and dainty ar
ticles in paper. Then they bethought
them of giving q reception and showing
what women's fingers could do in paper.
The youngest OF the trio had pretty
taste in decoration, and their Easter
fete, for such it proved to be, gained
such renown that Cleveland begged for
an exhibition of the same sort, after the
manner of these two cities, who always
covet one another's performances, and
thither the sisters went, taking their
pretty things.
By and by the paper house from which
they bought their paper wondered who
this, their best customer, was and what
he did with such quantities of colored
papers. This curiosity was carried to
the point of finding out. Imagine the
firms surprise. Three young and pretty
girls, installed in one of the handsomest
Office buildings in the town, and sur
rounded by sixty more girls like unto
themselves, were transforming their pa
per into banks of carnations, trailing
vines of purple clematis, masses of peo-
nies, jonquils and tulips, violets and
sweet peas, butterflies with gilded wings,
bonbon and powder puff bags, dressing
table even dressed in paper, and glove
case, sachet powder box, all of paper.
Here was an idea, and this firm, whose
commercial instinct was alert, immedi-
ately invited these young women to give
displays of their work at their branch
houses in different cities, and thus they
made visits Of triumph to Boston, Phil
adelphia, Chicago, Milwaukee. The
workrooms have grown again and they
now employ from so to 100 assistants.
Mamma is still our business manager"
writes one of these in a friendly letter,
''and we are happy also in having been
of service to so many of our friends,
obliged to earn money as we were, but
with no previous preparation. New
York Sun.