St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1894-04-14

In one of the rooms on the second
floor of the Alaska Commercial COM
pany's building there is d woman's
dress which was made to sell for
two hundred and fifty thousand
| francs.
The robe is magnificent creation
of the dressmakers' art, being Of
lustrous white satin heavily en-
broidered with gold. The bodice is
cut deeollete without sleeves and
filled nwith rare point lace. The
train is fully ten feet in length and
| is lined inside with point d Alencon
| lace and bow knots Of white satin.
Around the edge of the skirt and
train is border of gold bullion, and
| the entire dress is embroidered at
intervals with an imperial design
wrought of gold.
The manteau de la cour is some
thing magnificent. 1t is Of pigeon
blood ruby velours de Lyon, and is
nearly forty feet in length, being
lined throughout with white ermine.
It is confined to the neck by a huge
brooch of diamonds. All around the
border is an exceedingly heavy EN-
broidery in gold, displaying series
of horns OF plenty from which clus-
ters of flowers issue. This embroid-
cry is fully a foot wide and is o
work Of high art. Scattered over
the body of the manteau are the
same imperial designs In gold en-
broidery. There are eight straps Of
white satin at each side of the man
teau for the convenience of the six
I teen ladies Of honor when holding
the train.
Stretched upon a frame SO as to
show it well. the robe fills one side
of large room. Looking at it from
the front, there is presented the
striking contrast of color in the lus-
trous white satin, the bright gold
and the ruby red everything the err
mine. The effect is remarkably fine
| indeed. No suspicion enters the
mind Of the genuineness OF the ma
terial Embroidery" does not car
ny the idea of the gold trimming. It
| is nearly an inch high and wrought
with great skill and delicacy.
4 The eight satin straps on each
side may be useful, but are not alto
gether ornamental. They are for
the convenience OF those ladies of
honor who hold up the train-for no
woman, queen or peasant, could
walk naturally with the heavy bur-
den of gold trailing behind her.
This costly dress was made two
years ago by Nine. Marie Apparuti,
o Paris dressmaker, who was also
directress OF a fashion journal, Con-
SELLER des Danes ct des Demoiselles.
She gave out the information that
she had received an order from the
empress of Russia for court dress
to cost two hundred and fifty thou
sand francs.
Upon the strength of having her
imperial majesty as q customer
Nine. Apparuti succeeded in bor-
rowing considerable sums from
trades people and professional men.
She asked the loans as advances un-
til the dress could be finished and
sent to ST. Petersburg. In this way
she secured in cash something over
Il three million francs.
Meanwhile she sat at work on the
garment by 'ssubcontract." Hun
dreds from the fashionable quarter,
st. German, called to see the robe
during its period of construction,
and its fame extended to the bounds
of the beau monde. They also con.
tributed largely to the enterprisina
dressmakers' brilliant, but dishonest
scheme. She actually contracted
for and there was delivered for the
robe labor and material to the
amount of one hundred and twenty
FIVE thousand francs. The embroid
cry cost fifty thousand francs and
J, the erlnine five thousand.
When it was finished Nine. Ap
paruti sent the dress to the czar's
wife, naming a price of two hundred
and fifty thousand francs. It was
| refused and returned, not on &c
count of its quality and style, but
because 1t was not ordered. She
then disappeared suddenly, having
made arrangements for the circula
ton of report that she had been
severely burned by the explosion O
a petroleum lamp and gone TO {
{ hospital.
M. Tommy, judicial magistrate
seized the dress, her papers and cor
respondence, and in due time tht
robe went to the Hotel Druout, tht
!, government auction house. to b.
, sold for the benefit OF creditors
There was large attendance o
fashionable people and modistes.
A short time since it was bough'
|. by John Malowansky, OF Kanschat
, ka, the principal dealer in errnint
and beaver in the world. He ha:
close friendly and business relations
with the Alaska Commercial com
. pany, and as a personal favol
i they allowed him to store his pos
cnccion IN their yvarahaIlsa M1.