The sun., 1895-03-12

man. His aptitude for his work was so great
prentice service His special interest was in
French goods and fashions, but II was not until
he was twenty years of age that he left the Lon
don house and went to Paris. seeking employ
ment This he found in the house of Gazelin,
silk dealers, but not manufacturers of garments
at that time II was the young Englishman
who suggested to his employers the idea of
making up some of their goods. OF which they
had the exclusive sale, into garments, and the
idea on his lines was adopted.
The scheme q success from the start,
owing principally to tho designs for the gar
ments. and especially Of cloaks. made by Worth.
He endeavored to secure an interest in the firm,
and. failing to do SO. left the Gazelins and went
into business alone. In 1853 at the premises he
has always occupied, z Rue de la PaiI. He had,
while with Gnzelin. designed a dress for the
Countess de Pourtclns, and 1t was the making
Of Worth's fame and fortune that that dress at
tracted the attention Of Eugenie, who ask ed the
Countess the familiar and important question.
who is your dressmaker2"
Eugene learned. gave Worth an order for
three gowns, wore them all on one day-one in
her carriage in the morning, one at q garden
fete in tho afternoon, one at the opera in tho
evening and the next day Worth was famous.
roF bcNcrAi years ho hdue al tlo uTesbtS lUr
the ladies of the court Of Napoleon III. and Of
the courts of most Of the capitals OF Europe, and
did very little else. for he could not. His estab-
lishment increased in size until from employ
ing fifty people ho employed 200. and made in
a single year 1000 dresses and 400 cloaks.
Eugenie remained his best patron. Her orders
were always carte blanche, and Worth did not
Manufacturers OF silks. satins, and velvets
sent him the first product Of their looms. and
sign or color the manufacturers ran the mills
S on that ST stuff & to their full capacity for they
over the civilized world. N ''' - "A
Worth married a French lady and became
more French than the Emperor. Before the
French-Prussian war he had accumulated an
enormous fortune. and 1t then the stories
began to be printed about the great man dress
maker refusing to make dresses for wealthy
Americans and other visitors, because he could
than the ladies Of all the courts OF Europe
During the French -Prussian war he turned
his country seat into hospital for wounded
expense, besides giving large sums for other
patriotic work.
gowns for Americans. "woP,h dresses" ' were eGae
rare luxury In this country then. Later. Ameri-
cans became his best customers not only individ-
ual and private buyers, but American dress
making establishments. For the past fifteen
twenty years every fashionable dressmaker in
cisco, from Boston TO New Orleans has import
ed from one to five Worth models" SO called.
These were dresses typical OF the prevailing
Paris style and were called models" because
they were used as In Paris for the designs OF
dresses the importers would make for their Gus
toners The models were sold when they began
TO be trife shop worn. generally to actresses.
This trade alone constituted an enormous busi-
ness for the Worth establishment
In late years. while the volume OF worths
business has not diminished, its character has
altered. When he was the one undisputed au-
thority in the matter of dress, he attracted rs
customers actresses and numbers OF the Paris
and visiting demi-mondaine. As his dresses
have always had distinct individuality, which
made them known as "Worths" at a glance-a
feminine gance-their appearance on the stage
and adornng tho persons OF cocottes had II ten
dency 10 lessen their popularity with some
classes. Other dressmakers arose rs stars. and
theyA catering TO Quieter taste, secured n
large share OF the swell patronage which was
once all Worths.
Until within very recent timo Worth. tho
elder for his two sons have been in the business
supervision to the designing OF all the dresses
made in his establishment. The contrary has
been asserted many times, but that lie did
was said yesterday TO Sun reporter by one OF
the Redferns.
During Eugenie's fashion reign, Worth
adopted for himself style OF Outre house gar
ment whlrh added TO his reputation for eccen-
ing gOwng, brilliant in color. lined with delicate
pinks or blues and trimmed with the richest
lace furs. Tho lace cuffs az some uf these
queer gowns fell far over his white hands. and
the corner OF the skirts Of some would he caught
mp IN n buttonhOlc, producing highly whim-
siCHI appearance on the aged Eug!shman. Ills
two sons will continue the business.