The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-08
BADDEcKS LACE MAKERS.
INDUSTRIAL EXPERIMENTS OF PRO-
FEsSOR AND MRS. ALEXAN-
DER BELL.
Mrs. George KEENAN, CO-OPerates-In-
terestfnE Efforts of summer Colo
nists to Establish Home Industries
Among Fisher Folk OF Cape Bre-
ton.


ton.
Copyright.
One Of the most interesting Of Ameri-
can summer colonies. and one never be
fore described adequately. is Baddeck. on
the Island of Cape Breton. Nova Scotia
Baddeck does not figure in the watering
place correspondence Of the Sunday news
papers 1t is not noted for its casino. or
its golf links, or it's hops Neither is it
a yachting rendezvous. Yet the number
of its cottagers is increasing steadily. and
the efforts put forth by one group of it's
warm weather colonists In behalf of the
all-the-year-round populations. are max
ing it the seat of an important Industrial
/ experiment
Some five or six years ago Mr.. and Mrs.
Alexander Graham Bell. of Washington,
d. c., were making pleasure tour along
the coast. in company with Mrs. Bells
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Gardner Hubbard,
when the rugged cliffs. the bright skies
and the great pine-clad forests Of Bad
deck bay caught their attention. Upon
a towering crag overlooking the water.
which here has the thunderous rise and
fall of the Bay of Funday. they built a
4 cottage. Every summer since has found
them in residence, and for a few years
4 past Mr. and Mrs. George KEENAN,, have
been of their neighbors, and have joined
| them in the work sthey found to their
/ hand.
| 1t was carpets that first interested Mrs
1 Bell. When she came to know the women
about her, she found many of them the
fsal,.
and butter on the daily 'catch," drawn
/ from the uncertain sea. In her desire to
| be of use, she praised their bright hued
/ carpets, hand woven, from gay woods, and
bought so many of them that she and her
/ friends and her friends friends had more
/ than they could walk on in two or three
| life times. To develop this carpet making
industry, to find a market for the products
and thus to supply an occupation that
should keep the older girls at home in
stead of seeing them driven to the New
England towns for a living. became with
her an absorbing consideration.
One of Mrs. Bells first practical steps
/ was to start a school for the little ones
| too young for field tasks With the help of
/ Mrs. George KEENAN,, classes were formed.
| somewhat after the kindergarten model,
! and soon wee tots and their bigger sisters,
| the ages running as high as l6, were trudg-
ing ten miles barefoot over the cliffs in or
] utI 10 dlltIu. As the SCHOOL grew IN IaNOG
| the mothers of the children came also
whenever their brief leisure would allow
Soap, water, towels, and clean white
aprons played leading part in the open
ing exercises, after the long tramp to
school. A simple luncheon served on the
balcony or under the trees was the next
| feature of the proceedings. Then came
class-work with books and fingers Knit
ing was a favorite occupation. and, re-
Wondering the great revival of the lace
/ industry among the Irish peasantry, Mrs
| Bell determined to introduce the same
| thing into her little colony. With this
/ plan in view, she tried to get Irish teach
ers, Offering salaries from her own purse,
as well as the expenses of the voyage. But
! nobody could be found TO settle among the
fisherfolk of Cape Breton
Still, undaunted Mrs. Bell got patterns
and teachers from Boston and before long
the class in lace-making was in full
| swing. So rapid was the progress of the
! Cape Breton girls that before long the
/ fneness and beauty of the designs more
| than equalled the original samples Mrs.
! Bells efforts throughout We're ably sec
/ onded by Mrs. KEENAN, and the sale of
J Cape Breton lace was pushed until to-day
| the supply more than meets the demand.
This was not altogether unexpected
| check, but not the less discouraging. So
| long as the duty remains as at present,
there is small prospect of lace-making
| proving profitable as a means of liveli-
| hood.
There is another difficulty to be met
also. During the winter months the edu-
cation of the children was at first contin-
ued by the older scholars, but owing to
| the impossibility of obtaining employment
at home, these one by one, have gone to
look for places in the larger cities of the
east, and paid teachers have been en-
gagged from Boston. The seeming impossi-
/ nf mo Ii 1fxrfv,
been Mrs. Bells greatest disbursement,
as no sooner are the children trained in
lace making and various kinds of needle
work, with the view of educating the
younger ones in their turn, and by de-
grees creating permanent industry, than
necessity compels their departure In this
way each year the number of worker
decreases. Boston is usually the
objective point of those who
leave home to make their fortunes,
but at least two-thirds Of the wanderers
return after a year or so, broken in
health, many to die of consumption. Ac-
customed to the free open air of the
are unable to endure a sedentary life in
climate less suited to their constitutions.
This is by far the saddest feature of the
lack of home industries, and has caused
Mrs. Bell to redouble efforts to make the
spot self-supporting community
from fifty to seventy-hve. There are at
present five resident teachers. three OF
whom are from distance on a regular
salary. Owing to the rigors Of the climate
these are unable to remain during the win
ter months, when the Glasses are left to
the care of but two native born. The
classes have long overlooked Mrs. Bells
cottage, and a special building, better suit
ec to the increased numbers, has been Sc
cured. Originally used as mission
church, long since dismantled, this struc-
ture has been repaired and fitted up as a
school house with club rooms and library
Here during the summer months the
classes hear lectures from well known
men, who visit the spot from Boston.
Washington and other cities. either as
guests of Mr.. and Mrs. Bell, or tourists
attracted to the spot in search of health.
To-day the community boasts several cIas-
ses in literature and Current Events Club
made up of the daughters of resident
merchants of Baddeck, whose cooperation
in the work so bravely started by Mr.. and
Mrs Bell not more than six years ago. has
been of great assistance in the training Of
the children of the fisherfolk and farmers
In full sympathy with his wife's efforts.
Mr.. Bell has instituted the Workingmen's