The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-11-28
SMELLING
A New and important Occupation
for Women.

| for Women.
| Occupations for women are
rapidly increasing. Still the
cry comes from thousands OF
sorrowing and suffering hearts,
"what shall / do to liver
Gathering shells and finding
pearls is the craze of the day,
and this year it has had re-
lapse. Smelling is profitable
as we'll as pleasant occupation
for women. Many women are,
and always will be, dependent
upon their own exertions for
their comfort and luxuries, and
any occupation which leads to
these results is readily sought.
Women are engaged in the
manufacture of agricultural
implements, machinery, files,
tacks, nails, paper and wooden
boxes, type, wood cuts, printers
supplies, in japaning and tin
work, gold polishing, in cotton
mills, hop fields, vineyards, or
chards, as book-binders, COM
positors, proof-readers, htho-
graphers and engravers. They
find employment, too, as clerks,
cashiers, medical nurses, teach
ers, missionaries, photograph
ers, doctors, musicians, tele-
graph operators, typewriters,
stenographers, wood and metal
engravers, canvassers and lee
turers, etc. But perhaps the
most pleasant occupation for
women there in Redwood Falls,
at least) is in the Smelling bust
ness, more familiarly known as
the "shell craze" There seems
to be nothing so fascinating as
cleaning shells, and they are
exquisitely beautiful, although
we are willing to admit that it
takes a great amount of hard
labor to clean and polish them.
When lady gets the craze, the
first thing is diets go shelling."
Early in the morning you will
see buggy after buggy, filled
with ladies, baskets, rakes,
hoes, rubber boots, old clothes
and provisions, starting out for
the river.
AS one rides along the river
road they often inhale the odor
of a fragant cup of coffee.
Looking over the bank you will
see a group of ladies enjoying
a picnic dinner, and you will
also hear the general express
sion chow good dinner tastes
down here!' Sometimes they
are taken for "dusky Maidens"
but when at second glance they
are discovered to be fair haired
ladies you will Immediately de-
eide that they are Smelling.
Men will wonder how such a
craze came about, but yet there
are men who 60 Smelling, and
Afterwards clean and polish
them. What is the world COM
ing to! Joy unto the woman
whose husbandi is willing to 90
Smelling, but woe unto those
whose husband becomes angry
when left to eat a cold dinner,
while his better half dimes lux
uriously on the banks of the
Minnesota.
Sometimes when she returns
with two baskets of shells and
a pearl the husband forgets his
cold dinner, and his counte-
ance beams with smiles as he
meditates upon the wealth that
occasionly conceals itself in a
clamshell, and the possibilities
in store for himself if his wife
keeps on finding them. Often
when out calling one will ring
and ring. No response. Pres
emily the man of the house
WILL appear d1Ouuu C1lC IOuSC
in Rip Van Winkle-style, and
say "she's gone Smelling, Good
day, come again"
| have been asked to give the
names of the shells so far dis
covered, but they are so num-
erous that it would take too
much space if I should attempt
to give them all. However /
shall give the names and or
igen of a few: There il a var
iety of the rough family known
as the Hubby Nubby, the Nub-
by, the Hubby and the Butter
fly. The Butterfly, when open,
resembles the wings Of but
terf]y, hence it's name. And
then there are the Crihkle
Backs, and Trays Of all descrip-
tons and colors, and the beauti-
full Salmon which is very