Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-29

S<f@e tiiNdices patented ny
women. The object in
view is altogether
dlfferent-namely, to illustrate the part
which the female of our species has taken
in the creation of the arts and industries
that underlie the structure of civilization
That she was actually the mother of most
of them will be demonstrated by a series
of hfelike groups of savage women engaged
in their primitive oCcupations-such as
weaving. tailoring, shoemaking. pottery
making, basket making, skndressing and
farming.
1t is at the request of the ladies of At
lanta that this exhibit is being framed
The groups are designed to illustrate the
subject matter of a book recently published
by Prof. Otis T. Mason of the National
Museum, entitled "Woman's Share in Prirn-
Tive Culture" The professors opinion is
that women are not sufficiently appreciated
In this world. and that they do not receive
credit for a tenth part of what they have
done in the building of civlliza ton. While
men have hunted and fought, they have
been the conservators of the elements of
progress. In fact, they are and always
have been the industrial SEX
women were the first farmers. Even
10 this day among primitive peoples they
do all the work in the fields. Before thew
learned to plant they gathered fruits dug
roots and collected seeds, especially those
OF grasses, which were destined to be trans
ny CULTIVATION ana selection in to
valuable cereals. Abundant proof exists
that they devised and built the first grana-
ries and storehouses for provisions. to
protect which they domesticated the eat.
Some at least of the animals most useful
to mankind were originally domesticated by
women.
1t was the wife who finding a young
wolf pup IN the forest. brought 1t home for
a paythng for the children. From he
savage wolf thus introduC ed into the fam
lily circle came the faithful dog, not only
guardian. but a beast of burden, a car
rter of packs and a drawer of seds. The
Eskimo woman takes the baby silver fox
and feeds 1t until the best time arrives for
stripping ii of its hide. The Pueblo woman
keeps eagles and hawks in cages for their
feathers Every native hut in Guiana is
the abode of many species of birds bred
by the women for their bright plumage
For Grinding Food.
For the grinding of seeds women in
vented an implement which has since been
exalted to the service of the apothecary-
namely, the mortar. Arctic women grind
nothing for food, but south of Mount St Elias
the mortar and pestle are used for puiver-
izing dried fish. Further to the southwark
Is a stretch of country devoid of this ap-
Iaratus, until the acorn and pinon region
of California is reached, when again it
makes its appearance. 1t is found in Al
RIGA, where among all negro tribes the
work of grinding grains devolves upon the
women In the old plantation days in the
United States every farm had its mortar
and pestle of wood for crushing hominy.
Ransacking the vegetable kingdom, prim-
tive women discovered various drinks fur
nished by nature. Thus the woman of An
COLA is seen climbing a gigantic palm with
huge calabash tied around her neck Tan
ping the tree, she suspends the calabash so
as to receive the juice, and a few hours
later she takes down the receptacle full
of palm wine. In many countries grow
plants which in their natural state are
poisonous or extremely acrid. The women
of all these lands have learned fndepend-
emily that boiling or heating drives off the
poisonous or diSagreeable element. The re-
moval of the poisonous matter from tapio-
ca by means of hot water is a discovery
Of savage women.
Women were the first butchers. 1t was
their business to skin and transport the
meat of the deer, elk. moose, bear and
BUFFALO slain by their husbands. They in
vented pemmican and the process of pre-
pairing 1t. On the plains of the great west
the atmosphere is so dry that meat NAV
be cured without salt. The squaws cut the
meat into thin strips. dried 1t, and beat 1t
70 powder with sticks. To extract the
marrow, they smashed the bones with ham,
mers or stone set in wooden handles Sew
ing up the pulverized meat in sacks of buff
1aIo hide, they poured over it the melted
marrow and other fat. Thus was made
the pemmican, formerly used as rations for
United States 5oldIers; 1t was digestible
an wholesome, though ill-smelling
Primitive Cooking Methods.
1t goes without saying that women were
the first cooks. The evolution of the cul-
mary art began with parching as we pre-
pare popcorn or peanuts. Then came roast
Ing. or baking, in pits with hot stones;
next mush or cruel, griddle cakes and
poilins In pots. Bread, except griddle
cakes. was unknown in savagery. One of
the most important discoveries made by
stone.
1t is a fact familiar enough that stones
IN general crack and break when brought
into contact with heat. Soapstone is an
exception. This was ascertained by the
primitive female mineralogist All over
Eskimo land both lamps and cooking
pots are made of soapstone. 1t Is a rare
substance, and savages deserve much
credit for finding it, The earliest pots had
no legs, but were proped up by loose
stones. One sunny day company of saw
age women were chatting and chipping in
soapstone quarry when 1t occurred to
one of them to leave bits of stone project
ing here and there for legs. Happy
thought! No sooner said than done And
after that all soapstone pots had legs
Early women inventors were taught by
spiders, neSt-building birds, animals that
store food and workers in CLAW like mud
wasps. Their quick minds were on the
alert for hints from nature. Birds and
beasts are basketmakers. The women who
made the first baskets were the earliest
geometricians the patterns they devised
included triangles, squares. polygons and
cycloidal curves. The designs which they
ccnventioualized from nature are eagerly
copied by modern weavers and jewelers.
From them the potter and the architect
have obtained a thousand ideas. They have
become classic. The whole body of decora-
ton that has come out of the textile in
dustry originated. Prof. Mason says in
women's brains. They invented colors In
textiles. finding out how to get dyes from
mineral and vegetable substances and how
to fix them by mordants. Until the dis
covery of coal tar dyes the coors most
commonly used were those borrowed from
savage women.
Women were the first tailors. They re-
moved the tough tendons from the backs
and legs of various ANIMALS, dried them in
the sun, and split them into fbers Thus
they got thread for sewing. On the Amer
lean continent they knew how to cure and
make up tie skins of fishes and reptiles
as well as of all sorts of birds and mann
mails They prepared the hides of croco-
dies, tortoiSes and whales. In Eskimo
land they made an inner blouse from the
skins OF birds sewn together, the feathers
being worn next the person. The only
preparation through which the skins pass
ed thorough chewing on the wrong
eide. These tailors of the gentler sex were
excellent cutters. All over this country