The morning times., 1896-02-09

ANIL B valentine poets are dolDB eA-
eellent work.
One hundred miliIoEs of valentines were
turned out This year 10 satisfy the deyotees
of ST. Valentine
OF this number. 1000. 900 went 10 New
York city alone. Six other large cities took
5000, 900 each, and twenty towns took
l.OOO. 600, while others ordered from
hundred thousand upward
This aprecedenied sale of the valentine
means several things TO the manufacturers
Il means that times are better; that the
population OF the country is greater. and
that the number OF children increases pro-
portionately with the larger population
In a country that brings many OF its in
habitants TO town full grown, from other
nations. this fact is worthy of note.
The valentine industry of this country
keeps 10000 men and boys and 10000
girls and women busy all the year around
They get ready from February TO February
and are called upon for their finished prod
ucts only once a year. The valentine trade
Is quieter than a vault from February untD
the next January. Then il does a rushing
business for a month. enough to pay back
dts taoney 10 the trade and more TOO.
VALENTINE TOWNS.
In the towns where valentines are manu-
factured there is a large building known as
the valentine factory, and carrying ii stil
further the town itself is known as a
valentine town" Tie work OF making
the lacey things supports most OF the in
habitants. Such towns are for the most
part in New England, although there are
Others outside its confines.
The way valentines are made is cutie as
systematic and methodical as the work OF
any other factory or mill, but being a
cleaner and prettier kind of work, its sub
divisions are more interesting.
For instance, in one room in a valentine
factory you will see long table. down
each side OF which sit girls with tablets be
fore them, ard paints and brushes spread
out upon Tie table. They are the land
soape artists and their work is 10 put
the pretty winter scenes upon the valen-
tines.
Valentines treated with paint put on
by hand are called novelties and are more
expensive than the others. They are made
OF celluloiG. which is the ideal valentine
material. and OF silk, satin, velvet and stiff
cardboard. Every year there are new dc
signs, and each design calls for new MA
terials. Valentines must be fresh every
season. Each factory keeps upwards ol
eight designers busy getting up new thugs
The way the landscape artists work i,
worthy the attention of people who thins
they can paint and paint rapidly. The frs
girl at the table is a sky artist. II is hel
business TO put the background in the pic
ture With The swiftest touches she putt
on the white and blue paint TO make cleal
sky, and adds little dark daubs in the dis
tance for clouds and horizon.
This she does with twenty strokes o
the brush; and with swift glance TO b,
sure the work is upon the cellul Ole
straight, she lays it down for the next gir
to pick up.
The next girl is the ice and snow artist
She, with touches as quick as the last one
places little lake in tue picture, with SUI
face of smoothest ice. The ice meets III
sky in the far distance Already the pic
ture begins 10 look like something.
cUPD's PHOTOGRAPHER
The next girl puts in a few bare trunk
Of trees and frozen shrubbery along tn
borders OF the lake, and when her touche
are through the final girl puts in tn
figures. The Figure artist is the highes
paid, and sometimes earns as high as 81
per weekfor her work. Itissbe who know
how to make a couple, lovingly skatin
upon a frozen pond with the little go
Cupid aiming his dart at them from behin
tree, and she also underst ands tn
philosophy OF frozen cupids that huddl
over fires built upon the ice, hoping fe
one breath OF love which alone can warm
valentine cupid into life.
This is truly romantic work and tl
only prosy part OF ii is that il is mcsl
done in sweating weather, when the the
mometer is in the nineties. This turns on
tanning, from the sight OF ice and snow. q
one turns away hungry from the pictuI
OF a feast. But all callings have the
drawbacks.
The most popular valentines are the las
valentines. These become finer and fin
every year, and what is more they haI
become worthy specimens OF lace wer
The valentine people know that they depeu
upon the pleased eye for their liVelihoo
and, acting upon this knowledge, they cor
every fine Tit of lace that is shown in n
windows. and whenever bit OF royal la,
is imported for a great wedding func;ie
they manage TO get hold OF it long enoue