The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-23
MILLION IN PERFUME.
All These Hard Dollars Spent for
Something You Can't See.

One million dollars Is spent in Nav
York every year for perfume. or course.
It's q lot of money to ilutter away from
lace mouchoirs up into the smoke laden
atmosphere of this big city, and thus
perish untimely. It's good many round,
hard pieces of silver To breathe from my
lady's charming presence as she Hits past
the amiable caryatids OF the cigar stands
In her walks through the fashionable
streets. Nevertheless, those hard dollars
are cheerfuIly taken out OF dainty purses
and straightwny converted into something
tbat---p ff-.-is gone. Quite fortune. ism e
IL. to put into something whose Tangible
form is Mia thing you canhot
sven see But 10 is invested gladly, and no
one murmurs or repines over IT,
New York ever could do anything by
halves, and so this practical city gees
proudly on Its way, smiling up It's respe3'
table nose that annual million. never
guessing aJ the amount, the vast sum that
Is titilIatiDg its olfactory nerve and then
hoating off into ;circumambient space
where perfnmers cease To manufacture
and the consumer IL at rest
Who does oil this buying? Who is II
rushes forth and blows "a million dol
lars on airy OF course, the women. Oh,
OF course! But tie men, too If you must
know one OF their weB knesses. Though, in
justice be IL said, they generally bIy IL
for the Christmas girl and send II up TO
her house in forms that would wheedle
n miSer out Of coin.
Undoubtedly women put into circula-
ton this reckless million, but two-tbirds
OF IL only is her direct respUnsibility. The
other third may be divided equally rbe-
tween the unhappy men and their annual
holiday predicament-what TO buy for
presents. In order not To strain the mind
too far, the perfume bottle, with It's ioa0
0nl9mpral
front SO IL is small wonder that the
million is dropped.
The poor little odor-laden flowers from
which all this perfuinery Is made run
somewhere up into the billion billions
and no record Is kept of their poor little
lives. For the Beautiful things are raised,
culled and marketed into odOrs rs elusive
as fame, without thought for their pa
thetic sacrifices. Like the drops OF water
and grains OF sand they go 10 the max
ing of vast watts of fashionable brands of
perfume. and their history is lest IN the
evolution.
The hath is responsible for great deal
OF the liquid luxury, for into that de
lightful part of the daily toilet goes
any quart Of the finest ana most suO-
tie odors known 10 the art In TACT, 40
large has become the demand for these
particular forms of perfume that the ma
terial Is put up for sale IN four-quaft
bottles in some cases.
The handkerchief is kept supplied by
more costly perfumes, OF course. but no
more perfect in makeup. Their boxes,
down lined and satin covered, are more
fair 70 look upon. but no extra claim can
be made in their benalf for intrinsic
charm. In some casrs the handkerchiefs
are not supplied from liquid perfumes In
bottt0s, but the powdered sachet is used
10 scent the bureau drawer night anu
day.
Silken pads filed with the odor desired
are sometimes sewed into party and opera
gowns, IN the inter lining, 10 forever form
part of the dainty presence of the
owner.
from foreign and domestic factories
comes this delightful commodity. and
American dealers are beginning 10 rival.
II no. outrun. their foreign competitors
IN tho line. The duties on foreign i'm
ports make the incoming supply not only
more expensive, hut the home products
are constantly gaining In exquisiteness
of makeup.
Musk forms the basis OF many Of the
stronger and cheaper perfumes, and it is
the part that outlisss the finer ana purer
qualities OF the combination. Long after
the clover scent or the lily scents have
gone the coarse animal fat remains.
The tner,Rrades Of perfume ara not ndul-
terated with this long lived product Tut
flower extracts are used. and many. many
times their original strength is employed
in a single instance 20 produce the desired
etfart I'm lasting uualttv N Y Herald