The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-12-24
COLLAR BUTTONS.
Used for Manufacturing Purposes as
well as for Wear.


AS shirts are made nowadays pretty
much every man wears one or more
collar buttons. Diamond collar buttons
are not so much worn as they were,
though some are still sold; they cost
from eight and ten dollars each up to
$40 or $50. The fine collar button now
most generally worn is of plain yellow
gold, and sells at from $3.50 to five
dollars. A great number of silver col
lar buttons are sold, and with the fall
in the value of silver these are now
cheaper than ever.
The number of plated collar buttons
sold is enormous. They are made in
great variety. There are plain, plated
buttons and plated buttons with cell
luloid backs, and buttons with pearl
backs and plated tops, and buttons with
plated backs and pearl tops. There are
jewelry factories devoted solely to the
manufacture of plated collar buttons
and cuff buttons. The annual produc-
ton in this country of plated collar but
| tons, such as are sold at from five to
25 cents each, is about LOCO, 900 gross, or
two for each person in the United
States.
Among the finer kinds of cheap collar
buttons are those of pearl, which are
imported from Austria. OF bone collar
buttons and of agate collar buttons,
which come from France and Germany,
and are far cheaper, there are imported
annually great numbers, many mill
lions. There are now produced in this
country great numbers of collar but
tons of ceIluloid. There are collar but
tons made of composition; collar but
| tons of wood, lacquered and buttons Of
iron.
Enormous as the consumption of col
lar buttons is, for the purpose indicated
by their name, that consumption is
small compared with the consumption
for manufacturing purposes.
In such uses the cheaper collar but
tons are consumed by hundreds of mil
lions annually. All shirt manufac-
turers and manufacturers of women's
waists use them in the manufactured
garments. A shirt band is not pinned;
it is fastened with collar button, and
a collar button is commonly put in
each waistband If the shirt opens
front and back two collar buttons are
put in the neck, so that three or four
collar buttons are used in every shirt.
Many launderies send back Numbered
shirts with the collar not pinned, but
secured by collar button; a customer
would get in this manner from the laun-
dry, in the course of a year, as many
l. Il. 4
he wore shirts that opened back and
| front.
Most of the collar buttons used for
these purposes are very cheap; many Of
| them marvelously cheap. Under this
| head come the commoner kinds of bone
buttons, the agate collar buttons, and
the cheaper metal buttons. The metal
| buttons are all made in this country.
We can't compete with the cheaper
labor of the European countries in the
production of the pearl, bone and agate
collar buttons, nor can they compete
with us in the production of the vari-
GUS kinds of metal buttons, There are
various grades and styles in these
cheaper buttons. There are agate but
tons with gilt tops, the cheap metal
buttons are some of them Gilt finished
and some silvered, and some steel fin
ished. The cheap collar buttons are
sold by the great gross. Great numbers
of them, foreign and domestic, are sold
at such prices that their cost is a cent
dozen, or considerably less, but even
at such prices their cost is a consider
able item of expense to the large manu-
facturer. There are manufacturers of
shirts and waists who use millions Of
these collar buttons annually.
Some collar buttons used on high
priced shirt waists are articles of jew
elry manufacture. made with glass set
tings in imitation of jewels; such but
tons are sold in sets at about one dollar
a dozen sets.
The total consumption of collar but
tons in this country for all purposes
probably exceeds 1000 COO, 900 annually,
and the amount expended for them
probably is not very far below 10000
00o.--N Y Sur.