New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-03
A NATION OF WIDOWS:
MRS. FANNY ANDREWS SHEPPARD TELLS
OF THE ARMENIANs.
ITEM CENTS A DAY THE WAGES UPON WHICH A
WOMAN PROVIDES FOR HERSELF
AND HER CHILDREN.

"r,.r. "a IN Armenia to-day a nation OF WIDOWS
srd orphans" says Mrs. Fanny Andrews Shepard
"and the massacre Of starvation when Is going vi.
means death to as many as the massacre Vi
hatchery did two years ago The heartreho'ns
annual OF these people Is. send us help TOT our
.s,,,.. .ra our children: but give US work. not
chsritv," II is Mrs. Shepards present aim 10
give employment to the fifty thousand WIDOWS OIL
Armsnia and to and here and In Europe mafhe's
for their work ., -.
Mn. Shepard Is the wife Of DR.. F. D. sheparo OF
Aintab. Turkey who is president pro tenn OF Zen
trail Turkey College, Of that place. this year Dr.
and Mrs Shepard have spent the last fifteen years
there, Mrs Shepard devotng herself especially
TO the needs Of the Armenian women ana e"iuien'
among whom she has established many "'0"-
needed and valuable reforms
Eight years ago, at the tim6 Of the locust ram
inc ths women came to her ito (as their idiom
WENT sorrow back and forth" The plague mao
already continued several years. The locusts appear
n little later each season. and finally extermiha'e
themselves by coming after the grains have mar
dened and are unfit for their food. Each man OF
the families was obliged, besides his regular labor
10 present to the local government certain weight
,p-larvae OF the troublesome insect. which ne found
blrrowed In the ground Altogether the SITUATION
was desperate, especially for the poorer classes.
Mrs Shepard began at that time. with capital OF
SO an industry In Aintab. which now gives regu-
lar employment to three hundred women and APP
prentices They commenced with the Armenian
needle and crochet lace. and with the TURKISH
drawnwork In which the threads Of the material
are drawn but one way.
since then Mrs Shepard has spent a year at
Pratt Institute In Brooklyn. where she studied
Oriental needlework and design. This. with her
natural talent and ability. has enabled her to use
the native Oriental Instinct for needework which
her workers possess
PERSIAN DRAWNWORK
Tho result has been development into refine
pnent of the Persian drawnwork, also calico by
,ome Persian lace, In which the threads Of the
texture are drawn both ways and the space hied
with fancy stitches Accuracy oiu " -
absolutely required
zach woman worker Is obliged TO teach hve ap-
prentices, making her own terms win 'hei"' 40
each In turn. becomes capable OF ooing as soou
work as the teacher she herseii becomes an III
danendent worker and teacher. The work Is done
In the homes and brought TO Mrs shepard OF her
represeatat tive for inspection. The average wage
Is ten cents a day. upon which woman can feeo
herself and children comfortably. Those with ram
files who are entirely dependent upon the heeoie
for support II Is necessary 10 aid Win glits VI
clothing Since the massacre. two years ago, tho
demand for work has been multiplied many lou
Many of those who now absolutely destitute
were then well to do. or even rich.
As has been often told 1t was the iead'ng men Oh
the cities and villages who were prescribed. Inc
policy Of the Turk being to kill the best men-and
proportion OF Mrs. shepard's best and most desti-
tutc workers are now OF the poor class
Among the poor II has always been the custom
for the women Ito furnish the family backs and
the men the threats" Where the bread-winner has
been killed both offices devove upon the woman.
The fine counted threads and stitches involve much
time and after cost OF carriage, duties and all ex
penses are deducted. but the merest ptance Is left
TO the most unremitting to!ler.
During the massacre. the first thought OF these
women after procuring safety for their children,
was to preserve their work Some dug holes in the
ground and buried 1t. and pieces Of the finest
broidery found in the piles OF debris, covered
with blood and CRIME; one piece. which was
ish Kurds burst into the house was spattered with
the blood OF the husband and father who was left
butchered on the floor. 1t carefully cleansed
and afterward sold in America. It's present owner
little rocking the horror OF which it had been a
SEWING SOCIETY IN AINTAB
Nothing better exempaes Mrs shepards practi-
cal methods than society which she started In
Aintab several years ago, and OF which each Of her
workers Is compelled to be member. 1t IS called
Bayzaceratz Covers OF simplicity. and its object is
TO work reform in the wretched Oriental ex,rava-
san ics; attending hetrothais and marriages. The
families. aud now includes al. classes. Each mem
limit OF expense in berothai presents to the future
pfidegroom and his family. The old custom OF The
room on the wedding day. and changing her dress
every Ave minutes during that day, is also abol-
suits for those In good circumstances, or in the
to IT," Is limited 10 Ten. tbe wnr I've me, hand
but five: For gifts for her own use no member
useful. '' ' '''~' 80
The principles of the society are gaining ground
especially among the young And II Is hopcd thai
a custom which has crippled Oriental families since
time mnemorlal and made the advent OF a laucn-
YER because Of the expense attached to her DEPART
wiped out. VIII NC
After the massacres Mrs. Shepard secured her
v ~ mouse and the town for materials upon which
W pei A. work those VINO had so suddenly become
needy Even the loosely woven linen dish towel iny
s,AS saed IN play and some OF the attractive
a;t.vreT pieces OF work upon that seemingly unde-
snaoe material she shows with parionable pride
,eacner was sent from Aintab 10 Oarfa (Edessa)
as. !ear ana as n result about hundred women I'm
LA. piace are now engaged In hems.itehing hand
xe.chIeis and finishing them with the beautiful
A vie of Nf~a