The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-13

to a room, which, like herself, had certain
delicate Dresden china effects.
She dropped on the floor beside the chif-
fonIer and pulled out of a drawer large
package, and handed it 10 me. 1t was
wrapped in pink tissue paper.
open it" she said.
1 unrolled 1t slowly and a broad piece of
firm, tan-colored leather rolled out on my
lap. l marvelled at it's boardlike stiffness,
its thickness and Its unlikeness to any
thing suggesting human skin; and yet it
was human skin. 1t had been cut away
from dead woman's body.
You see, lis a beautiful piece-so
smooth, and isn't it fine color?" said the
maid of honor. There's enough for small
trunk. She must have been immense"
Il think I must CO." 1 said, rising
quickly.
She scrambled to her little feet. The wo-
mans skin fell to the floor and she pushed
it aside and stepped over it lightly
"Oh," 1 said, stopping at the head of the
stairs, whom do you get TO make up
these things?"
''Shreve," she said.
Half an hour later was standing at the
leather counter at Shreve's. Have you
any belts of skin?" l asked the salesman.
What kind of belts do you wish to see?"
II understood said that human skin
was being worn TINS season.
"Oh, yes" replied the clerk, composed
Iy. Were making up some human skin
belts. but more purses and card cases than
belts"
Doesn't 1t make strong belts?'
Yes, it's very good, strong skin. Only
there's been more of a demand for purses.
] dare say there viii be call for belts"
''You think it's going to be fashionable,
them"
Il think so; yes"
"And purses and card cases-have they
been made for men or women?"
ooh, ladies, nearly always. You know,
ladies like such little oddities. We use a
little sAver or gold in trimming. or some
special design. We made up purse for a
young lady of the Red Cross Society not
very long ago, and she wanted it fastened
with a regular Red Cross design. 1t look
ed very neat"
''You could furnish the skin 1 suppose?'
The clerk hositated. you'd better get
your own skim" he said. wen have it
tanned for you, or tell you where to take
it to have il tanned"
Here in the city?"
"Oh, yes There's a man down In Mar
ket street-W egener, of the Visalia Stock
Saddle Company-who handles ii, and then
there's a leather company over in Mont
gOmery avenue, NO. Zl6. MINK Iney may
have something to show you"
The man in Market street, Mr.. Wegener
had nothing made up in human skin to
show me- He said he wished he had. He
told me he could sell all the purses and
card cases and belts and satchels he could
make. He would like a few samples to put
in his window. The trouble was TO get
skin. He did not think It could be bought
Al he had handled had come to him from
Shreve or had been brought in by young
doctors who wanted purses or belts or
something made up to give it their girl
friends
He said he could not tell offhand Just
how many orders he had flied in the last
wear, but 1t had been a good many. Il
made very handsome belts, he thought
and especially black skin"
When it's tanned black?" / asked.
mo; when it's born black"
Would you like it with fur on?" asked
he manager Of the Montgomery avenue
ompany when I asked him for human
kin. We've got a sample here. Let's
ave "A human skin sample out there-one
18th hair on. There that's a poor piece Of
'ork That's no tanning at all. That's
asst been stretched out on a board and
oiled and dried, and II made poor job