The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-02

an entire day with her. and learned just
how the work was done. In fact, she
made a lutte basket herself, and during
her stay in Aiken became quite an expert.
Picking I'D knowledge.
ITO make long story short. the follow
ing year ! went out West, the far West,
in he Indian country, as teacher in the
family Of a prominent ranchmau. There
were plenty of Indians around, and / saw
many beautiful specimens If their basket
weaving. Christmas / sent Stella the pref
test one l could find-she had just started
out here in New York as a typewriter and
didn't like her work one bit. When she
wrote, thanking me for my gift she sug-
5ested that learn just how the work was
cone. ! did, and became very mucn inter-
ested both in tn curing of the grasses and
n the numerous patterns which 1 really
invented.
Just then a friend coming East offered TO
bring any package l might care to send.
II was fine opportunity, SO I forwarded
Stella a dozen baskets of my own manu-
facture, and lot OF cOlored grass, that
she might have a chance OF trying her
hand at weaving something better than
pine needles.
1T was then the first money was n de
My sister combined the Indian and south
ern materials into a be sket OF her own
designing. This she offered to fashiona-
good price. OF course Stella followed up
this opening wedge, and TO such an extent
that she soon worked up all the materials.
Naturally when l came East with my en-
pioyers last winter every available crack
and cTeVice of my luggage was flied with
the various grasses used by the Indians in
basket weaving.
Later IN season / accompanied the fam
ily to Florida. There 1 got some new hints
Oh basket making. On our way north We
stopped at Ashevile, N. c.. and / learned
something more. So you see when I re-
turned 10 New York and found that Stella
had FosU her position as typewriter, her en-
ployer having gone TO the war, it was quite
natural for US to think of basket weaving
as a means of earning money. We cOn5id-
cred the matter seriously, consulted sew
eral florists, and received so many orders
that we decided to turn our whole time and
attention TO the work.
Opportunities for other Women.
do 1 think it field which could be pro-
ntably worked by other women and In 9TH
er towns besides New York? l certainly
do. Why, we have already received twice
as many orders as we could fiji If we at
tempted TO do all the work ourselves. A
month ago we engaged young woman TO
assist us. OF course she did not know how
to do the work, but that fault is easily
overcome where one is willing and pains
taking. And a. for finding sale for such
baskets in other cities besides New York,
1 am convinced they win be in demand
wherever flowers or fancy candies are
sold
lone of the largest orders we have re-
ceived is from Washington city. Chicago
has never heard of such baskets, l am
sure, neither has Boston or the dozens of
other fashionable c-nters in the country.
We are only just beginning, and, of course,
the capacity OF every persons handwork is
Emitted, SO as we already have enough or
ders to keen US busy until at least the first
Of next year, it is not likely that we viii
get much beyond the limits of New York
and Washington. 1t is probable, however,
that we win take one or Two more girls in
10 help us when the winter season begins.
Il do not think we will move our plant
you must not cali it a factory, because
the fact that all our work is done by hand
is one of its greatest merits-to New York
or any other city. We have a pleasant lit
tie cottage In the country, just near enough
to the Adirondacks for us TO enjoy the