The Portland daily press., 1900-08-01
TAILOR TO THE BumPY PEOPLE.
DifaNuIties of Making Clothes For
the Crippled aud Deformed.

the Crippled and DeKOrmens
The tall man took coat from the rack
and turned it round and round slowly.
''What do you think of ths?" he asked.
The caller eyed the garment doubtful
Iy. 81 hardly know what to think, he
said. at seems SO kind of bumpy."
The tall man laughed. "Well," he adj
mitted, ''it is something on the bumpy
order. But, then. it is intended for
bumpy man. Bumpy people are my spe-
cialty."
"Oh," remarked the caller apologetical-
ly. II didn't know that"
Didn't you read my sign?" asked the
tall man. Then he led the way out into
/ the street and pointed to the white let
tiers which informed passersby that d
tailor who sewed for crippIes and de-
formed persons did business there.
81 didn't notice that" said the caller
at was hidden by the awning"
$50 it was" said the tall man, "but so
| far as business is concerned it makes lit
tie difference whether my sign is visible
or not, for everybody knows where to
find me. You did not know perhaps that
| the tailor business, like every other pro-
fession, is gradually being divided up
into specialties. | have taken the bumpy
people, as you call them, for my particu-
lar patrons. For the past FIVE years
have been working almost exclusively
along the bumpy line, and now fully two
! thirds of my customers are people trou-
! bled with some physical imperfection
which they want concealed or, where
| that is impossible, reduced to a minimum
| by their clothes.
sit stands to reason that it is difficult
thing to give a deformed man good lit.
| 1t might seem to the casual observer that
| any tailor who can turn out a we'll fitting
suit of clothes for a sound, upright man
| ought to be able to do proportionately
/ good work for a cripple, but this theory
/ does not hold water in practice. | know
scores of tailors up town who do first
| class work when sewing for their own
| trade but as soon as they infringe on
my speciality they make a botch of every
thing they lay their hands on. Their in
competency in that line is due chiefly to
the tendency to give attention to the
whimsical notions and suggestions Of
patrons.
GAS a rule a man whose physique is
out of keller is very sensitive in regard to
his shortcomings. He naturally wants
the defect minimized to the greatest pos
sible degree, and he has grist of IDEAS
which would, he believes, tend to inn
prove his appearance. The tailor who
has not learned from experience the cut
best adapted to various deformities is
apt to be guided by the most plausible
of these suggestions, and the result is
general dissatisfaction to all concerned.
"As for myself, having studied this
branch of the trade for so many years, l
consider that / am competent to fit the
worst case Of crooked limbs or bad back
on record and, while listen patiently to
| directions and apparently defer to the
wishes of my customers, in reality fol-
low my own judgment, and the conse-
quence is l am troubled by fewer kiclSers
than any other tailor of my acquaint-
ance. I am quite proud of my reputa-
ton too There are hosts of these bumpy
people in town, and it is high time some
body was making a special study of their
anatomy New York Sun.