Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-11-15
PRINCESS LOUISE STARTED IT.
/ Woman Caused the Revival Of Z
Mexican Fad.

= WOmau SauscO INV NoNlSai W
Mexican Fad.
The origin OF THE Mexican carved
heather is ais hard ITO trace as the roots
of some of the family trees.
The Mexicalns seem to have applied
the art only in saddlery. Now and
then some dashing senior decked his
somhlero with a broad band of carved
lIeather, but that was all. And there
was mo more of u in California until
a dozen or so years ago.
A share of the credit is due to the
Princess Louise for preciptlting a i0d
which has been SO long lived as 10
seem no longer a fad. When tn
royal tourist was in Santa harb1m in
the early SOS, she admired eNtraya-
gnntly am elaboulteIy carved Sadd e
she slaw in one of the shops, and
straightway ordered a portfolio ant
some other trites made OF mrv,r
leather.
This set some enterprlslng man u
thinking, and not long afterwards he
had men at work turning ont bells
and pocketbooks for tourists Thus
Santa Barbara came ITO be known rs
the home of the Mexican carved
Leather
Santa Barbzara also BOASTS the mos /
costly and wonderfully wrought So"'
die in the state of California, owned by
D. W. Thompson. Indeed, IL is sAd
that even in Old Mexico, the realm oi
the vaquero, there Is not such a sad
Ollie or such "a pie of carved leather
Every part of saddle ami brFl'e
was made by hand, the trapp'ne' from
the silver bullion of Mexican d1ll@rs.
nhe value III the silver, about $3.50, was
"a small part of tine cost of the oulhl
Hs compared with the handwrk winch
was done in 1889 by a native OF Mex
leo, who learned his 'hade there.
The saddle is studded with silver Or
naments. The leather facngs are set
thick with buttons and rost|IJles, The
pommel Is encatsed N silver, the cor
neS of the aprons tipped with IT,
The heather which shows between
the silver mOuntings Is e'lahore'ely
CARVED in "a delicate design, giving
richness and rare artistic beauty to
the whole.
TEN years ago the tourist that came
to Los Angeles could only pick up an
odd bit of carved Healthier here and
there, the work of slome Mexican vino
had SERVED IAN apprenticeship IN sad
dlery. Now there are numerous fac-
tories where work is turned out
The most interesting thing TO Dc
LEARNED about MeNIck,lll hand carved
leather IL that it lbs not carved al a''l'
1t De hammered and stamped. 1he
only part thaIt might be CALLED carving
is the cutting OF the pattern, mere
bultAne. with IA Small sharp chisdl, Fov
beginners, or where the design is very
intricate, the pattern US laNmtly out
lined on the damp leather, iutinsferred
from the drawing on the paper Older
workers. can FOLLOW the pattern by
keeping 1T before THEM on paper. A
few of toe Oldest ones DO away with the
drawings altogether and work put the
design 0s they see it in their mind.
Before the workmen rs "a Square Of
marble sometimes OF leal. Beside the
squale IN 10 row of small steel toIols
about four inches long the end OF
ewch showing a different stamp. Some,
times the workman makes these for
himself from wire nails, filing the end
lilo suit his fancy
First the heather bis glued FAST to q
piece of mlaniIa paper, or cloth, to
keep it from stretching, and it Is us
mlly nept damp to make ii mere i'm
pressionab.e. Then II MS Maid ON u
marble slab, the design cut and the
hammerlng begins-Ihall cNlseNtts mo-
no0nous rap, rap, rap, that goes on