The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-01
TALK ON DRAWN RAG RUGS.
THE INDUSTRY EXPLAINED AT THE
ETHICAL CULTURE SCHOOL.
Mrs. Helen Albee Displays Dozen
More Specimens of the Alma
kee work-Teaching the Women
How They Can Learn This Art.

~HE possibilities of the drawn rag rug,
which is seen in every New England
farmhouse, were demonstrated by
Mrs Helen Abee at the ethical cult
ure in New York recently.
Mrs. Albee had with her dozen or more
rugs and hangings which had been made
by the farmers wives of Pequaket, N h,
among whom she had established Hour
ishing industry. The condition Of the peo-
pie Of the district, whom she described as
living with absolute simplicity and with
out comforts, she said, had been well ex-
pressed by one of the neighboring farm
ers, when he once said to her; I'VE don't
know what ii is to have money, but we
have enough" The idea of helping them
was suggested to her by Douglass Nolk
we had been talking" she said, about
handicrafts and William Morris and Rus
kin In an artists studio one afternoon,
and George DE Forest Brush and Douglass
VoIk were there. Suddenly Mr.. Volk turn
ed to me and asked:
" What are you doing for those women
in New Hampshire? / replied that ] was
not doing anything; that although our
relations were pleasant found IL hafd
for us to meet on the same plane. Mr..
volk said: But what right have you to do
nothng?
His question stayed by me, but when l
did not want my help
Mrs. Albee showed a rug which she said
was a fair sample of the ones that have
| been made by people in rural districts for
many years, and said, as she held 1t. up;
There are forty years wear in that rug,
| and in 1t lie all the opportunities that l
am trying to develop" 1t was made OF
| old rags of all sorts drawn through burlap
| and across the center was represented a
| house. Mrs Albee said that she forgot
| when she began to introduce her Ideas
| that the New Highlander had traditions.
| and she was constantly confronted with
| circumstances when she showed her de-
signs.
my sons wife works houses and cats,
| and flowers that you can almost smell,
| upon hers" woman would say to her re-
| bellously when asked to make a rug with
conventional design. The people, she
| said were actually needing money and
| work yet only dubious looks and smiles
met her when she suggested to them her
| project She was unable to understand
| the situation until she discovered a spy
In the camp-a young country girl-who
| explained that the trouble was that she
| did not employ bright eolors and animals
and flowers Then she understood that
| the people she was trying to help did not
| indorse her ideas of art.
She then went to work and made twelve
| or fifteen rugs from her own designs, and
| in the materials that she had proved to
| her own satisfaction to be the most suita-
| BILE, and had an exhibition in the little viii
lage hall People came from far and
| near until horses were tied to every avail
| able place,
| Women brought their babies and tlptoed
| about and talked in whispers as they
| looked upon the novel creations. 1t was
| q great day. more eventful even than Sun
| day. Summer guests came, too, and. to
| her great surprise, she found. when the
| day closed that she had taken great
| number OF orders and was involved in an
industry After that there was a change
| of attitude, and those who had been most
| antagonistic came most readily then to
| her home for orders.
| The men took an interest, too and made
| suggestions for stripping the cloth and
| improving the frames and hooks. The
| frame was radically improved she said,
| by a one-armed boy of the vicinity, who
| is one OF the best shots and cleverest
| fellows there. Mature often" the
| speaker said tests our bravery by i'm
| posing obstacles, to see IL we can sur
| mount them"
The first thing she found II necessary to
| teach these women, who had been unused
To meeting the market enc having respon-
sibility. was that they must do absolutely
what they undertook. and that her repu-
tation depended upon their work. Mrs.
Albee said that she could not say what
effect the work had had upon their
| aesthetic tastes, but she knew that they
we're growing sceptieal of their own
| tastes,
tThey do not yet quite like my colors. -
| she said. but | think they dislike them
| less than they did. During the three
| years since the industry began twenty
women have been trained and one hun
dred rugs have been made Most Of the
women have children, and many OF them
old people to care for. one woman who
| has four chilarcn under nine years Of
age and an old uncle and husband in her
| family earns between 81 and 81 a week
The workers are scattered over six
miles OF territory and call for and re.
turn the rugs when completed to Mrs
Albees home. Twilied and untwilled
dannels bought In cream color and dyed
with antline dyes are used and are drawn
through burlap.
The patterns are applied hy stencil The
back 81 every rug bears a tag upon which
is printed The Ahnakce Rug and the
trademark which Is an Indian cipher Of
| one % the chiefs 81 the Abnakee tribe
Mrs Albee IS from tho school OF Artist
! Artisans % New York. and has had A long
experience In designing silks. book covers
| blankets ana shawts.
TOTEM Pole. seattlo's most u,iot,o
| souvenir spoon, See them az your fewer
| cr's.