The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1901-11-07
AMERICAN COMMON SENSE
Mrs.. Roosevelt Causes Advertisement Among
he Fashionable Set.

fact that Mrs. Roosevelt, wife of the
President Of the United States, has
declared that woman of good judg-
ment can be we'll CARRIED with the small
expenditure Of 5000 annually. The argu-
ments for and against have waxed warm
during the past fortnight.
Mrs. Roosevelt has been receiving her
friends informally for the past two weeks
every Friday afternoon. All the ladies
in high official rank and the personal
friends Of the mistress of the White
House have been hidden to pay their re.
spects on these occasions. The guests
have been received in the private draw
iup.room of the Executive Mansion, OH
the second floor, and, of course, there
has been much general conversation.
Naturally the subject of dress was in.
troduced, and the ladies were delighted
to learn the original and valuable ideas
which Mrs. Roosevelt advanced. Ac-
cording to the Testimony of an eye.
witness" the ball, on one Of these &C.
casions, began rolling by the remark of
a wealthy Western woman, that she had
Just paid $40 for silk underskirt, and
she thought it cheap for the quality and
style she had obtained. Mrs. Roosevelt
looked at her aghast-
why" she exclaimed, would pay
scarcely more than that for a silk gown.
That is fabulous price, extravagant be-
yond expression"
The lady began to apologize and to
say that silk skirts were luxury and
therefore costly, but Mrs. Roosevelt
interrupted.
"Of course, I know that nowadays
every woman must have a variety of all
luxuries-silk petticoats included.
Now" she said meditatively, "a silk
petticoat should not require more than
twelve yards of material, and silk of ex-
cellent quality can be purchased for less
than dollar yard. With lace, ribbon
or footing or any other popular trim
ming and the cost Of making. an ex-
cellent petticoat can be obtained for less
that twenty dollars-or half the cost of
the one which my friend has spoken of.
The plan have followed wherever /
have lived is to engage conscientious
modiste who will buy my goods and
. make my garments. l get better service
and better material by this plan. Dur
ing my earl married life. and even later,
my dressmaker has managed to make me
presentable on $500 year.
This was the conversation which has
wrought up the fashionable world Of two
continents. The Europeans shrug their
shoulders and call this doctrine nonsense
The pretty young wife of the First Secre.
tary of the French Embassy, Nine. de
Margerie, sister of the dramatist, Ed.
mond de Rostand, and Partisan o.
Parisians, said in aeprecating tone;
ut is impossible. One pays nearly
that much for an opera cloak, a set o.
furs. stylish tailor gown-and then fol
hatsl That is always a sad rent in my
income. Mrs. Roosevelt should see III,
milliner's BILL" - b s,5-
Nevertheless, Mrs. ROOSEVELT plar
can be intelligently explained by hel
close friends, and they can prove that by
little thought and good taste, woman
can make fashionable appearance OF
$500 a year. One Of the modists who
served Mrs. Roosevelt during the time
that her husband was drawing a salary
Of $500 q year, as Civil Service Com
missioner, says that she made q stylish
appearance and that she spent less thar
$500 year for her clothes. Neither Mr.
nor Mrs. Roosevelt had any private in
come Of any extent. and their little family
came rapidly. The cares and expenses
incidental to these conditions mad,
serious havoc with the extra money
Mrs. Roosevelt frankly told her dress
make what she could spend more OF
her clothes. and asked co.operatiorii
making ends meet. According. 10 thi
lady. the present mistress Of the White
House could calculate down to . penn,
the cost Of q her raiment. She insisted
on every being Of the best quality. eve,
the "6nishings," hooks and eyes, bind
Jugs snd belts. These 6nishings wer
often used for several garments. as re
suit of buying good material. Mrs
Roosevelt always cheerfully laid ava.
buttons and ornaments. and many lime
she appeared in gown most stylishi
trimmed in ornaments which had serve'
several other garments.
To quote a modiste who served tn
mistress of the White HOnoe for ma n,