Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-03-01

when it comes to the maxine %
called rag dolls. which are in ro,,;,1
not rag dolls at all but dolls mad -,
tirely from top to toe of very ,o,,,
quality of muslin. and warr,n,a,, =,
[ outwear many more expensive Go,,
, because of the lasting qualities of .ha;'
| material. Several establishments ~
! the manufacture of these dolls aro na,,.
being managed by women in different
parts Of the country. But the ,nost j.,
teresting of these since it was tn,
first in the field, is that carried on hv
two young women in BROOKLYN
Some six years ago one of the MANA
gers Of the present establishment con
ceived the idea of making cloth dole
for a church fair. They We're ,,to
gether a success. and found numbers Of
eager purchasers. There were tbep M
dolls of the kind on sale in the shons
and the experiment which had nrovod
so successful on small scale gave
promise of larger profits rrc.,, 60
small a beginning, the originators of
this rag doll have seen the business
grow until the dolls are now found 10
all parts Of the country. Large orders
are received from the West and South
and competing firms have sprung M
Z which turn out dolls that are largely
patterned after those of the BROOKLYN
make.
Women are employed almost oxc,u-
sively also in the various processes of
manufacture. There is very little
machine work used in the Brooklvn
shop. The cutting. however. is done
by machinery, and it is curious sight
to see the neatly stacked piles of fat
tened-out arms, legs and bodies. Just
as they have issued from the cutters.
The dolls never leave the work rooms
undrCssed. Yet that they may make
their appearance in the showroom. or
on the counter for which they are des
tined. in fresh or spotless attire. no
doh is clothed until she is ordered
from the factory. Consequently the
work rooms display shelf after shelf
of closely packed articles Of dolls' an
parel and the piles Of small bonnet;
and dresses would doubtless fill a
childish bcholdcr with ecstasy. some
what greWsome. though. is the aspect
of the big bin where the dolls them
selves are stacked. In the aim light
the heap of white limbs and slender
bodies falling over one another in
every imaginable attitude. forcibly re-
call the prophets vision of the Valley
of bones At this time Of the year.
toys Of all kinds are less in demand
than at any other, and the bin now hut
half full. will be piled 10 the top as
the Christmas season approaches.
The most interesting part Of thu
making Of these cloth dolls il the put
ting on and the painting Of the fac"
The faces are painted On the finest uf
white muslin. This work. as also the
stitching of the dresses. may be taken
away from the workrooms. One wo-
man employed by the Brooklyn house
has become an expert at doing the
faces. and has supported herself for
some time by that means. Before the
painted cloth is put on queer little
pads covered with pink muslin are fas
tened to the head to give the Well
rounded cheeks and the slight pinkish
tinge to the implanted parts of III"
face. over this the face is pinned in
the cheaper dolls. or sewed in the more
expensive ones. Cotton batting is
used here exclusively for stuf'ing the
dolls, although sawdust or excelsior is
perferred by some firms as less eX-
persive.
The work required in making the
dolls is neat and by no means diff
cult, ard a large number of girls and
women have been enabled to find en-
ployment in this way. We arc tod
that a slightly different kind of cloth
doll is made abroad. but it has not yet
reached the degree of excellence 70
which the American women have
brought their invention.