The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-07

| The New York Tribune contains the
following about missionary woman,
born and reared in Hawaii, who is doing
good work in Turkey:
Nearly a thousand Armenian women
are employed in Aintab, Oorfa and
Marash, Turkey, in the needlework in
dustry started in Aintab by Mrs. Fanny
Andrews Shepherd thirteen years ago.
Mrs Shepherd is the wife of DR.. Fred
/ D. Shepherd, head of the Azariah Smith
Memorial Hospital of Aintab, and pro-
iifessor of surgery in Central Turkey Col
llege, of the same place. Both have been
in this country for much needed rest,
and sailed for home last week. They
have been in Turkey as missionaries,
connected with the American Board
(CongregationaD, for about nineteen
years.
About thirteen years ago, after
locust famine, Mrs Shepherd sorely
perpIexed to know how to bring relief
to the many hundreds of suffering peo-
| pit, hit upon a plan to adapt the Won
derful drawn work of Persia and the
exquisite needle lace of Armenia to the
modern Western market. Models were
obtained from Persia and Smyrna, and
after much study patterns were select
| ed which were adapted especially to
handkerchiefs, doilies, center pieces,
| luncheon cloths, etc. Women were
trained to do the work in the most ex-
quisite manner the result being re-
finement of the ancient Oriental needle
arts For the foundation, the choicest
linens of Europe and Asia were used.
Gradually other materials and styles of
work were added, and now the three
hundred picked women of Aintab make
not only all sorts of linen pieces used
| in the household, decorating them with
Persian drawn work and Armenian
needle lace, but they also produce beau
tfful scarfs for bureau, dressing table,
buffet and the like of fine twined linens
from Trebizond, silk crepe made in hand
| looms in Antioch, gauZe from BruSa,
| and other fabrics for which the East is
| famous. These are ornamented with
! silk and gold work, and in many cases
| the ends are finished with the thread
and needle lace flowers so much used
| in adjoining the costumes of the MOSem
women.
All the beautiful native flowers the
Rose of Sharon, lily of the valley, mag
nifcent wild peoples, cyclamens and the
bell shaped flowers of various kinds are
reproduced in color in this needle and
thread lace. They are used to decorate
| the edges of kerchiefS, which are worn
by all Turkish married women, and
punches of them are worn in the hair
and at the neck. In the harem it is
not unusual to see entire headdresses
made of these gay cOlored lace flowers,
arranged in sprays and wreaths. 1t is
Mrs Shepherds intention to extend
this particular industry among her
workers and to supply the demands of
the Turkish home market.
FINDING WORK FOR WOMEN.
During the period of widespread
restitution which followed the Armen-
ian massacres of five years ago Mrs.
Shepherd started similar industry
among the women of Marash, another
town. of Central Turkey. There she
found the women less expert with the
needle, and so adapted their peculiar
cross stitch embroidery, which they put
on hand loom cottons, to sofa pillows,
couch covers, portieres and the like.
Later this was also introduced into
Aintab, and, under Miss Corinne Shat
tuck's direction, into Oorfa. Cottons,
silks and linens are all used now for
these purposes, and a great variety of
stitches are employed upon them One
of Mrs. Shepherds most sI1ilful women
in Aintab the mother by the way, of
Shadrach, Meshach and AbednegO, has
a repertory of thirty different stitches.
This work is a revival of ancient
Armenian stitch and design in the old
time combination of color.
The Persian drawn work, with the
Armenian needle lace finish, has also
been introduced into Oorfa, and at pres
emf five hundred women, who would
otherwise be destitute. are employed
there in the different kinds of needle
work. Recently, too, teacher has
been sent to Marash, and the most skill
full needle women of the place have been
set at work on the Persian drawn and
Armenian needle lace work.
It is the aim of Mrs. Shepherd upon
her return to add tapestry work to the
industry in Aintab, in the hope that
this. too, may increase the resources of
the Armenian women of not only her
city. but of other parts of Turkey. The
designs for these she intends to draw
from the Examinations found in ancient
Armenian manuscripts, in which, before
the lootings and CONGREGATIONS of the
massacre, the Gregorian monasteries
were rich. Many of the most valuable
were unfortunately destroyed at that
time. Rug making, too. she hopes may
become a part Of the work
The essential difference between the
Mexican and Oriental drawn work lies in
the fact that in the Mexican the remain
ing threads of the fabric are not cover
ed. while in both Turkish and Persian
drawn work the original threads are
taken out entirely or are completely
overworked with the lace stitches. For
this reason the drawn work of the East
Is far more lahnrin1ls thai, that % 10