The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-14
FOR Feminine READERS
AZ OLD-TIHE OCCUPATION FoR
WOMEN STILL PROFITABLE.
Hints OF What - TO BE Worn This
FaH-Art Of Pickle Making-Some
SavOry Dishcs-OddS and Ends.

The head Of the trimming department Of
q big hat manufacturing establishment,
saws a writer in the New York Times,
draped a cloud of chiffon round a sailor
hat
Il don't see" said she. "why they don't
write something about the milliner's trade
when they write about all the thing that
women do. They may talk about phar-
macy and patent soliciting and landscape
gardening and tapestry weaving and pot
tery designing, and all the arts and crafts
they have a mind 10 for women.
But the fact remains that woman first
faced the world with a needle-a bit primi-
tive construction at first, perhaps-and
it is stiH the weapon by which the largest
number Of bTead-winning women keep the
wolf at bay. There are probably 10000 girls
and women associated with the milliner's
trade I'm some way in New York
~ girl who comes in here" continued
the speaker. "as an apprentice learns first
10 put the underband on the bat-the bano
that lies next the hair. She is kept at that
til she knows now 10 hold the needle prop
ery and her hand is light and familiar,
Meanwhile, she waits on the trimmer, Sc
lects flowers and materials for her, and so
gets her first lesson in cOmbing colors
-This is the first stage, and it usually
lasts about three weeks. For the first three
months she gets no pay. Then she starts
in with $50 week. If she is good for
anything. she gets raised 20 s. in a few
weeks. An ordinarily smart girl ought TO
BE- getting s. at the end Of the first year.
She won't get more than So or 81 during
the three years of her apprenticeship.
For two years she copies model hats.
These model hats are mostly designed by
The head OF the department This house,
which sells 10 big wholesale houses, will not
import more than one or two dozen hats
from Paris in a season. The Paris ideas are
TOO extreme for the inland cities. The
women generally prefer the American
styles. AT the end OF two years the ap-
prentice is given materials and told to see
what she can do at designing a hat. II she
has the creative faculty in her. it viii come
oUt. From here on the success depends
uIon the individuals. If they have no
6, MUS for designing, you can't put It into
them.
At the end Of her three years sppren-
tceShip the girl goes as a trimmer. j. she
j. an ordinarily smart girl she viii get SIS
her nrst season out People do not believe
that the tr1mmers get 50 much but they
do And what Is more, a trimmer IS never
without a position, and she can get a posi-
ton in any city in the country. She can
go East or West, North or South anG She
viii always find work 10 her hand Some
20 some city South or West and take posi-
1iOn for the season, and in that way I've
seen a good deal of the country.
The trimmer viii rarely get more than
So her first season, for the people want 10
see what is in her. But If she proves
success she Immediately becomes valuable
10 her employer, for wgmeu Will go to the
millinery store where they like the work
of the trimmer. and proprletors know when
store. Her salary viii run all the way from
Sl5 10 SO a week.
She has TO dress we'll. ID is absolutely
necessary that her appearance be not only
neat. but stylish. But there are no women
in the world who can make so good an ap-
pearance on the same amount of money as
milliners. They all make their own clothes.
but their clothes never look homemade.
Mem Yes. there are a few men IN the
trade in New York now. They sit beside
the girls and trim away just like them.
Strange TO say. they are invariably little
men. both IN their appearance and their
ways. / never saw one who was not. Yes,
they seem 10 do just as we'll as women.
They learn 10 handle the needle as well and
make their work as neat. That is all a
matter of practice, anyway. But / have
never been able To see that they We're any
more artistic in the higher grades of work.
And vet a man viii get SO for doing exact
ly the same work as the woman who sits
beside him and gets SO
There are a number Of French women
in good position in the city, and yet not
employed more for the name of il than
anything else. Partisan tTimmers carry
u prestige possessed by no other But
they are not superior TO our best AmeTi-
can women. If there is anything in which
they excel IL is in the artistic blending OF
Colors. In designing they are no better. \
French head trimmer gets $40 TO SIS a
week.
I'm wholesale houses salaries for head
trimmers run as high as $50 a week. In
some of the retail houses on Fifth ave-
nue. they pay SO. and there are a few
women i'm New York who get q salary of
thousands a year and have their expenses
paid for three months of the time in Eu-
Topc where they go to buy for their houses.
They are sure to be tall, stately hand
some women, who always go elegantly
goWned. There lis no business in the
world. excepting the stage, in which APP
pearanCe and dress are so necessary to
a woman as III the millinery business. Let
Two women go after a position in MILL
merry establishment and the one with the
stunning appearance viii get it every
time. She may not be competent enough
90 hold it. for competence tells in the long
run. but she gets the preference when
there q chance 10 be given.