Sunday Washington globe., 1902-06-22
NO ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS.
WOMEN WEARING STRAW AND
THERE is NO DEMAND.

9NNAa " ANlN0 NNaHG 1NNtA AiA NNHNA
Out Of Employment.
For the last hundred years artif-
cial flowers have been the dearest
decoration a woman could buy for her
summer hat. The superlative has
double meaning in this connection
dear" to feminine purse-strings, i'm
measureably satisfying to her sense
Of the artistic and appropriate. No
one, not even the most logical man.
could deny the daintiness of the in
stinct that led women to bedeck their
multitudinous heads with copies Of
the sweetest things Divinity sets down
upon this rolling ball. So it was that
all these years, from her palace in the
centre Of her kingdom, Fashion each
spring sent out her unassailable de-
cree that flowers were to deck hats.
AT first the word artificial" was al
ways used in speaking or writing Of
linen or silk Posies. Old fashion
items" contain many illusions to Ear
tificial roses" artificial lilies-of-the-
valley, always TO impress upon the
reader that real flowers were not
meant OF late years the adjective
has been almost entirely eliminated
from the dictionary Of the writer who
dishes up mOdish delicacies. Nova
days hat is trimmed with ''violets.
a boa is Of forget-me.nots." No wo-
man-and not often a man--is so ig-
norant as to imagine anything else
but artificial flowers is meant.
The making of these beautiful imi.
tations Of Natures handiwoTk De-
came a vast enterprise employing the
skilled labor of thousands of men.
women, and girls. In many parts Of
the world the trade of artiicialhower-
making descended from mother TO
daughter Whole families for genera
tions cut. pasted, stitched. and col
ored the beautiful evidences of their
skill.
Until recent years the aim was al
ways to make artificial flowers sue
cessful counterfeits Of natures own
darlings Every one knows that the
work was often done so ably as 70
defy the eyes discernment. At this
time the art Of artificial flower making
attained its highest perfection. The
more faithful the likeness Of the imi-
tations to the originals the better the
pay OF the maker, and the greater
the stimulation to effort.
Then came a creeping in Of the gro
tesque and unnatural Now and then
Queen Fashion sent out edicts estab-
fishing the position Of green roses.
red lilacs. purple carnations. and all
sorts Of inartistic. even ugly effects
in ARTIFICIAL flowers. The unending
search for novelty began it, New
ness, no matter how unseemly. ap-
peals to most people for a time. Then
comes a reaction. when the full com
monness Of a popular fancy strikes
people, and they put the whole. good
and bad, aside for a period of dorm
ancy. When the imitation blossoms
of fantastic proportions are bald ugli-
ness came TO he the style. artificial
flower-making was a doomed industry.
Milliners looked about for some artis-
tic and new substitute. The hat it.
self, which from our great-grand-
mothers time down had been a thing
of shape only, cffered great possibili-
ties for ingenious ideas. About
three years ago fancy 5raids began to
food the market; wire frames were
made With greater care than ever; all
sorts OF fantastic and beautiful effects
were brought out in straw hats which
needed no extra adornment, other
than a trife of ribbon, chiffon. or lace
and artificial flowers went off Fifth
avenue to dwell among the folk who
live on the outermost edge Of Queer
Fashions realm, and read her Toya
mandates through poverty's specta
cles.
Last year there we're more fancy
straws, and dozens OF carefully plan
ned shapes in hats, and this season
the demand for the new straws has
driven many dealers in artifcia
flowers out of business. During the
month Of April four heretofore-pros
porous firms were Obliged to close
their doors. One Of these. a large
wholesale house dealing exclusively
in artificial flowers, went into bank
ruptcy. giving as the sole reason TO
so doing that there was no demand 10
their goods.
SO long as the straws are as daint,
and durable as they %ie this season
the situation ia not likely to change
A walk past the series Of fashionable
Fifth Avenue millinery-shops estah
fishes the truth Of this assertion
There are whole windows displaying
only hats of straw whose sole trim
ming Is ribbon, lace, or chiffon.
seems a pity, when one thinks Of tn
daintiness Of the artificial flowers o
past days. but there Is no help for
until women tire of fancy straws an
long for other novelties. Then tn
industry will awaken. In the near
time hundreds Of girls and wome
who have no other employment ar
hopelessly out Of work.-Harper
Weekly,
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Kite Competitions.