The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-04

nCutNtI you Nd1iL them WdSn6Qt
and no oftener."
How about the steam. heat?"
I'VE don't shut it off until the last
of May. and not then If the weather is
COOL
What kind of janitor have you?"
He's a good-natured man with an
impeachment in his speech, and can't
talk"
1t was a second-ioor fat, with rooms
we'll lighted, as many closets as rooms.
a large pantry. deadened floors, all the
modern conveniences. and was new and
in good part of town.
And only 500 a MONTH" murmured
Mrs. Wellover. Can l be Dreaming"
Whereupon she pinched herself, and
found she was.
Forty thousand dollars spent on
gown and not jewel on it! Ten
thousand dollars worth of gold thread
for it's establishment, seven thousand
dollars worth of royal ermine used to
line it. years spent in its making!
Never before, says the New York
Journal, has such a garment been seen
in America Moreover, few gowns
since the covering to the feminine form
ceased to be a mere utility and become
an artistic expression-a "creation''-
have had so romantic a history.
1t is a coronation robe probably as
rich and costly as ever clothed-a queen,
yet it has never been worn by royalty,
but has been a white elephant" on the
hands of owners who had no real use
for it. Its very presence in a republi-
can country, where there are no coro-
nations except the make believes" of
May Day, and no queens except those
elected by their dover of beauty and
personal charm, is a curious incon-
gruity.
Yet the gown is interesting-im
mensely so! And it is wonderfully
beautiful
1t is in the possession of the John
Ruszits Fur Company. of Nos. 1871
Mercer street, and is to be placed on
exhibition elsewhere in the city.
The coronation of the present Car
of Russia did not take place till several
years after the death of his father and
his own ascension to the throne.
When the old Car died there was
living in Paris clever but rather un-
successful dressmaker. Madame Ba-
RUTH, who was burdened with much
ambition.
France and Russia were at that time
in close political alliance. and Paris
had become the favorite resort of the
Russian nobility. The Partisan mo-
distes had secured the generous pat
ronage of the wealthy Russian visitors
and were eagerly seeking to make hay
while the sun of prosperity shone, and
to secure more business from the
strangers.
Mauame Barutti French to the An
ger-tips, conceived a daring scheme.
She announced that she had been COM
miSsioned to make the coronation
gown for the Czarina. She may act
ually have received the commission, or
thought she did, but you can get few
people to believe that.
The little madame was clever and
she knew that by such coup she
might get orders for many of the cost
ly gowns that the ladies of the Rus
sian court would wear at the coming
coronation. She might become the
vogue, and her fortune would be made
Having gravely made her announce
ment, she proceeded to carry out her
phantom commission. The announce
ment was believed. and she was able
to get almost unlimited credit from the
tradesmen. She bought the costliest
materials and spent her nights and
days in planning, designing, sewing
and overseeing the work of her assist
ants.
After weary months the wonderful
creation was nearly finished and she
| began to show it to her customers and
| W uSl PlCSGAilS lIdQGSIl6Il. IL Ildue
a profound impression AT once her
credit rose enormously. She saw for
tune ahead of her and bought, bought,
till she was in debt to her tradesmen
more than 100000 francs 81, 200, 00O).
Business came, but customers were not
as many as she had planned for.
Till the day when the gown was
finished and the patient merchants
began to press for payment, she hard
ly realized the pitfall she was digging
for herself.
The Czarina, she had assured her
self would have no other gown but
hers. Surely this creation, which had
Slapped all her best energies, could not
be refused. 1t would come out all
right. They would send for her.
But day arrived when she knew
that she had played a foolish game
and lost. The merchants were press
ing hard now and she was at her wits
ends. There was but one way out that
she could see, and she took it.
One morning her assistants found
her lying dead on the floor of the room
where the gown was displayed. There
was a wound in her temple and a lit
tie silver-mounted revolver in her
hand.
All the magnificent stock of satins
and velvets and other costly stuffs of
the best, besides the coronation gown,
were sold at auction soon afterward
to settle the claims of madame's scores
of creditors. The gown found an en-
thusiastic purchaser. because it went
at a sacrifice. But it could not be
worn, and no use was or could be
made of it. 1t pasesd from hand to
hand and finally came into the posses
sion OF the New York firm that owns
it now.
The main part of the gown is the
great mantle, which is twenty seven
feet long and nearly nine feet wide.
rounded at the end. 1t is made of
royal purple velvet, the usual material
of court ceremony. Royal purple is, of
course, not really purple at ALL but a
rich crimson, and IL has the richness
of color of the fine old wines of the
sunny France whence it came.
The mantle is entirely lined with
royal ermine skins, about 1.500 of the
best obtainable being used. From the
sides and end project seventeen white
satin ribbons, with which 1t was in
tended to be carried by seventeen
pages.
The decoration is entirely gold en-
broidery and it is this that makes the
gov nso remarkable a piece of handi
craft The design is conventional, but |
exceedingly rich and elaborate. 1t in |
cludes a border nearly a food wide all |
around and extending over two feet at |
the end. and the usual scattered dec |
grafton, in this case of scrolls partly |
surrounding a five petalled flower. i
These central decorations are about |
five inches long. The border is in |
arabesdue or scroll effects, with horns |