Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-12
White Flannel and Linen.

all embroidered In red and blue silk, and 1
never before had skirt fit me like this,
and it cost me So.
White Flannel and Linen.
Then. here's a white flannel, with sailor
collar and cuffs, embroidered in pale blue.
They charged me SIS, and it is a regular
Paris fit. Here's a white India linen. You
see the skirt is composed of clusters of fine,
vertical tucks, alternating with drawn
work. 1t took them four days to make
that and they charged me Sc. Here's
linen frock for a child, embroidered with
vine pattern in blue silk, that they made
for So.
They are Japanese who run the shops,
but the workmen are all Chinese, and they
are simply wonderful. They can take a
Paris or New York gown and reproduce 1t
that you can't believe your own eyes
They tell a story in Yokohama of the man
in the early days of tourist travel who tore
his trousers on board and had them mended.
He sent them to the tailor when he landed
to have them duplicated. and they sent
back the new ones with the darn neatly
reproduced, every stitch just like the old
one. But, seriously, women have awful
times with their clothes in trip around
the world After three weeks on board
every stitch of a silk gown will fall apart
There was one bride who reached there in
despair. Every gown in her elegant Paris
trousseau was ruined. But she had them
all exactly reproduced, SO you couldn't tell
the difference, and at one-seventh of the
cost. Her 5000 gowns they duplicated for
$50. That's what living on rice does.
Brocaded Satin.
TITS lust the same with materials,'' con-
tinued the experienced traveller. do you
see this magnificent piece of cafe au lait
brocaded satin. yard wide? I got that
for 10 cents a yard, and it would cost 81
in this country. And just look at this
and she flung out opulent lengths of cloth
of gold. shimmering and beautiful. This
was ordered by Lady Curzon for the coro-
nation" she said, land then she didn't take
it. l got it for 81 a yard; it would cost
SIS to $50 in this country. I'm going to
have 1t made into gown covered with
Irish crochet. Now cast your eye upon
this tablecloth."
The tablecloth was large enough for
twentv-four covers. 1t had hem of drawn
work third Of yard wide, and the rest
of the surface, excepting the spaces left
for candelabra was covered with embroid-
cry. which stood up half an inch or more.
There were twenty-four napkins, a yard
square. with hens of solid embroidery.
THAT tablecloth was ordered by some
original price was $3.50 and I got it for So
The napkins 1 ordered, and had to pay
$50 apiece for them. The set is worth
$1,000 in this country. And we expressed
it from Honolulu for $1.25
That's the way you get around the du-
ties. is it?" sale the interlocutor
"Oh. that's not the only way, said the
little plutocrat. wisely. I've learned
number of ways. but / will say that the
Japs or rather their Chinese workmen, are
the cleverest people at the business I ever
saw. VIII YOU look at that?"
Evading Customs.
1t a beautiful pleated skirt of pale
blue silk poplin. apparently never worn.
when the Chinaman brought that in"
said she reflectively, Il scared. I said,
oh. John. you've cut into my goods He
wagged his pigtail. No, no. said he
'Chtnaman no foolee And he wasn't"
Then she did something or other to the
skirt. and it suddenly collapsed; rolled on
the floor in shining azure lengths, seeming
ly fresh from the counter.
That's one way to get them past the
custom house. said she, calmly. mo man
would ever know 1t wasn't made up. ]
brought one trunkful of that kind of
clothes. But l never saw anything like
the indignities to which travellers are SUBJ
jected al this port now she continued,
with rising indignant ton. They used to
have one man. but now they have two,
since this new Raines law. or whatever 1t
is, went in. Or is the Raines law about
sandwiches. or something? Well, no mat
ter: this second man takes you and CUES
tons YOU after the first man has been
through your trunks. He will say to you:
You have declared S125 worth of goods.
NOW what dld you purchase out OF that
1925" and all such questions that! It's
very embarrassing, for it would be so easy
to contradict oneself, and one has to keep
thinking about that all the time. One hun
dred and twenty-five dollars,' in tone of
deep disgust why, those two parasols
from Paris cost more than that! These
things are necessary, and we have got to
have them Does the government think we
can travel around the world without buying
the necessarIes of life?"
And the little victim of an unkind native
land hustled her cloth of gold into the
trunk with the energy of righteous indg-
nation.