Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-09-06
THINGS OF WILLOW.
Whole Rooms Fitted Nowadays With
Equipment Of This Material.
Ney York SUM-


Surely said willow worker, you
are quite right in considering articles
of willow as among beautiful things.
They are graceful and light, and at the
same time substantial and durable.
ks.Things made, of willow finished in
the natural color of the wood look cool
and charming and they have an ap-
pearance of delightful freshness that
is found in no other material that
know of. OF course the willow Is deli
cate in its Wilderness, and in this state
it would in a season lose it's first vel
yety sort of freshness.
But willow takes stains beautifully,
the tans and green's and other colors
that are most appropriate to ii, and
willow furniture finished in these tints
is scarcely less pleasing to the eye than
that made by the material in its origi-
nal purity.
Reeds, growing, as you know, of
uniform dimensions, can be prepared
for use in basket work largely by
machinery, but this would not be true
as to willow. Machinery is used to
some extent in preparing willow Tor
use, as for instance in cutting the sur
face strips that are plated into table
tops and that sort of thing, but willow
rods. round willow, cannot be handled
In that manner. The rods are not uni
form in dimensions from end 10 end
they taper; nor are the rods absolutely
uniform in size one with another.
These must all oe worked by hand. AS
q matter of fact many strips, too, are
still cut in that way. With the materi-
ais for them thus prepared, and care
fully hand wrought as they are
throughout it would seem reasonable
to describe these beautiful things of
willow as productions of art.
Many baskets of one sort and an
other in the almost endless variety OF
forms and manner of characterization
into which basket work is put. come
from Germany: but France is yet,
nevertheless. as it has always been, the
home of the artistic in basket work.
We make, however, now, beautiful
things in basket work in this country,
and in articles of utility and things of
more or less practical character, COM
bining use with decoration or orna-
mental effects, we make here things
quite as fine as are produced any
where, as III Ifitliitf VI NiiioW lut
niture and fittings and so on.
AN these things we produce in the
most graceful style, and the most COM
Portable shapes. OF course willow and
rattan chairs and that sort of thing
are old. time honored: but We make
them all now in greater variety thar
formerly: we make greater variety
Of things than we did, and people &c
in for these things more than ever
more particularly, OF course, in country
houses.
Rattan has been more used for SONS
Of these purposes. but now, again, we
use more willow; and there is nothing
but what can be made of this material
1t is easily possible to furnish room
with it, We make bedsteads of willow
and, of course, an endless variety o.
chairs. and lounges and that sort o.
thing, including tables. We make will
low bureaus and chiffoniers and willow
wall panels and picture frames and vii
lew chandeliers and gas fixtures anC
80 on. In fact, in all but the floor
coverings. for which mattings are used
We can furnish rooms complete.
And" said the willow man, in con
clusion, while this might not be th'
cheapest outfit you could buy, l don
suppose you could find anything cooler
Rore comfortable or more pleasing t.
tho eve