Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-05-06
THE FIRST TAILOR.
he MoNoPoLlzEo THe sARToRIAL
TRADE OF The WORLD.

Materials Were Rather crote.ous.
but He Turned Ont Good, Honest
Work, Hand Stitched Throughout.
The first industry OF the world was
tailoring. The first maker OF clothes
and the first wearer was Adam. OF
this strange character who appears on
the pages of history I'm the dual role of
the first tailor and the first customer
we have but a brief biography. The
nleager details require sympathetic In
depreciation To make up n complete
story. OF his father and mother no
mention is made, but the record shows
he was destined to be n clothIer OF
some sort. for he was put into Eden to
dress the garden. We do not know
IL he obeyed this command. as his
biographers do not SO state. for. IL
seems. instead OF dressing" the gar
den he dressed" himself.
His early marriage and the trouble
relating TO the theft or some fruit with
sundry other unpleasant details pre-
coded his work as tailor. He began
in humble way; just himself and
one assistant. He was one OF the early
settlers i'm newly opened country. n
land or natural advantages which must
soon attract other inhabitants. With
large and increasing population he
foresaw that there must come n grow
ing demand for clothing IL he could in
troduce them and make popular his
new invention. lie was a pioneer. He
had no competition. lie controlled the
tailoring trade OF the world. Thus
with the first industry came the first
trust
As he busily piled his needle we
know not what visions of future bust
ness and wealth filed his ambitious
mind. But never in his widest dreams
did he conceive that his little tailoring
establishment. employing only four
hands. doing only a local trade and
turning out the first custom made gar
ment. would be the beginning of n
ready made clothing business that I'm
the United States alone gives labor 10
hundreds or thousands OF hands and
covers an investment OF n great many
million dollars.
But OF the great wealth that has
come from his invention Adam. like
most pioneers. made no money what
out penny. Even his name is not as
sociated with his wonderful discovery,
but-such is the sarcasm Of time-it ap-
pears only i'm the word Adams apple.
in memory not OF his virtues. but of an
eScapade of his wife.
Though even Carlyle has not rccog-
nizcd Adams sartorial genius. there
are some capital points i'm the work OF
this first tailor.
He originated the style himself. He
was not petty trader on the rcputa-
lion OF others and initiating their fash
ions. Even i'm the names for the gar
ments he was original The first suit
OF clothes. I'm reality only a girdle or
belt. he humorously termed an apron"
II is difficult 20 determine the season
OF tho year. Judging from the GOODNESS
OF the suit. Il might have been sum-
mer style, but rs il was just n little
after the fall II was probably early I'm
the winter.
They were hand stitched throughout.
They contained no machine work or
cheap labor The workshop was in the
open air. and. although tailored in the
sweat of his brow. no swcatshop work
was possible.
The material was not OF the best. but
Adam found no better at hand Some
Of the modern tailors. making shoddy
garments at shoddy prices. initiate
Adam. who used "leavings."
As 10 Adam. the first customer, when
he was alone In the world he never
thought OF dress. hut when he came TO
the realization Of himself as an indi-
vldual ana I'm relation 20 others he be
gan 10 spruce up. CourtShip led him
10 bcautify himself, to appear well in
the eyes OF "the only woman he ever
loved" Human nature has not changed
much.
With the entry OF society dress be-
gan. Perhaps this is why dress forms
so prominent feature in society to-
day
After eating the apple of knowledge
the mind OF Adam was suddenly illu-
minated rs II by thousand electric
lights. \ great thought OF large, prac-
teal. worldly wisdom flashed before
him. lie realized that to amount 10
anything in the world he must make
good appearance. In this he struck a
keynote Of business success.
Surely he needed TO keep up appear
ances. lie reflected over his actions
for the two weeks prior and then
looked at his future. He had been in
bad society and had been seen with a
disreputable serpent. he had been led
into temptation. he had broken the law,
he was implicated in an apple theft as
accessory after the fact, he had some
OF the stolen goods in his possession
and he was a fugitive from justice, for
lie was then in hiding" Discovery
was certain. He WIS 10 be cvicted
from his home and in disgrace had ~
face the awfulneSs Of actually earning
his own living by work. Then, after 4
mild attack of rcmOrsc, he was equal
TO the situation and in manly WAY ac-
cepted il. made himself suit of clothes
in which he could make Il decent ap.
pearance and began life anew with the
courage. hope, pride and confidence that
comes from the consciousness of being
we'll dreSscd.-Wiliam George Jordan
in FaShioner.
Those TrOubIcsoinc Questions,
Tiftln Wfl1fA-I SOW