New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-02
THE WEAVING OF BASKETS.
Gathering Materials a Fascinating Part of
the Work.

Brooklyn Institute Friday. The weeds that grow
tall and lush in the of gray old rail fences
the meadow grasses; the seaweed OF the shore the
twigs and and bark of the forests: the plants
OF the Oldtime country gardens, were all therein
baskets. Miss Johnson is the first woman to make
Yankee baskets" She superdntends the basketry
IN the schools of four towns Low ell Mass
and her subject Indian Bias kerry Miss
Johnson learned to make baskets among the
Indian women Of Southern California and the
native women of Hawaii. Then she home
and proceeded to do just as the Indian women do
gather her materials from wood and field.
Miss Johnson has carried the devotion of the art
craft lover one step further it's way. She not
only makes the basket with her own hands, but
gathers the material from which she makes IT,
No raffia from faraway Madagascar goes into
her baskets but willow spints and cedar bark.
ground pine and bittersweet-all the green growing
things OF the New-England hIllsdes and brook
beds.
PRIMITIVE WEAVING.
NO one can enjoy the delicious sense of absolute
ownership of the basket she 5has made until she
has gathered the material as we'll as it,
said Miss Johnson. THE derivation OF the word
woman is 'weefman'" she continued; that is,
weaving Weaving so distinctively the
occupation of the primitive woman that IT actually
gave her her The newborn babe was
laid a plate of soft thin bark. and over him
spread a softly braided mat. Later he swung
In basket from his mothers back or the bough
of His food cooked in n basket His
water brought from spring in a woven
bottle
His toys limitations Of his mothers
utensils Pottery ater'invention, accident
ally discovered by the baking of clay inside the
basket. Excepting In cold countries, where furs
used, all furniture. all clothing and all uten-
/ sis at first forms of basketry from the
womens deftly weaving fingers. The primitive
woman put into her basketry all that we put into
house decoration. table service and dress. 1t ex-
pressed herself. just surroundings express
US And not till her basket also expresses some
thing within herself-works out some original
thought will the modern make baskets in
the spirit Of her primitive sister"
Miss Johnson told OF an Indian girl OF California.
whose lover died The girl a stole IN her grief
But after a while she began to gather material for
a basket. No word OF explanation would she
vouChsafe but her white friend watcher her day
by day. She gathered grasses and twigs Of the
oregon grape. Beginning In August. she did not
finish her collection until November. when certain
grasses turn perfectly white Some of her
she turned black by burying them in the ground,
When the basket was finished the black strands
strands for the sunrise and clouds between:
night Then the symbolic basket was placed upon
his grave. nlled vic gits to propitate the powers
DELICIOUSLY WILD AND WOODY.
All Indian women use the materials close at
hand from the Yucca ana fine grass of the Hajus}
to cedar bark OF the Northwestern tribes. So
the white woman. thinks Miss Johnson. should find.
her materials in field and hedgerow. make
her oa>k'ts truly expressive. Varied indeed were
these materials. as shown in the table fun OF
baskets. and the baskets were delicousy wild and
OF the woods Others Of sweet grass used by the
were rS IN thcr fagra ittie ' Sro%n esdaf
bark BASKET hraathed aromaucaly Of Northern .
20 sixteen 100 length. are Of tho most
isf.otor, OF .naterElis a, tiny green basket was ,
rocks taat II had 70 oe cut. 4 little boat basket
made Of the leaves OF the old fashioned lemon lily
CoIy ga a naH,i o1 yt NAG b
Of roses SILK There were others OF cattail leaves
95 eS %sJ@4 abr OF Indian hemp ana OF common
Miss Johnson has found the useful materials by
grs IS or wigs - make a basket, SO The labor
material makes the finest correlation between bas-'
kerry and nature study.
sCHOOLBOYs LIKE THE WORK.
Il have known boys to become so Interested in %
haskestry that they would rather gather materials
for II than play ball she said. "Basketry has
been a womaus trade from tho beginning OF the
world she continued. but IN these later days
have admitted few men into our honorable guild
She allows her pupils 10 keep a handful Of ma
prepared and there is "A little time between tasks
they can busy themselves in weaving
spIInts and sweet grass; others OF dun green OF
Kentucky hemp after it had lain in the ields ali
winter; others Of southern palm iibre $500
The Indian womau's and the white womans treat
ment OF corn husk made an interesting comparison.
I The white wOman's basket was a sum, stout. ser
viceable. substantial little white receptacle. The
. Indian woman's production was more OF a bag than
I a basket. made Of soft, fine. pliahle mating. with
/ an agle design running around IT, Indian artists
/ in basketry both realists and idealists. One
! OF the former away up the Fraser River rep
. resented the coming of great fish. probably
whale The great fish came, bringing a great wave
/ OF green water with him. could he from
the water pouring from his mouth. The men went
out IN boat. slowly and carefully ms tho tor
toise-thcre the tortoise. They slew the
monster. shown by the blood pouring from his
mouth. and then the boat returned 1t all
pictured in black q white ground.
india has kpt NIL
said Miss Johnson. Did YOU. know that the bowl
for holding food symbolical? It signifies the i
earth from which man derives his food and drink
Every basket had the fascination of the individ- II
ual hand made thing. entclng to those bred on
never ending factory diet An enthusiastic crowd
Of basket lovers had gathered and fingered long I
about the collection admiring examining and quest
tiOung.