New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-02
LACE MAKING HERE.
Miss DAILY Believes Time Ripe for American
Girls to Learn It

An effort to revive the Irish lace industry on new
HEes in this country. whittier many Of the most
skilful lace making colleens have INN grated. Is
being made by Miss Marion DAILY, herself an Irish
woman. who has been intimately connected with
the revival of lace making in the old country
Attracted by the high wages and larger Industrial
opportunities offered by America and in many
cases by the fact that their knsfoIh have already
crossed. the Irish lace makers have left the little
hamlets where they used to live for new world
AT least three of them have been located in New
York, and these and others who scattered Miss
DAILY hopes to gather about her perhaps later as
nucleus of n lace making school colony.
Not every one who owns bit of gossamer Irish
point a gown incrusted with the popular
Irish crochet knows that lace making was one or
the ancient industries of the Emerald Isle In the
good old days. before landlords became exigent and
convictions common. gentlewomen and peasant
girls alike practised the gentle art. some of the
innate poetry of the Celtic genius passing out OF
their finger tips into the sheer fabric
Gradually lace making fell into decay People
forgot the patterns forgot how to the stitches
lost their cunning with the needle. Then about
twenty-five years ago. began a renaissance the
movement being supported not only by the best
people of the country, but by Queen Victoria ana
all the women of the royal family. Lady Cadogan
was of the titled who worked with
hand. voice and purse make lace making a sue
cess. and after she had taught it 10 her tenantry
interested herself in getting her fashionable friends
10 buy and it,
among the OlnerS VINO early LIteIeSteu hiclii
selves in the revival were Miss Edith Keane and
Miss Frances Keane daughters of Sir John Keane,
one Of the largest landed proprietors in Ireland
In Cappoquin, County Waterford, the revival be-
gan, gentry gathering together the wives and
daughters of the little town and the outlying vii
lagos and teaching them to make the true old
Irish point laces-those cobwebby illusions of birds
and butterflies. flowers and garands, wrought into
transparency, and delicate enough for Queen IL
tanias wedding veil.
That is where Miss DAILY learned to do it.
It is hard for American. accustomed TO living
in country where classes Of labor are al
ways undernlanned, and where, outside OF large
cities there to be work enough for ALL to
comprehend the Importance of the revival of this
particular industry the peasantry in the districts
affected. Families whose sole subsistence was de-
rived from the and the potato patch, and with
whom q coin Of higher value than a shilling
rarity, found themselves lifted into comparative
opuIenoe through the industry of daughter. Be
tween nothing in particular and IS week there is
a vast difference
"One Of the advantages of lacemaking craft,
said Miss DAILY to Tribune representative, is
maj Almost from the first If a girl works neatly
ana handlly, her products are marketable
80 II came about that in the lacemakng district
YLe u lHe most picturesque and romantic in all
IL t6e1anamI I young woman earned more money
earn in months.
This happy condition did not last long. however.
rance ah0 Germany took up the industry spend
eds sner hgh{s at II after their long days in the
sen thelr work at much lower price than the Irish
girls cous sell the cheapest Of their handmade aces
ON, Only a system of governmental protection could
-else ~ eelIeo rum In the absence of this, wages
were reduced, OF the girls married. others,
VINO nad saved a little money, took ship and Joined
thelr Kin in America.
Miss Days idea is TO interest some technical in
sutute or trade school for girls here in starting
class or school Of lacemakng, with her TO teach
gnu -SCPeTlhtend. Last year she asked by
taiT.. walker the secretary of the congested Dis
frlct Board for Ireland. under Sir Horace Punkett
department of Agriculture and Technical Educa-
uoq' and by the women at the head of the science
ana arts department. in Cork, to open in that city
q LESS OF laceInak!ng, which is a fad among
OF Inc Department OF Commerce and Labor immi-
grafton service at Ellis Island, and others Of her
IeIatlEes are here. she concluded TO follow them
Notwithstanding its deicacy, the making OF This
DAILY. ~ MISS
We used 10 put in long days at our needles
out no one ever complained of her eyes or had
course 70 glasses" she said. In this respect II
seems to be much less trying than rnat1v things
Americans already do"
Among the beautiful specimens of her handiworl,
~A!CA MISS Daly shows are collar and cuffs in
Italian point, from the border of ha fan yyJicb
cess Beatrice on her marriage. This fan was made
ID Gappoquln by the Irish lacenakers. The collar
LOOK three weeks TO complete, fine are the seed
IKE stltche6 And liberal was the lace educa.
mat English rose point, Greek lace In old fifteenth
century patterns and drawn work are included in
aer repertoire together with the designing Of pat
terms and monograms and the Improvement or
luxury IN American life. rich families having
their crest or monogram worked in fine laccs and
apphed 70 napCry. bed linen and the ornamental
linens OF the household It is just such refined
making IN Ireland has fitted the workers TO do.