The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-12

To gain standing and recognition for women engaged in the ancient and honorable occupation of her sex was oart of the plan of Mme. Baker when four years ago she founded the Nation ai Association of Dressmakers. How she came to establish 1t is an interest i inr story, interwoven as 1t Is with the history of her own life. Mme. Baker was born in Eimira, N. Y. There as a girl. Nellie Jones, sne went to school and lived untii as sue ao companied her parents to kansas. Then. as hsbpensA to most girls in que oourse. she was married. Next. as ai- so in these days happens frequentiy' faforfun es---or was it good fortune I--- made If r,ecessary q little later for the young wife to earn her own living. She had always been noted Tor 1er taste and skill in planning ana max ing her own gowns Beauty ana orls ornamentai needlework had made Nell tic Jones dresses famous among ner women acuuaintances Artistic gilts V. ,ot bestowed on the wielder of the brush and modeler in clay alone: They are given as well to the piier or the little needle.
 when she was obliged to earn money the friends who had enviea ner sa.ehs for beautiful costuming said to her: .sWhy don't you go to dressmaking! :! There's your chance" Sewing by the day in families nrst presented itself. Young Mrs baher trieI it for one day. She went home at night so foriorn and discouraged that she shrank in terror from tu- ture that held In it only going out sew ing by the day. Her brave. resource fdi mind quickly formed a future. She borrowed some money and hired . small flat in Chicago and went to live there with her little son. In the small apart Ynent she opened modest dressmaKins shop.
 The young worker was and Is a re- fined sentlswonan. with good VIII. 10 All and mclice toward none. conscicn- lions 10 the last degree in her work. prompt and careful in fulfilling Ter promises. Good to look at is she as well with her fair. gentle face and dark. soft eyes. And then the peau- tifuI ce stumes thsrt. because of her arr tistic gift, she turned out! work came in. piles and piles of It, | ter mors than she could do. Soon the smau flat was exchanged for a large mouse. and the artistic dressmaker was | at the head of sn establishment which lnumhe, ed more than a hundred em- ployes on its payroll. It shows what
 a grand field there Is in America for
 the dressnsker who knows asr busi-
 Iuess
 Mrs. Baker in lime made trips to | the center of costume designing, Par
 i Is, twice a year snd brought back model gowns to copy in modified form | open, quick seeing eye took in every
 thiuR in her line of work. and her in-
 tensely active mind brought back ideas | sr more valuable than even the spien-
 did gowns she imported. She began to
 compare American dressmakers with
 those of Paris. Here was plenty of
 native talent. but crude and untrained.
 | almost V oily undeveloped in the mat
 ter of attistic designing and color conn
 binatiou. The dainty, careful sewing
 which characterizes French garments
 was lacking on those of American
 make. The French expertness with the needle comes only by years of pa-
 1 lttent practice. practice American
 ldressme kers either could not or would Il not take time for
 Women from the United States who
 have had gowns made in Paris have
 observed that it takes twice as long
 Ithere to have a garment completed as
 lit does in America. and the fact is
 | really the reverse of creditable to
 the costvmer this side of the water. It
 hints tco much of the slap dash, pitch
 together style of work.