The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-12
Chicago Tribune.


 The dressmaker who taught me the business Is one who made a great name and fortune. I have often heard her say, The art of pleasing people does not have near as much to do with g. dressmaker's success as her business faculty. It goes without saying that whoever makes a living in the dress making business must have the knack of sewing and a more or less keen ap- preclation of the artistic. The dress maker who has these can always please people, but the mistake which most of them make is to count upon pleasing as the chief factor of suc- cess"
 During the latter part of the twelve years which I spent in her establish ment she would say: My dear, all who have made great fortunes by dressmaking have had rare business ability which they have turned into money by their success in buying and selling. The artistic gowns they have made are the drawing card only to the mercantile side of the business. The artistic instinct must not be permitted to run away with the business instinct. It is the faculty for buying and sell ing, for making people understand how things ought to be done; of planning the work for them and knowing how to make them do it, and. above all, knowing how to handle ones patron age, which makes successes. The 'ex- ecutive' rock is the one which most dressmakers strike"
 Proves Theory Herself.
 Now I am positive that she is right in this theory. I am equally positive l had no particular business ability, nat urally any more than other girls. Yet in less than five years after I started for myself I had thirty girls at work and my business had expanded" until occupied three apartments, two of which adjoined the one in which l or iginally started The way l explain this is that the dressmaker who starts with and faithfully follows a few sim pie principles will find she has grad ually and unconsciously evolved a bus mess faculty which will assert itself when the time comes, and that it will be of such a quality she need not be limited by anything except her physi- cal strength.
 l started as an apprentice when 19. I had graduated from high school and 1t was not considered necessary should do anything to support myself. so I was expected to stay at home to help my mother with the housework. But though I had abundant energy. did not like housework-I liked sew ing. l had, moreover, decided opin- ions and I immediately made up my mind the helping at home did not fit into my views and that I wanted to do something in the active way my brothers did.
 Family Tried to Discourage.
 Acting upon this decision, I hunted up a place where I could sew as an apprentice, and came home and an- nounced the fact. I soon became so l could earn a little, but my employer turned out to be E'poor pay" and when work was slack we would be sent home without our wages. We there fore had to wait until she needed us next time before we were paid, and ] received a good deal of joking at home which was good naturedly intended to discourage me iH my chosen profess sion.
 I then secured another place. with which came the startling revelation my new employer swOre at her help. Though this was quite a shock to me. I was not afraid of her. as l had strong nerves, but I concluded would not mention her peculiarity at home. l concluded, however, I wotld remain received S a week, and by doing ev- erything my best I escaped my employ CTS ire during the year. I staid with her until I went to the place where remained and really learned the busi- ness.
 This was at Cahill & Co.'s. Probably two-thirds of the dressmakers in Chi cago secured their first experience with CahiI & Go. Probably more girls who thought they wanted to learn dress making and afterward found out they didn't discovered the fact there than with any other firm in the city. It was a great place for a girl who"real- iy wanted to work to learn, but it was one in which the girl who wanted to get along as easily as possible did not succeed.
 Grows Ripe in Experience.
 1 staid there twelve years. l was promoted from each grade of the spe- cialized work into which the business 1 is divided ,toa highe1 The one plan T }