The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1905-07-22
g1evETe MADE BY GERMANS.
rhav Ara Manufactured by Hand ana
Are Superior Product

Are Superior Product"
Baskets are a specially OF the east
side in New York City, more parucu'
rorIv Of the German quarter. 1t Is the
a mhi+ion of every woman in the quar-
+or r. have a handsome and commo-
dto,,s market basket, and you may see
hundreds of such baskets on the arms
of men and women in Avenue A ana
the neighboring streets. BasKeH SHOPS
ara more numerous in the German
quarter than anywhere else IN town.
and the baskets bought and sold tneTe
are the very best to be had.
Ordinary willow and split DasKers
sold in the quarter are made IN TINS
country. many Of them right IN the
sbons where they are exhibited Tor
sale: but the finer baskets are mostly
imported from Germany. These pas
kets are made Of fine straw, sea grass
shredded palm leaf and some other
materials. The best of them are hand
some In form and attractive In color
ing In fact, there Is evidently an ex-
cellent tradition among the German
basket makers, for an Informed or
crudely colored basket Is rarely seen
among the imported wares.
Those baskets made Of fine straw
together with sea grass, are the most
beautiful in coloring. The colorS are
pale green and warm yellow. In form
the baskets are not quite rectangular,
with double lids and strong handles,
They look soft and pliable, but are
rigid and strong. Sometimes the han
die is strengthened with a strap OF
steel. The lids are secured by a catch
of straw strongly woven or sometimes
hook Of metal
HAndsomest of all the imported bas-
kets are those Of shredded palmleaf.
They are rectangular, roomy, beautiful
ly woven with little rectangular inter
stices, ivory white in color and ex-
tremely strong and rigid. The lids, Of
the same material, are securely hinged
and provided with metallic catches.
These baskets are in two or three sizes,
Of which the largest Is big enough for
a market basket Other baskets from
Germany are fishing baskets big
enough for a hearty luncheon, baskets
with domed lids suitable for carrying
light bulky ARTICLES, work baskets for
German housewives, chldren's gayly
decorated lunch baskets and variety
Of EarAously formed baskets for special
uses. Few Of the baskets are merely
ornamental; most are designed to serve
some useful purpose and none is so del
icately wrought that it will not long
serve the user.
The German baskets are relatively
cheap, say the New York Times, being
made largely by women, children and
superannuated men, whose time would
be otherwise almost valueless. A Ger
man basket that sells here for $3.50,
the price Of the finest imported bas-
kets, could not be made in New York
for half as much again. They are all
handmade, and they cannot be profit
ably produced in this country until ma
chinery can be applied to the manufac-
ture. The German housewife of the
quarter counts her baskets as among her
treasures. She buys only the best and
has them for all uses, but thew Last
her half lifetime and are repaired
again and again by the skNlful basket
WeaVers Of the quarters. These beau
dful baskets are handled with the Mt
most care, are not loaded with what
they are not intended to carry and
kept scrupulously clean and dry.