New-York tribune., 1906-04-07
ANIMALS DRESSMAKER.
Mrs. White Has Worked for the
Circns Thufy-tfUe Years.

II Mrs. Anna White should be so fortunate
as 20 live till the 18th Of next August she viii
complete not only the sixty-fourth year OF her
age, but the thirty fifth Of her continuous SER
vice as wardrobe woman 10 Barnum Baiey's
circus.
Mamma" White as she is affectionately called
by the women OF the company, is the oldest
woman employe OF the circus In fact. Barnum
g. Baiey's would not be the circus it is without
this gentle, frail little gray haired woman, for
IL is she who designs and cuts ali the magnih-
cent clothes which the horses, elephants and
other animals wear in the show. and although
she wants 10 retire they can't seem 10 find any
one 10 take her place.
BARNUM HIRED HER.
Il began my connection with the circus in
1872. when il was in lsth street shortly before
fl was destroyed by fire" said Mrs White. p
T. Barnum himself engaged me. For some time
! had travelled with the circus, my husband
Charles White was an acrobat and had helped
with my needle al odd times, when a performer
wanted something made or altered in hurry.
When the circus opened the following spring
made ali the elephant covers and horse trap
pings and had charge Of all the costumes for the
spectacle.
Il think ! was born with a gift for animal
dressmaking. ] never learned. couldn't tell
patterns or drafting diagrams. Each garment
Us made on IT'S own pattern independently of
every other. OF course, an elephants cover
doesn't have 10 it like a Woman's bodice or
mans coat anyway
i suppose you think all elephants are shaped
alike continued the little woman. her blue eyes
twinkng. well they aren-t-not one hit. They
have differently shaped backs. Some dome up
smooth and plump like new pincushions, and
and some have their tails growing one way and
others have theirs some other way You cut out
q cover and run il up. as YOU think. 20 nj. and
behold! il droops down in front and stands out
behind on this elephant while the next one YOU
try il on, il Will ride up the back or stick out
in front, or something. just as much divergence
;n the elephant form divine as there is in the
female form. You wouldn't expect the same
gown 10 IN two women, one from India, the
other from South Africa, would you? Well. no
more will it m TWO elephants"
HOW SHE FITS ELEPHANTS.
Then Mrs. White explained her modus oper-
sndi.
In the FIRST place I have a general idea how
big the garment should be-" she began. Il cut
out big piece OF muslin the general size and
shape desired. and mark IL with the name Of
the creature who is 20 wear il, such as Babe,
OF Lena, or Ruth. Then when ] have a num-
ber OF such patterns / so TO Bridgeport and the
Keepers bring out the animals, one by one and
j take pins and scissors and needles and thread
and climb up or a step ladder and ht each muslin
lining 10 its prospective wearer. / take IN gus
sets and cores and let out seams and shorten
or lengthen heIns, just II IL were an Empire
tea gown or a princess lingerie dress But then
You know, about all there is TO an elephant
cover rs 10 have II sit smooth and even all
round. You don't have to pad the shoulders or
bone the bodice. for instance" she said laugh
ing.
Mrs. Whites conviction is that elephants like
terest IN their clothes, and that they enjoy being
iuesed over and dressed up. They seem 10 have
an instinct for dress. she thinks ELEPHANTS
are vain things anyway. Everybody who is
much with horses knows that they are tickleS
10 death 10 wear their hnery and that they
snow on ana get chesty and put on style when
they have il on like any human
ANIMALS ALWAYS DOCII,E.
Afraid? No indeed. Not even from the first
lhat has been one secret Of my success Rut
nothing has ever occurred TO frighten me In
iny nearly thrty-fve years no animal customer
has ever knocked me over or trodden on my
toes Nohc has ever lost her temper uith me
W so"loeq me Tor putting the tucks SO close 10
sFliti- hNell me elephants have refrafned fro,r
putting Their trunks around my waist sr5
swinging of my feet and ~ o '.,iu ~,
camels never say anything 70 anvbod,- m -
sol Tor my safety is that there Is aIv-avs
d. DC The Most