davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16
HOW JA2AN,s FAMOUS STENCILS ARE MADE

signs of birds and plum blossoms on a
white fan with a background of blue
Will appear as clear and distinct as
IL just drawn by the brush. Such a
method permits of the greatest elab-
grafton of design. The most cunning
effects. however. are obtained by
painting. and from the hazds Of the
stencil printer the stun often passes
TO the painter, who puts in tints, or
markings or wings, shading and COM
bining colors with rare intuition and
skill
lection of plates gives the following
description of the way in which the
stencil plate is produced:
The artist workman takes some
half-dozen sheets of tough paper made
of mulberry fiber. prepared with the
juice of persimmon and waterproofed
with a hard-drying oil. On the top
sheet he places the artists design.
drawn with ink The sheets firmly
secured, he begins cutting with a long
thin knife, which he pushes before
him in the same way as a copper plate
engraver uses the burin- Slowly and
accurately the keen blade cuts through
the little pile of paper. following the
curves of the design. Where there are
punctured holes or dots. fine punch
is used. for II pins were used instead.
burr would form and the design
would not print. When the cutting out
is finished two of the sheets are
damped so that they may expand and
contract equally in the drying. One
is laid down 1at and covered with
adhesive material. The threads are
then one by one put into position. the
ends sticking on the margins. The
second stencil is accurately laid over
the first by means OF upright pins
placed in the register holes, the two
paper plates are brought exactly to-
gether, and the threads securely i'm
prisoned- The Joining OF the two
plates enclosing the threads is so alb
solutely perfect that a strong glass
fails to show any sign of overlapping
or unevenness. No one but a Japanese
could execute such difficult and pains
taking work. When the stencil cutter
has got through his first pile. he puts
his stenciIed impression on the top
of the next pile as guide in place of
the original drawing. and continues
cutting out the same design till he has
enough
This exquisite and accurate work Is
in strong contrast 20 the horrors of
the English stencil plate with its
suludged edges And in Japan this
fairy-like embroidery is found on the
cheapest and commonest OF fabrics
There is a certain novelty in buying
your towels where the patterns are not
submitted TO the customer In towels.
but in stencil plates, and where you
are permitted to choose your design IL
you like none of those shown YOU a
special stencil will be made for the
purchaser IL he so desires, and all this
will be done without extra charge
One curious stencil is in the form
of letter from lover to the object
of his love. The text is written at
different angles for the purpose Of OBJ
tanning a certain symmetry OF form.
For decorative purposes u flowing and
graceful daisy pattern from q second
plate weaves it's way between and
around the text.
Another love letter showing an UNI
The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16

Continued from Preceding Page)
adjusted under the ..presser foot of
the machine
III would indeed seem so. but.
strangely enough no one succeeds so
well in teaching the blind as those
who are themselves blind 1t is. 1
suppose. because we understand each
other better than any one else can un
derstand u.s.. A blind man or woman
who has himself mastered the DIM
culfies Of his defect can appreciate as
no one else can inst how terrible those
difficulties are SUCH a person is like
IS to have more patience than even
the most patient and sympathetic see
inR person; and besides that there is
also. 7 feel sure. certain subtle COM
munity Of touch. = sensibility Of feel
ling in the fingers Of the blind teacher
which cannot help but communicate
ifseif to the cropping, awkward fngers
% the pupil"
Several OF Mrs. Beck's most Interest,"
ing pupils are learning typewriting. IN
which she herself is an expert operator.
When they have become proficient
enough-and Il is e work In which the
blind are conspicvously proficient
they viii be able TO earn a living doing
correspondence. book work, etc. from
dictation From operating a typewriter
to the telephone switchboard is but
short step. and a class in the latter has
Just been organized At the association
headquarters al No. a. East Seventy
eighth street There is every evidence
10 believe that the blind hello girl has
come 10 stay. and indeed the switch
board Of the Lebanon Hospital is al
ready in charge OF a young woman who
has been stone blind for more than
fourteen Years There is likewise said
20 be a bright future in store for the
The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16

fit to walk abroad.
The art of stencillng is comparative
ly an old one, the stencil plate having
been introduced into the country in the
early part OF the seventeenth century
by dyer named Somaya Yuzen. Some
famous collections have been made Of
famous Japanese prints, notably the
Tuer collection in the South kensns-
ton Museu,n,an the one made by Mrs.
Ernest Hart, whose written description
OF the stencil plate as used in Japan is
remarkably good.
The Tuer collection probably formed
at one time the stock in trade of a pro-
fessional Japanese stenciler, and it is
also probable that the collection was
procured for this country by some one
who recognized the marvellous beauty
of the designs and the exquisite work
manship displayed in their execution
Many OF the plates in the Tuer coilec-
tion show marks OF hard usage On
some OF them the pigments have been
left by the artist so that the visitor
can see exactly what the original col
ors were and how they were laid on.
According to Mrs Harts description,
the stencil plate itself Is made of stout
waterproof paper fixed TO the table
with bradawls. When it is intended to
use the plates for the purpose OF re-
serve printing a paste of rice and other
materials is spread rapidly and evenly
over the surface of the plate with a
bamboo spatula The paste passes on
TO the cloth spread over the table
through the patterned spaces of the
stencil plate, and this covers the parts
IL is intended to leave white in the de-
sign The plate is then removed and
the rice paste allowed to dry. The
workman then passes down the long
table, which Is the length of an entire
piece OF cloth, and, using the same
stencil plate, he quickly covers over
the space Intended. to be left white
through the whole extent of the cloth.
A series of stencil plates are then used
in succession in order to draw in the
outline and to put In the colors and
shades OF the design. Thus one plate
will give the outline of one-half the
flowers or birds, the rest of the outline
being completed by>another plate. With
a third plate the brown tints of the
birds wings are put in: with fourth.
their beaks and claws; with fifth,
the color of their plumage; with a
sixth, the pink shades of the plum BIOS
som, and with a seventh, the green
leaves, and so on.
The colors are laid on fiat with a
moist. round brush. Rapidly the de-
sign in all its complications grows be-
meath the swift fingers of the printer.
and soon the long strip OF cloth or silk
crepe is covered with fans and birds
and flowers, but the base of the cloth
still remains white To dye 1t blue the
parts which have been already printed
are covered with a thick layer of rice
paste When dry. the whole surface is
brushed over with a paste OF indigo
and rice. or the cloth is dipped in the
indigo vat. 1t is then steamed to nx
the colors by the mordants with which
these dyes are mixed and finally the
rice paste is washed off, when the de-
The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16

bind telegrapher. and as the New York
association gains in financial strength
instruction in that craft will also be
possible TO any blind person who shows
a desire or aptitude in that drection.
Another trade at which the blind
show an abnormal degrse OF proficiency
is that of the masseur. The association
has several excellent blind masseuses
on its employment list, women who are
now able to earn decent livelihoods
where few months ago they were alb
solutely dependent upon their families
or public charity.
IN this connection II Is interesting TO
remember that In Japan. where they
order many things much better than VIC
Of Christian countries do. all the mas
age is done by the blind IT is the
blind mans and the blind woman s
craft. and none other may engage in 1t
within the Mikados dominions. Visit
ors to Japan will recall the soft tones
of their flutes at night on the streets.
in country lanes. in forest glades and
on the mountain paths-the flutes OF
the blind ANNA san, the massage man
and woman. whose occupation is con-
sidered a very honorable one.
The New York Association for the
Blind, the body of public spirited men
and women who are responsible for the
Initiative of these philanthropic. pro-
Jects. is the outgrowth of the kindly
impulse of two young women. the
Misses Winifred and Edith Holt,
daughters of Mr.. Henry Holt. In 1908
they attended a concert, where they
were seated near a couple of blind
boys. They could not help noticing
the joy that the music brought to the
faces of those boys, and they also
noticed that there were many vacant
seats in the concert hall. This gave
the sisters an idea. AT their own home
The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16
She Loved Nature Best.

An old farmer and hts wife were at
tending a church service one warm
Sunday evening The windows were
open. and the noisy chorus OF the crick-
cts was distinctly audible.
In due course the choir sang an an
them. and the old man. a music lover.
listened enraptured- At it's conclusion
he turned TO his wife and whispered:
Amt that glorious and divine Mar
thai?
Yes. and to think that they do IL all
with their hind legs" she added-Cas-
sells Journal.
The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16

counting room. asking of others no
boon save the opportunity to do a mans
part and to receive the laborer's guer-
don.
I'm an instant accident blinds him.
The day is blotted out. Night envelops
ONCE bore him to his task with firm
and confident stride stumble and halt
and fear the forward step. lie is
forced to a new habit of idleuess
which like canker consumes the mind
and destroys its beautiful faculties
Memory confronts him with his
lighted past Amid the tangible ruins
of his life as it promised to be he
gropes his pitfful way. You have met
him on your busy thoroughfares with
faltering. feet and outstretehed hands,
painfully dredging the universal dark,
holding out for sale his petty wares or
his cap for your pennies and this was
man with ambitions and capabilities
sIt is because we know that these
ambitions and capabilities can be full
filled that we are working to improve
the condition of the adult blind. You
cannot bring back the sight to the
vacant eyes, but you can give a helping
hand to the sightless along their dark
pilgrimage You can teach them new
skill. For work they once did will.
the aid of their eyes you can substi-
tute work that they can do with their
hands.
They ask only opportunity. and op-
portunity is the torch of darkness.
They crave no charity. no pension, but
the satisfaction that comes from lucra-
tive TOLL and this satisfaction is the
right of every human being"
And the New York Association for
the Blind wants to give every one OF
New York States 5000 sightless men
and women just that opportunity.
The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16

in East Eeventy- eighth street. they
started Bureau for Tickets for the
Blind Managers lent their assistance
and certain number OF unsold tickets
were placed at the disposal OF the bur
reau.
Others became interested in the
work, and in November. 1905, the as
sociatior was founded, with Dr. Lyman
Abbott as president and DR.. r. Park
Lewis, Miss Helen Keller and Mark
Twain as vice presidents. Upon the
advisory board are such men as pr
Nicholas Murray Butler. DR.. Felix Ad-
Ter Joseph H. choate, Archbishop Far
ley and dozen other men prominent
in public life and philanthropy The
treasurer is Herbert S. Barnes of %
Wall street.
The spirit and purpose Of the associ-
alton are beautifully and fercefully ex-
pressed by Miss Helen Keller In a
letter on the subject written to Samuel
l.. Clemens Mark Twain:
To know what the blind man needs
you who can see must imagine what it
would be not to see, and you can inag-
inc 1T more vividly If you remember
that before your journeys end you
may have TO go the dark way yourself.
Try TO realize what blindness means
to those whose Joyous activity is
stricken TO inaction
1t is to live long, long days-and life
is made UP OF days. 1t is to live i'm
INJURED, baffied, inpotent, all God's
world shut out. 1t is to sit helpless.
defrauded, while your spirit strains and
tugs at its fetters and your shoulders
ache for the burden they are denied
the rigntful burden of labor
The seeing man goes about his
business confident and self-dependent.
He does his share of the work OF the
world in mine, in quarry, in factory, ii.
The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16

Dreiia al the SIDE means Wnen trans
lated:
There are as many admirers
As limbs of parasol.
To you alone
Is open my heart.
In this stencil the bold freehand
drawing and sketchy impression OF the
design makes any cotton printer under
stand at once that no blocks or rollers
could give such results.
A beautiful picture of a hawk and
wild goose done IN silk looks as II
painted in exquisite water colors: but
nearly the whole Of the work is from
stencil plates. The brilliancy OF the
colors is obtained by skillful grada-
tions of shading before they are dry.
To do this masterly touches of the
thumb or other parts or the hand are
given. which produce the effect of deli
cate stippling. Pictures prepared in
this manner are often finished OF by
delicate embroidery in colored silks.
Most of the stencils are pregnant
with meaning and suggest legends
which may have been borrowed from
the Chinese or the Japanese themselves.
On many of them the designs have a
close resemblance TO inscriptions. but
on examination they are found TO be
quite meanin gIess. Often the same
letter is so ingeniously placed that the
plate is filed with mere repetitions.
other letters are reversed or turned
upside down; some Of the mOnOgrams
in frequent use are repeated over and
over again. but with totally different
appearance each time. These letters
and monograms were no doubt bor-
rowed from the Portuguese or Dutch
traders in the sixteenth and seven
teenth centuries when they first visited
Japan In connection with the Japan
ese stencil designs II is a remarkable
fact that, while some time ago the
British Government paid four thou
sand pounds to the person who discov-
cred how to separate postage stamps
by surrounding each one with a pin
hole border. each Japanese stencil plate
is divided into pinhole squares How
ever. these squares are not meant to
separate. but are used for stenciling a
dotted border on an arrangement OF
seals OF the Daimios or territorial
nobles the seals in one color. the bor-
der in another. Excellent representa-
tions OF these stenciled designs are
seen in Tuer's Book OF Delightful and
Strange Designs. in which the dedica-
tion reads:
Dedicated
TO that
most caprfciouS
never-tO- -be-understood
weathercocky
provokingly incorruptiole
and
absolutely necessary
person
the gentle reader.
The book. which Is an old one and ex-
ceedingly interesting. shows numbers
OF the Japanese stencil designs. with
out. however. giving the colors- There
are probably thousands upon thousands
OF Japanese stencilers who are kept
busy dressing the population How
ever, when II comes 10 the best and
highest workmanship. it is with stem
Cling as with other crafts-there are
not so many at the top OF the ladder
that there is no room for more.
LUCY BAKER JERON3
The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16

girls from California. all waiting all
eager and all animated by one desire.
The little American shop had hung
out its sign at No. 19e Potsdamer-
strasse. The fercely whiskered po
liceman on the beat in the neighbor-
hood of 126 Potsdamer-strasse one tor
rid afternoon decided that something
extraordinary was going on az No. l26.
With unaccustomed celebrity he teIe-
phoned headquarters to investigate the
cause. When within the hour two
chemists straight from police head
quarters appeared on the scene con-
sternation reigned in the breasts of
the two American proprietors. but only
for a moment With true American
sangfroid they demanded the business
Of the two chemists. Was it another
license? They had FIVE already. Was
it for the purpose of announcing the
necessity for still another that the
two severe and relentless officials had
come, or-was it perhaps-would they
taste the gem of American fancy
would not they yield to the seductive
ness of the glistening, nickel-plated
fountain and quaa the cooling waters
so cunningly concealed within?
But the officials remained obdurate
and stern. They would taste. but not
for pleasure. Duty, stern duty. COM
manded them to test the effervescing
waters, and to do their duty they had
never failed They had reason 20 be-
licve that drinks were dispensed ille-
The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16

IN Berlin. ana she ala It in professional
fashion.
Rolling up the sleeves OF her pretty
shirt waist she kept at It until no less
than 1872 glasses had been drawn and
served by her. The story OF how q
Roosevelt had saved the day for tho
national drink spread through the
American colony OF Berlin like wild
fire. and the shop and the fountain
have prospered amazingly ever since
II f. whispered that the big German
papas. with their good fraus by their
sides. creep IN tfmidly when the night
Is very warm and the clink OF the dis
tant beer glasses IN the gardens about
sounds like an accusation to their
frightened ears. but that may be quite
another tale. However. the big Ger
man officers IN their stupendous glory
OF uniform and color are not so timid.
Every afternoon all the prettiest Amer
lean girls in Berlin are found at the
soda counter and no damse1 IN the
frocked and frilled picture Is lacking
an escort-no. not even IN Berlin.
The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16

/ n ON dHy OHN NHo iCaiAy 1>tiS''S
\ Where lies the most artistic
y country of the world' and he
will answer: Japan" This
will be true reply. for Japan is in
habited by people who interlace
beauty with the smallest detail of
their daily lives. They ornament the
most trivial part of their clothing, their
household accessories, even the towers
which the tourist may buy at FIVE cents
a bunch. and. as every one knows, they
Will spend hours over the arrange
ment of spray of apple blossom or
any other seasonal flower In order that
one may be worthy the other. No
Japanese wears 4 robe unadorned: even
the poorest has some few conventional
lines or convoiutions on his garment
The blue cotton crepes worn by ces-
tain classes are decorated in ae million
different ways. chiefly through the art
of the japanese steneiler, without
which the forty-one millions of Japan;s
population would deem themselves un-
The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16

aloft like captured battle trophy. while
shouts from a dozen soprano-throated
fellow-countrymen painting for moro
"vanilla" and strawberry" welcomed
her. Then Miss lie Vinson. as reward
for her valor. solicited the honor OF
drawing the first glass of licensed
American ice cream soda ever served
The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16
A Roosevelt to the Rescue.

1t was at this juncture that Miss lie
yinson, who. by the way, is President
Roosevelt's cousin, got into the game
Happening to be in Berlin, where she
j. preparing for the grand opera stage
under the tuition of Lilli Lehman, and
happening also to be in the crowd at
the soda counter when the minions of
the law abruptly shut off the supply,
Miss LIE Vinson called for volunteers
to join her in demonstration" at Ber-
lin police headquarters for the purpose
OF persuadinG the functionary who de-
cides the destinies of soda water foun-
tains that ice cream soda was a drink
fit for the gods on high Olympus, and
The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16

such a strange and Injurious nature
that they were calculated to devastate
the German empire by paralyzing the
health Of the community. 1t might be
poison which lay in the silver fountain.
They considered it well to put the
fountain out OF commission pending
an analytical test OF the sodas prop
critics and the granting of a seventh
license for further dispensation. In
Germany this means delay of any
where from week to a year, for miles
CT rcd tape have to be unwound
The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16

peaceabIy international hostilities
might ensue.
The i-Prasidium" was stormed
by Miss lie yinson and her gallant
hosts, and in remarkably short space
OF time Miss vinson emerged victorious
with the license An hour later she
turned up at the candy shop, waving it
Indiana tribuÌˆne. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1878-1907, 1906-01-15

9era mar itets pei6 unb gut. Wenn
er oamals jenen Brief f9rieb, mag es
in Ser @erbitterung, in mpmentaner
@ufnalIung gef9eben fsin. Wir baben
uns iebr bel barber eefrdnft, aber
audi er muB fih eefrdntt gefiiblt buben
bur6 unier Mibtrauen!"
n9epiB. Der Sal ftebt alfp 10:
gntne0er mir fin0en ben tpirfli9en
SbGter poer = es bat eben bod feinen
gegeben."
mOos lestere bolte i5 fir gang aug
gsf9Iuhen."
rSann benfen sic na6. SGnt
Sbnen gar nifts Elm, mas uns duf cine
Spur fiibren fDnnte? Ser SbGter =
immer porausgeiebt, oab CT eTiltirt =
mub bic @erbGitniiie genau e%efanni
aaben. @r mub nit beitimmter Nbs
ii6t 6ie @one Sbres Sobnes oefpielt
buben. Seiiben sic nod unoere Ser
~tpan0te9"
yNiemanb."
.sSbr 6err 9ruSer 1T leoie?"
rSa. Gr par bis por Sturgeon Der
lobt, bod lOfte feline 8raut furs nod
Dem @erbre6en oie 8erlobune auf,
offenbar in Aiidii6t oarauf, bab er
fein 0ermDeen perlor. sic lit an
lururiOie @erbdltniTe gepDbnt unb-"
yWer lit fie9 &ennen Sic fie?"
rGepib. sic beibt Selene b. Mon=
ferrat, lebt in 8ubapeft, bot erobe
Sitter in l1nearn unb 1T bie Wittps
zines frdnsOiii6en Gbelmannes."
vStanben sic gut nit ibr?"
,@ir S9peifern ni6t Defenders,
benn tie mar uns itets unipmpatbiih.
Mein 8ruber freili6 liebte lie auber=
orbentli9 unb ibr 8erlut trifft ibr
i6per."
Isle felbft f6eint bod nit linn MID.
eerabe aemiitbpoG umsegoneen gu fsirl.
ba tie Die @~erlobung aus p~efuniGrsr
Griinoen lDite!!"
r@epib ni6t!!"
Silas Sempel nabm abermals eine
prife. rSebr piel fdme, bdrauf an,
ipenn mir erfobren fDnnten, mo Sbr
Sobn fi9 in Der fritii9en .3eit auf.
bielt," iaste er. sd tpette, es iiedt
cine 3iebeseef6i6te 0abinter. !9intey
aIem @roben un0 2d6erli9en aui
GrOen, bas eefdiebt, ftett meiit Elm
Srauenaimmer. Sffenbar min er Die
8etreffenOe i9onen. Gle ausfinbiQ
MAIDEN, biebe uns einen piGtigen 5as
Den in Die 9anO 9eben."
rSariiber fam i5 gar nthts iogen.
sd babe Robert pie!e Sabre ni4t ges
fe6en, uno- in ieinen 9riefen erpdbnts
or oerartiaes ME-"
Tortiesuns fOlst.)