Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-02-05
HANDMADE RAG DOLLS
Success Of Two Girls With an Industry
started to Amuse Children.

Success Of Two Girls With an Industry
started to Amuse Children.
Chicago Tribune
From plaything designed TO amuso
two children originated an industry which
hns attained % remarkable growth and
become famous Throughout the world. In
a thriving little town not far from OsWego,
n. Y., o unique and interesting business is
being conducted by a woman. IL is tho
manufacture of handmade dolls, which
are no more OF less than an evolution of tho
rag doll of "a century ago, improved and
beautihed, but still bearing the hallmark
of the old time iavortc. The success OF
this enterprise furnishes a striking proof
that business genius is not confined 20 men.
The business conducted by Miss Marietta
Adams. originally for pleasure, has con-
tinued for profit. Although still q home
industry It has become an established
business of not "a little commercial Inn
portancc. Many women are employed,
and so great Is the demand Tor these rag
babies that It is almost impossible to All
the orders. The industry Is q living ex-
ample of the fact that capital and a coli
leqe education are not always necessary to
win success in the commercial world.
There were two sisters In the beginning
who started the work. One, Miss Emma
Adams. was at the time a successful crayo
and oil artist; the other, Miss Marietta
was a stenogapher for a large Western
business house.
!. The incident which led up 20 an indie
pendent business careeri for the two girla
occurred while visiting friends in Chicago
Just 10 give pleasure to some little iolE
several dolls were made So attractive
were they that friends desired to purchase
them. One admirer took upon herself TO
show them to department store, with the
result that the firm offered a market at
once for all the dolls that they could make.
that season.
In 1893 o collection was entered for sala
In the childrcns building at the Columbian
exposition So great was the demand for
them that with all the assistance at COM
mand Il was impossible 10 iill orders. At
the close of the exposition, TO the surprise
and delight of the young women, their
work was awarded honorable mention by
the Worlds Columbian Exposition COM
mi1.ioners. Success continued to follow
In the wake Of the dolls, and for the next
five years the number manufactured was
doubled, until in 1904 1t reached the 5000
mark.
Up to the fall Of 1898, the mother and
two daughters constituted the working
force
Shortly afterWard, Miss Emma Adams
the pioneer of the enterprise, died suddenly.
Since then q large force has been employed
and artists engaged 20 paint the heads.
Severnl years ago the dolls attracted the
attention of Mrs. y. r. Horton Of Boston,
a great doll iancier So delighted was she
with the dolls that she not only added
one to her collection, but selected tine
specimen TO send around the world, to be
placed ON exhibition in cities and towns tor
ihe benefit of childrens charities 10
started ON It's trip in March, 1900, in true
American fashion, alone and unchaperoned
and spent one year in various states, then
crossed TO the Philippine Islands.
These playthings arc widely scattered
among European countries and many are
TO be found in the collections OF children o f
royalty.