The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-13
MODERN HEROINE
WORKS BRAVELY
Having One Arm Amputated
She Carries on Dressmak-
ing With Success.

A lady now in Honolulu occasionally
! wears dress that has an interesting
history. AS a dress, it is nothing ex-
traordinary, being of plain blue and
white foulard silk, made with a shirred
ruffIe around the skirt, full, pulled
sleeves with white lace cuffs, creased
collar and belt ''to match" 1t was
made by a dressmaker in a small town
| in one of the middle western States,
and was said, in the days of its first
freshness, to have been an excellent
fit, and altogether a satisfactory gown.
The interest lies in the fact that it
was cat, fitted and made by little
dressmaker who had but one arm, and
that the left arm.
Her father had been a tanner and
when child of seven, playing in the
mill, her right arm was caught in the
machinery and so badly crushed that it
had to be amputated. Losing it at
such an early age, the plucky woman
had learned to get along without 1t.
Instead of sitting down and bemoaning
her fate she learned to sew, and then
to cut and fit from scientific models.
Even in this, she was remarkable,
for she made all the many measure
ments now required in cutting the
waist and skirt Of a gown, using the
tape-Iine, which was held in place by
the person being fitted, and did not
write down a single figure until all
the measurements were complete.
Usually this was not done until the
patron had left. Although the am
putated arm had been removed about
four inches from the shoulder, she made
her own gowns with two sleeves Of
uniform size In threading her needle
it was run into the upper part of the
empty sleeve and the thread there adj |
justed. Besides the fitting, she did all
the finer sewing herself, shirring,
ruffling and draping, which she never
trusted to the half dozen women she |
in her shop. Rutfle and band |
to be shirred were also fastened to
the empty sleeve, and held by some
means she had devised while the beau
tiful fine stitching was done. One OF
her almost incredible achievements was
the making of SIX gowns of white |
chiffon which were worn by the |
bridesmaids at a fashionable wedding, |
and which were wonders of frills and
furbelow.
Her work was so excellently done,
always, that she was obliged to turn
away customers, and it was necessary
to place an order at least six weeks
before the work could be undertaken.
The brave woman supported her aged |
mother and the younger members of
the family, the father having died. At
the time the dress aforementioned was
made, she was about twenty-four years
old, very prepossessing in appearance,
always tastefully dressed, herself, and
much above the average in intelligence,
which can readily be understood
A few years ago she married sue
cessful and prosperous man, whose first
act of martial authority was to close
her dressmaking shop. His business
takes him frequently from home, and
the old habit of work is hard to over
come. With more leisure than she likes,
and with a love for the useful art IN
which she had become such an adept,
and this in the face of difficulties that
would have seemed insurmountable, she
still sews for a few Of her favorite old
patrons. Those she thus obIiges could
be multiplied indefinitely, but for the
husband who has interviewed.