The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-24

trip satisfied him. and everything afte,
that only confirmed him in his belief
1t is ten years since Mary McCloskey
first crossed the seas. Twice a wear
from that time she had made trip
Now she is known to Switzerland. 10
France, to Belgium and to Ireland
There Is nothing created by the great
artists of fashion. in her particular
lines. that she is not among the frst
to get The finest products OF the
looms. the most delicate of needle.
work. the daintiest of creations. the
newest combinations of color. that
charm the eyes and hearts OF the wo-
men. she searches for as cAlector
OF rare things hunts the highways and
byways TOR his particular treasure.
And she hnds them. She has como
such hgure that the masters v. the
mills, the great princes OF the pal
aces of trade--even the women o, Nor.
mandy. OF Belgium and OF Ireland
whose manipulation of their hundreds
OF little spools and bobbins has raised
them 10 the rank of artists, hold their
choicest products for Miss 'McCloskeys
coming.
The girls in the store no longer
wonder why the boss selected her 10
go abroad. The growth of her nepart-
ments has been based upon the things
that the keen Judgment OF this woman
buyer has brought 10 them 1t IS
chiefly through her selection Of goods
that her house has grown into spe-
cializing In these particular lines To-
day she buys for six departments She
buys the neckwear. the waists the
handkerchief. the robes. the unmads
blouses and all the material tina, goeJ
into the manufacturing work. roon,
and she has charge of this work. room.
which employs loo girls and women
in the busy season.
Going abroad has no further terrora
for Mary McCloskey. tits a part OF the
days work. She no longer has 10 hunt
round. dreading TO make mistakes
Mil men and merchants now look for
her eHpectantly. Her arrival is chron-
icled and reported a IS that OF an i'm
portant parsonage. Men OF high repu-
tation in the trade follow her lead.
glad to purchase anything that sn-
approves. The ribbon girl OF ten yeats
ago has become permanent figure
In the dry goods world OF two con
tinents When she returns to New
York after one of her semi annual trips
she has the pleasant knowledge That
thousands of Americas best-dressel
and wealthiesi women are wearing
garments and garnitures OF her per
sonal selection.
She has no more devoted admirers
than the girls in the shop and in the
work rooms. II is an event when her
models are displayed. The girls never
cease wondering where she hnds 50
many beautiful things how she IA,
developed her exquisite taste.
Either Miss McCloskey or her en-
ployer has fine economical sense. TDs
madeup models she brings home ana
taken to the work-room and Literally
dissected. to find out just what enters
into their harmonies OF color and fabric,
Then begins the work ofNduplication---
the creation OF articles SO like the
originals that only an expert can tel
them apart. The delicacy of some OF
these fabrics Is marvellous and the
amount of detail in the Taking of GER
tain garments almost beyond belief
All of this work comes under the
supervision OF Mary McCloskey. All
of it has to be turned out within IA
certain time to catch the trade for
the house in both wholesale and retail
in her particular lines. The represen-
tatives OF the emporiums OF the East
the South, the West the Middle West,
watch for her spring and fall dis
plays az the Parisians look for the dis
plays of the great houses of the Rue
de la PaiX. She i.s become the great
figure In her bran of trade.
She does not set IS a week now. 1t
is nearer $4,000 Il year But she is tho
same Mary McCloskey who went behind
the ribbon counter eighteen years ago.
She has the same fine sense of making
the most attractive exhibition of the
goods she has to sell. and she pays
the same deep. earnest attention TO
those She serves. Her world has
broadened from the world of ribbons
to world of many wondrous fabrics
but she was the same faithful worker
when she got the IS a week as she
is now. when she gets nearly TIRES
times s. a day. She is one living ex-
ample-the best New York offers-of
the fact that there is opportunity even
In the big dry goods field for the
humblest worker in q great establish
ment: She has never worked for but
the one employer. She has never had
to ask for an increase. She has climb
ed to the topmost rung of the ladder
through sheer ability.
1t is not the fall display of Miss Me.
Closkeys latest purchases that inter-
ests the girls of the shop most, how.
ever. just now. They are concentrat-
ing their somewhat uneasy attention
upon certain solitaire that gleami
upon the third finger of her left hand
But it Is doubtful. even IL their wors,
suspicious are confirmed, that the busi-
key. buyer of beautiful things.
Tiki 49, ~.