The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-08-13
by chas. T. Collyer. 1s1s-

that had previously been their exclu- sive right, and to this day have not entirely dropped them; chief among which, is the making and selling of wine; even those quite high in social life conduct this business, though in such cases the one who performs the duties of barTnaid is generally a young and attractive slave.
 .' .'Throughout the country a large business is carried on by women in the manufacture and sale of vaious vege- table oils, which ae used in place or led in cooking; these oils are also used for lighting purposes. though for this latter use oil made from the castor bean ts preferred to any other. In many cases when called in to help those who are ill., after advising an aperient it is a custom to pour sev- era1 spoonful of castor oil out of a lamp into a pan, and in 1t fry an egg, vorite Korean medicine, and it is said to be quite delectab1e!
 Korean Nee6e-Wonaen
 There are several other lines of work open to women, such as the dye ing of goods, the making of pickles and various savories, making straw shoes, and the universal industry of need1e-work- After seeing specimens of Korean needle-work one is tempted to ask the question, Are there in any other country such expert needle-wo- men as the Koreans?' ?'' On one occa- sion bought some material and gave it to a Korean seamstress with an old garment telling her ito make me one exactly like the pattern" The work came home most perfectly done, even to the patch! When have shown this garment to American ladies they de- clare that I had been deceived by the woman, for there can be no doubt the work was done on a sewing machine. To my positive knowledge a sewing machine had never been seen in that city at the time the garment was made.
 The implements used by the Korean need1ewomen are crude, excepting the needle. The imported Europan arti- c1 is to be bought in every village ana on account of it's superior manufac- ture and finish is invariably used The thread used is to a very large extent the two-p1y cotton spun by themselves. Spool cotton is to be bought in The big markets and cities, but on account of it's price has not yet come into common use. The Western thfmble Is far from popular. for why should one buy a metal thing when one can make for themselves that which suits them better2 The Korean tHrinhIa is a thing of beauty. It Is made of strips of cloth pasted on paper, cut into shape and ornannented with eTn- broidery, the two sides are bound with silk and sewn together. The finished product makes perfect teo-cosey in miniature.
 Until the importation of anaEne co1ors the Koreans were without any means of dyeing their homespun ma teria1s, hence the native dress is white. To say they had no means IS not quite Correct, for there. is one that Is sometimes resorted. to, which is to dissolve 8 cake of ink by friction and water and to dip the garment in the liquid which gives it dirty black color. This method Is extremely cum bersome, and since the color washes
 out it is not held in high favor.
 The Korean Laundry.
 As the people dress in white. the I work of the laundress is an unceasink one and must be included in the list
 of vacations that are open to women Occasionally women are specially hir- ed for this work, but in the majority
 of cases it is done by the slaves, or in poorer families, by members of the household.
 Soap is unknown, so a description of the Korean method Of washing clothes may not be without it's inter
 est. First a solution of ye is made by placing a quantity>of wood ashes In
 a cracked. gourd through which water is allowed to drip into tub. After the Things and hems have been ripped out, the various pieces of the garment are placed in this solution and kaft to soak overnight In the morning they are carried to the stream or riverside
 where they are rinsed out, folded up, | laid on flat stones and vigorously 1neaten with paddles. After they have been again rinsed they are spread on Ithe hillside to dry and bleReh.
 The fIse of the hat-iron is unknown The <'ifonfng'' is done without froni
 The folded garment is wound around a smooth wooden roller, which is hplaced on a stone slab, and vigorous 1y beaten with round sticks by women sitting on either side.
 ! Alter the completion of this process | of ironing the Innings are put back.
 the hems carefully folded. pasted down
 and sewn up again.
 The ribbons which are used instead I of buttons and generally made of the
 same material as the garment. receive | great deal of attention. for they ! cannot be ironed by the beating pro cess. They are stretched by being I pulled at either end, after which
 V hile a companion keeps it tight bJ Il pulling the further end, the laundres: ] srnooths the ribbon in mid-air with ar Il iron saucer attached to a long wooder | handle. A fire of charcoal placed il \ this iron gives the requisite heat. II Khm-c11i.
 Another occupation which, in 1t
 season, exclusively occupies the wo II men's time is the making of that >grea
 delicacy the Koreans call kim 3cht- Tn II lettuce-shaped cabbage..e which 1 H grown to great perfection in som
 parts of the country, is carefull,
 washed, at the well mouth, or stream
 side, and all outer and damaged leave removed It Is cut up and place.
 iR huge four-foot-high jars to soal with a large quantity of sliced turnips When it reaches that exact state O perfection known only to the ko
 reans small quantity of broker-u1