Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-19

Under the same roof shelves and coun-
ters are piled high with the cast-of gar
ments of queens and columbines kings
and testers, knights and mount ebanks of
the stage. which eventually are to deck
the persons OF kings Of the iungIes and
their dusky consorts, VINO have grown
tired of leading the simple life.
Up to date the whole business, of pass
ing the discarded raiment of the stage
To sable swells and bellies Is in the
hands of one man. who does business in
London and has a huStlinG branch i'll the
United States, too. and the story of how
this unique and highly picturesque in
dustry came into being i entertaining.
1T may sound almost too good to he true.
but told to the writer by the out
filter Of cannibal kings and queens him
self. His name is John Lyman. and,
aside from his business as the Worth Of
West Africa and the Paquin of Paqua. he
is one of the best known of stage cos
tuners.
The beginning of this department of
my business" he said. dates back
about five years. when queer and pref
" exciting adventure befell friend of
mine. He's "A great traveller and in
cidentaly great Swell-what they call
a regular nut in London now-and at
this time he was the only passenger on
tramp steamer that was working its
way from Bera to Chinde--if | remember
rightly-on the east coast of Africa.
Well, the ship was wrecked and my
friend was cast up on cannibal island
whose inhabitants were eager to sample
some real white meat.
"All that kept this chap from figuring
as the principal dainty on their bill-of
fare next day was his extremely saucy
clothes. AS luck would have it, he was
wearing a something choice in the way of
a fancy vest. besides IA real Bond street
suit OF mixed tweeds. and underneath
lie had some pink underwear that cost
seven dollars and half the garment in
Piccadilly.
This raiment made a big hit with the
cannibal chiefs. and it saved my friend $
life for he told the chiefs that they might
have every rag he had on If they would
keep him out of the casserole pot and
this they agreed to. 1t not seeming to oc-
cur to them that after he had been sent
along to the chef his clothes would be
theirs anyway. Anyhow. they spared him
for the sake of his toys, and my friend,
wrapped principally in reVerie, WAS
taken in one of the catamaranS that they
use out there to a neighboring island.
where he got in with ii consul and event.
ually put on board of another ship.
On the way back he did some hard think
ing, and when he got home he told me-
that if natives were as pleased as all
that with just ordinary things like vests
and underwear they would trade most
anything for really SNOWY stuff like the
atrical costumes. ! saw the point quick,
and that's how il started.
Hyman smiled and bit off the end of a
long black cigar. He is man of hfty-
odd. whose nationality may be guessed,
and he has been one of London's leading
costumers for twenty years or more. To-
day he can trick you out at a minute $
notice anything from an Indian prince
to an American cowboy, and when the
writer called on him he was busy getting
up a lot of the costumes for fancy dress
party soon to be given by the wife OF the
prime minister, Mrs. Asquith.
Meanwhile he directed attention to a
gorgeous field marshal's hat with white
plume which had just come in from 10
cal halter who had been enlarSing II by