The Detroit times., 1914-07-13
WOMAN MAKES
GOOD LIVING
MENDING RUGS
She Has the Most Exclusive Job
in the WOrld-Cares For
Valuable NavajOs
Is CALLED TO TRAVEL
OVER COUNTRY IN WORK
She Has Studied Her Art Under
the Native Indian Teachers
and is Master of ii

KANSAS CITY, July ll.-Mrs. l.. +,
Reese, OF this city, has perhaps the
most exclusive job in the United
States.
Her sole occupation Is mending
valuable Navajo rugs. Mrs Reese be-
gan the work IL years ago, and con.
fesses she has great deal TO learn
about II yet. Shortly after her hus
band died, II years ago, Mrs. Reese,
in her struggle 10 keep the wolf from
the door, turned her attention from
oil painting 70 the more remunera-
tive field of Navajo rug mending, into
which she stumbled in the following
manner: One day she saw friend
mending a Navajo rug The friend
did It so poorly that Mrs. Reese re-
monstrated with her.
60 and get the Job YOURSELF the
friend told her.
Mrs Reese took her friend at her
word and went 20 the office OF Fred
Harvey and applied for the position
She got a tryout, and later all the
work was turned over TO her. Her
knowledge of the art OF design came
in handy, and being naturally an
adept with the needle. she soon made
a reputation for herself. Soon she
was called upon TO travel all over the
west to mend the priceless Nayajos
IN private collections Mr. Harvey
soon after established a chain OF Gu
rio stores across the continent, and
his work demanded all her time.
Mrs. Reese now mends only the
most valuable rugs. Some or them are
200 and 500 years old, and are worth
several thousand dollars.
at find the work fascinating" Mrs.
Reese said yesterday. While / work
on the rugs marvel at the art OF the
Indians and wonder where they got
their wonderful ideas OF design and
color. | have spent considerable time
among the Navajo Indians and have
studied their methods OF workman
shin They use the most laborious
methods possible. Their warps are
suspended from the ceiling of their
huts and they sit on the floor, tailor
fashion, and weave designs which
master artist would only attempt al
ter weeks OF preliminary drawing
And the wonder OF ii is they never
miss stitch. You can count the
threads in any design and you Will
never find the number different
six years ago went to Albu-
auerque, ~ NJ, to study the methods
of Ellie of Canada, Navajo Indian
woman She is perhaps the greatest
rug weaver in the world. Although
her rugs are woven in a little hut
they sell for thousands. One OF her
rugs sold for $4,000. This was IN
usual, as only very old rugs ordinarily
bring such a price.
Mrs. Reese's room In the Navarro
building Is filed with thousands OF
dollars worth of Navajos. The Ia
bles, the floors and even the walls
are covered with rugs
The prices Mr. Harvey pays her for
her services indicates how highly ne
values her knowledge and skill, She
Is a painstaking artist, making al
her own dyes and matching the yarn
OF the original rugs, In this work
her knowledge of oils and paints Is
invaluable. American and foreign ar
lists have tried in vain for years TO
reproduce the colors OF the Indians
Mrs. Reese is strongly Of the opln-
ion that the Americans who go abroad
10 study foreign art could find plenty
TO 90 II they developed the art OF rug
weaving and pottery Of the American
Indians. She is also a strong adyo-
cate OF Seeing America first