Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-08
SIX SISTERS GIVE UP
BUSINESS TO AID U. s.
Misses Cassidy, of Lebanon, Sus.
pend Noted Fashionable Dress.
making Establishment

ana h'ing In mud huts for sac n month
iusN are doing that. and cheerfuIly too IN
-, '''at we IN peaceful America may con-
Inue 10 reap the benefits of reoI derocr,o,.
Ihe women of America must en,,,ia,o .,,o
ena,'ple or our gallant solderv and mako
sin,i'ar sacrifices. 7 have decided 70 do ca
anu so nave my five sisters We have sus
pehned our business for the poriod ~ ~,
war and will devote our time ana hoe, o,n- ,.e
sies 10 war work Making sacrifceeo Not
olt or H. but merely doing our duty"
WISE hannah Cassidy. Lebanon premier
uessmaker who for thirty years has fashion
en gowns for wealthy residents in thie seq
tion. and in fact many other States ,,ao
t"is statement today. She could make other
statements just terse and lust as Interest,",
ing nut Tor the present she is too busy id.
.is america in its war against the boche
Sne is not talker. but docr, and all
Lebanon pays her tribute
ne story or Miss Hannah Cassidy and fvo
SISTERS who are associated with her in the
oressmaking business, is one of those rare
chapters that are developed in war It is a
story that cannot be told adequately at tbis
time. Tor none of the Cassidy sisters will tell
1t and until they lit their self-imposed CEN
sorship the outside world will know hut little
about them
Prosperous Business
briefN' the story Is this: Twenty years
ago Miss Hannah. who had established the
dressmaking firm ten years -arlfe took in
her five sisters. Margaret Sadie Celia Agnes
anu fNpSe ana Tor twenty years they have
remained together. They have prospered
TOO, for few dressraking firms in the country
do bigger business.
They lived very happily together in a large
three-story brick house at 62O Locust street
and on the third floor established a work.
room. Twice year Miss Hannah went to
New York to buy goods and get tho latest
tips in the world Of fashion
Naturally. these sisters became intensely
interested in the war for the Lebanon SOC
ban iutp thn
service. A year rolled by. but they we're
still in business They had been active in
the Liberty Loan campaigns. thrift STAMP
campaigns and had raised considerable
money for the Knights of Columbus war acti-
vitieS.
Perhaps the average woman would have
considered this work n big contribution hut
on the 5th of July the Cassidy sisters decided
otherwise on the national holiday they
listened to war speeches and returning to
their home in the evening learned that women
were needed on Government contracts.
so at the dinner table Miss Hannah sug-
gested that they become real effectives 1T
occurs to me- said this woman. THAT we
could do more for the Governments Il is true
that we are aiding the cause, but We mus;
do more. President Wilson ,1ys we mast
give until 1t hurts, tut up to ,a p We havert
been hurt. Now we are ,irrssnakt"s ;rd
ought to make efficient worla'e'
There was slight breai IN this .erse
after-dinner speech in the c,sSidy horne
and then five women who are every bit as
loyal and patriotic as their sister announced
and very emphatically. that war WORK or any,
thing else that Hannah sugg I'd would be
accepted without a dissenting voice.
Offer Their Service,
Fine" said Miss Hannah "Tomorrow
VIII visit the local office of The Trackv;lle'
manufacturing Company and offer our s,ry-
ices. In word, we will enlist for the war.
That means that will suspend business
and work on Government contracts" And
the next day found Miss Hannah Cassidy at
the Frackville Manufacturing comnnnys
plant This concern is making medical sup
plies for the Government. When tho man
ager had recovered from the surnrise bo
told Miss Cassidy that he would Install ma
chnery in the Cassidy home and that the
six Cassidy sisters could go TO work as soon
as that part of the program coull be exc
cuted.
Back home went the president Of the dress
making hrm and announced the good news
Another brief session and cards TO their trade
had been agreed upon. OF course. they must
tell the ladies that more evening street
and wedding gowns would he made by the
Cassidy sisters until Kaiser Bill was licked
These cards We're sent out few davs later
and to familiarze themselves with the new
work Miss Rose and Miss Celia went into the
factory
Now the motorized machines have been
installed. and today the Cassidy sisters
tackled their new jobs or as they put it,
starred work for | nCle Sam
So far as money is concerned. the women
will receive but little when II is compared
with their normal incomes. for the Cassidy
dressmaking Arm has been prosperous. Gowns
that they have fashioned have been worn by
scores Of Americas most prominent women.
and to prove this it is only necessary to say
that two women. wives of cabinet officers in a
previous administration, We're among their
customers.
No Time for None ymakinx
Money" said Miss Hannah. why. this
Is no time for real Americans to consider
moneymaking. Money sacrifices - For a
moment she had lost her usual smile. She
gazed out of the window and. by an odd
coincidence man in khaki came in view.
Perhaps she didn't him. for she didn't
mention the incident. but in the next five
minutes she proved that her heart is with
him and the rest of his comrades.
I'VE will make enough money to live on
she said, land that is all we have right to
expect, and think of the JOY we will reap
we work and toll on those things that will he
sent across the seas. Then when the war is
hope that our patrons return, and am sure
they will
You ask if we have dear ones Of our own
across the seas Not as yet, but nephew
is going But after all. that doesn't matter.
Every boy in France, or a great majority.
has a mother, and perhaps the mothers are
not so able to help those boys as we. That
is how we think about it, so we will help"