The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-06-03
YANHS IN EUROPE
BUY Much PERFUME
However, Eventually Some
Girl Back Home Gets
Most of It.

cRAssE. France. May s.-Ameri-
can soldiers must be the best (or, at
least. the most) perfumed group of
people in the whole world.
Anyhow, that's the way 1t appears
to Grasse, this old, old city OF per.
hume makers, the most famous one OF
the kind anywhere. There are sixty
great perfumery factories in the place,
and over the doors OF some OF them, in
the queer, narrow little streets, are
painted names known throughout the
scentustng world for the excellence of
their wares. Grasse used to sleep
here, Graded ii, the flower-covered
hills, never coming into contact with
the world at all. as It bottled the Sc
crets of the blossoms and sent them
away
But now Grasse is one of the most
visited places in France. Since the
Y. M. G. A. excursions for soldiers on
leave on the Riviera began, not day
passes that the town is not invaded
by hundreds of American boys. When
they go they carry with them whole
buckets full Tin bottles, of course) of
scent marked Jasmine, hogsheads full
OF white rose, and tanks full of violet.
One would think they drank perfume,
these American fighters.
SO the curious towns-folk say, and
stare with round eyes at the dough-
boys who get out of the Y. NJ. G. A.
cars and hurry into the great factor
les. For, although a few of the Ameri-
can soldiers send their bottles of per-
fume straight from Grasse to the girls
back home, most of them seem to pre-
fer the safety first method of carry
ing 1t with them. It's no trifling task
to carry a bottle of cologne safely
: along with blanket roll and rifle
and a helmet and gas mask, and a
barracks bag. But the idea seems to
be that the girls back home are worth
the trouble. Anyhow, there will soon
be big Sisterhood of the French-Per-
fumed In the United States, and If the
scent is as individual as its makers
here declare it to be, perhaps its men,
beers will recognize one another at
once when they meet.
Meanwhile, more than a thousand
American soldiers and officers visit
Grasse every week.
Say, violet is the best scent for
blondes, isn't it?" one may hear them
asking. '.And carnation, is the right
stunt for brunettes, isn't it,"
What the deuce is mimosa?" they
1emand.
I'D like to send my girl some of
pat swell soap over there that smells
nice" they say. do YOU think
ned get mad II did,"
They are so occupied with their
problem of picking out presents that
thsT hardly listen to the Y. NJ. C. A.
guides. who are telling them how the
perfume is made, as the Frenchman in
charge leads them through the fac
tory, and points out the various rooms,
and their purposes. But perhaps some
OF the women for whom the bottles
of scent are designed will be interest
ed 70 know the story of their making.
The American soldiers aren't the only
ones who have gone TO a lot of trou-
BILE over II.
y is quite possible, for instance,
that whole family has taken part
In Its production. Grasse has been
perfume city for so long that there
has been generation after generation
OF scent-makers. Often every member
OF the family from the great-grand-
mother TO the fouryear-old child works
at some branch or other of the trade.
The very old and the very young
members of the family are usually
used only in the flower.picking, while
the men and the younger women work
in the factory.
Il takes at least three months to
produce bottle of good perfume.
Lard ts spread on panes of glass, and
fresh petals are sprinkled upon It.
Every day for three months these net
ais are changed, by the end of which
time the lard has absorbed all the fra
GRANGE possible. It is then distilled
in alcohol, which transfers the per.
fume OF the blossoms to the alcohol.
The lard IS afterwards made into
soap. II It Is desired that the soap
shall be scented, new perfume must
pc added, as the alcohol has removed
the last trace of 1t. After the soap Is
cooked, and turned through machines
like ice cream freezers 1.-THE great
room where 1t is made smells like a
daryl II goes through a hardening
process, in machines like great paper
presses, and is blocked of into bars.
The higher-class variety goes through
polishing process. At Grasse the
brand OF the soap is stamped on each.
bar individually, and several men in
each factory do nothing else.
June, July and August are the great
Tower months here Just OF the Medi-
terranean, and hundreds of men. wom-
er and children return to Grasse every
night from the fields and greenhouses
around II with baskets of flower net
ais on their heads. Some Of the more
delicate blossoms require great care in
picking. as jasmine and orchid. If
they are bruised, they lose a part of
their fragrance. Little children NAV
pick Others, as roses and mignonette,
without harming them.
Certain unsentimartal.s eeming Gre
attres, such as slIunks and whales
are really OF the utmost Importance