The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-05-06
The Overalls Epidemic.

1nQ1cCmeQt Will uOiO Out UuC Ille
American white man will give him a
run for his money. Today a great
number of gentlemen are attracting
attention in public, getting their
names in the papers and proving be-
yond peradventure that they are saw
iors of society by appearing on the
streets, in theatres, in hotels and
other places of public congregation in
the right, proper and true garb of the
patriot-the well-known overalls.
Overalls clubs are springing up all
over the land. IN some cases mem
bers have to swear by their sacred
honor that they will wear no other
outer garb henceforth on week days.
In other cases there are penalties
in one instance ducking in public
Where this overall craze started is
not certain. It is credited to Louis
lana gentleman. Whether he has
large financial interests in mills max
ing denims is not clear. If he has
not he should be rewarded by denim
makers even if he is damned by work
ingmen.
There was time when a worker
could get suit of overalls for $50
or 81, Today the wholesale price is
from SO to 1926 and the retail from
Sc to $40. Within week this craze
is likely to boost it to much higher
levels.
The production of overalls in
America has been in the neighbor-
hood of 100000 garments year.
There has been shortage for the
last two years as there has been Of
everything. This fad is likely to
drive the price up to where worker
cannot afford overalls.
Brilliant examples of the virtue of
this latest splurge in economy are
given. One of the first recruits to
the overalls army paraded publicly
with silk handkerchief in the up
per left hand pocket of his Jumper,
a bright silk shirt beneath his denim
and diamond solitaire in his cravat.
Clothing merchants are prepared to
meet any call society makes for ex-
pensive and nobby styles in overalls.
One designer says the rugged garb
of the laborer may be made highly
ornate by the use of heavy silks and
various trimmings and, if the ladies
take it up, gowns bearing a reason
able emblance to. overalls may be
fabricated of blue broadcloth silk,
trimmed with platinum rivets, pearls,
venetian lace and fox fur cuffs.
Mayors, judges, bankers, preachers,
college boys and plutocrats have
rushed madly into the Overall army
and also into print. The polite
ians, of course, were in the game
early. Representative VIM. David
Upshaw, of Atlanta, Ca, who has the
reputation Of never failing to get
into the spotlight, appeared in Con-
gress in a one-piece overall. With
him there appeared a flock of pho
tographers.
"A man in overalls has always been
my hero,' Mr.. Upshaw told the re-
porters. Now that he is in overalls
it follows that Mr. UpshaW is hero.
Naturally" he said, Il could not
indorse such a movement without
practicing what I preached. I urge
all memb bers of the house and senate
to follow my patriotic example"
1t is to be hoped his wish is graft
fed. What noble spectacle it would
be to see Henry Cabot Lodge in over
alls. Nothing would be more con-
ducive to bringing contentment to the
world.
How the creation of bull market
in denims is to decrease the cost of
living is not clear to the naked eye.
1t is nuts for the notoriety seeker
but it is rough on the working man.
If you: boost the cost of his clothes
he is going to demand higher pay.
No one is going to profit by this
craze but the mill man and the mer-
chant.
= We call the French emotional, but
we are more Irrational in some of
our acts than our Gallo brothers.
Common sense and persistent econo-
my in purchasing would put check
on profteering in short order, but
few persons follow such course. 1t
is the testimony of merchants that
never was there such demand for
silks, flimsy, short wearing and ex-
pensive articles as now. In the south
there has been something of halt