The Washington times., 1920-04-18

appeared in the New York news
papers and the astonishing discov.
cry was made that there are no ugly girls
In New York-at least. none who will ad-
NIT It in exchange for a 800 bill.
The advertisement was an effort in good
faith to find highly unattractive young
woman, a person go mortally ugly that
there would be no dispute as to her lack
Of charms. And then an experiment was
to be performed.
The advertisement was placed by repre-
sentatives of the New York milliners, and
the plan was to demonstrate the truth OF
the old maxim that Fine Feathers Make
Fine Birds" or course, everybody knows
that a woman looks better dressed up
that is admitted. But how far can the art
of the milliner go in making an ugly
woman seem rather attractive? Was there
a list of tricks and devices, Of optical
Illusions, of color effects, ETC., which could
be applied in practical way to overcome
Natures mean tricks and present to the
world an ugly woman SO camouflaged that
she could pass as rather good looking?
In the great City of New York little or
no response came to the advertisement. A
few handsome girls sent their photographs,
evidently hungry for a compliment. A
few rather homely girls applied and were
happier when they were told they were
not ugly enough-happier than they would
have been II they had qualified as "the
homeliest girl in New York." and walked
home with the 500.
. Then the advertisement was published In
Boston. But no New England girl came
forward who met the requirements. Then
they tried Philadelphia, and there they
secured the prize winner.
The annual convention of the millners
Of America met in the big ballroom Of the
Hotel Astor and Vice-President Mayer ad.
dressed the sea of faces and the gentle
murmur Of rustling silks:
"Ours is something more than a trade
it is an art. 1t is we'll for an artist to have
natural talent, but even gifted persons
may learn from study and from the ex-
periences Of others.
"And, like the medical profession and
the scientific eXperimenter, we have duty
to the public. The physician safeguards
the health the scientist the mechanical
welfare and the milliner the personal at.
tractiveness Of the individual. And il the
doctor and the scientist must study to per-
feet himself, so, also, must the milliner
ut is an old adage that fine feathers
make fine birds Is this really, literally
true? And IL 1t Is true, 1t Is the milliner
who arranges the fine feathers and Gre
ates the fine bird
"As one Of the educational features of
our annual convention here we have ar
ranged to make a practical demonstration
OF the truth Of the adage that fine feath.
ers, as a matter Of fact, can be made to
produce fine bird from a most unpromis-
ing specimen.
And now, fellow members" said Mr..
Mayer, bowling CALAMITY toward the far
edge of the platform, 81 shall present our
young friend from Philadelphia. New
York and Boston were unable to supply
us with the needful material for our
demonstration, and it is to Philadelphia we
are indebted for this young lady who
stands before you now. Our young friend
will now withdraw to the dressing room,
and under the skilfuI ministrations Of our
-our-what shall call them?- Com
mittee of Transformation will be i'm
proved in appearance: to what degree Of
improvement we shall very soon know"
AS the Philadelphia prize winner
stepped from the platform the photograph
(A) above was taken. And in fifteen min.
utes the Committee of Transformation"
reported ready to bring back their subject
for the inspection of the convention. The
young woman stepped forward and the
1,700 milliners applauded as they exam
ined the transformed" girl and the pho
tograph printed above and marked (B)
was then made
What had happened behind the stage
was more interesting than what the audi
ence had witnessed. The ugly girl, escort.
ed by young employe from the Pennsyl-
vania Station, had arrived back stage AT
the Hotel Astor. The young employe re-
moved his hat, nervously passed his volu-
minous handkerchief over his face and
whispered to the three milliners who