The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-05
BACK FROM ORIENT
Miss Sue Emerson Brings
Variety of Chinese Wares.
To Exhibit Curios at Free Fair
Here All Next Week. e
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SHOW RARE MANDARIN ROBES
Manufacture of Coats Ceased
Ten Years Ago.
worries, Beads, Rugs, Rings
Lingerie in Collection.

A display of Chinese wares will be
enc of the most interesting exhibits
at the Kansas Free Fair next week.
The goods belong to Miss Sue Elmer
son. of route /, Topeka, who was sta
toned in Shanghai with the American
Trading company for two and one
half sears
Ar ong the various articles in the
exhibit will be a collection OF worries
from South China. consisting OF pen
dantS beads, umbrella handles ana
similar knick-knacks The raw ivory
is imported from India and the hand
worn done by the Chinese, according
- Miss Emerson.
There will also be a collection of
Mandarin coats from North China,
These coats, made of the best grace
oi silks and satins and highly en-
broidered. are such as were worn by
the Mandarins when they were IN
power. prior to the revolution OF 1919,
wher China became republic: on
the Pacific coast of America and in
New York they are now being worn
by members of the fashionable set as
evening coats. The manufacture OF
these coats has ceased since the revo-
luton.
Show Handmade Rugs. e.s.
The linens in Miss Emerson's col
lection are the finest to be found in
China. The linen cloth is woven and
embroidered in that country, by hand
and much OF the work is done in the
foreign missions. 1t can be obtaineu
only by ordering thru the missions ana
even then one must wait months be-
fore the cloth is received.
The collection also includes some
fine handmade Tientsin or Oriental
rugs. 1t takes four to six chinese
about two and one-haf months TO
complete 9x12 rug after the Wool Is
dyed and everything set up. Pure
vegetable dyes are used in the color
ing process. -st
There Is also quantity OF en-
broidered silk lingerie, handpainted
China from Canton, Chinese beads or
glass. bone and carved wood, different
from anything seen on the American
market, and jade rings for men.
Practically everything in this line
to be purchased in China is made by
hand. according to Miss Emerson.
For this reason the output is very
slow. A firm which wishes 70 buy a
large quantity of goods in America
ordinarily makes this fact known TO
the manufacturers in order~to get the
lowest price available. But when this
fact is known in China the price i'm
mCdiately advances, Miss Emerson
sid. In bringing the collection to
Americas IL was necessary to pay an
import duty on the embroidery work
equivalent to go per cent of its value
A 5 ner@-aent sexport.. duty is -also
charged at the Chinese ports. &
Flew Over Great Wall
Miss Emerson was in the employ
of the American Trading company, OF
New York. one of the first American
firms doing business in China. She
was stationed in Shanghai for thirty
months, but took few trips thru the.
country during that time. one of which
included the city of Peking. Another
trip was made in a British airplane
over the great wall of China. The
Chinese government has purchased a
number of these. machines. Miss Emer-
son stated.
Before her service with the Amer
lean Trading company, Miss Emerson
spent two years in Honolulu. She was
formerly a school teacher in Topeka,
teaching at Polk school. She returned
from China in May. The boat on
which she sailed was held UP by the
strike OF shipyard workers, which was
one of the first strikes ever known in
China. Wages in China are now much
higher than they were some years ago,
Miss Emerson said, aitho the average
wage received by the coolie class at
this time is about twenty cents day
Wages for skilled labor, however, are
much higher.