Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-01-05
Remember Suspenders
Best Beloyed''

"The suspenders were left behind.
YOU see, to tie the grating with; and
that is the end Of that tale" That
tale is one Of Rudyard kipling's y uSt
So 'Stories,"sa collection of,narratlqes
that fascinate every child at tha age
when the questions why and how are
oftenest on the tongue. And so We
who remember the plausible cXplana-
ion of how the Whale, thai immense
lcviathan. got his tiny throat, may
inquire whence came Kipling's per-
sistent interest in suspcnders +:
The refrain Of the story is always
about suspenders. The Whale had
had been tempted by the Slute Fish to
find out what man tastes like, OF
course, the reason why the Whale
now has such an Inadequate throat is
that the Mariner whom he swallowed
was a Mariner Of "infinitc resource
and sagacity." The Whale found him
Sitting on raft in the middle OF
the sea, with nothing on but pair
of blue canvass brooches, pair of
suspenders (you must not forget the
susDcndcrs, Best BclOvedl. and q jack
knife" The Mariner adroitly cut up
the raft, fastening il firmly in the
Whales throat, and. as kipling con-
cludes: "Now you know. why you
were not to forget the suspcnderS!"
"The .Just-So Series" We're pub
lished in 1902, but the incident Of the
Whale was in print some time be-
fore that; in 1897, to be exact. And
in 1896, Kiplin% left his Vermont
home. where he had lived for four
years and where, incidentally he may
have become interested in suspenders
During 1891 in London, Kipling met
Wolcot Balestier, with whom he Ia
ter collaborated on story, and on
January is, 1892. kinling married
Balcstier' sister. Caroline, at All
Souls Church, Portland Place. The
Balestier homestead, where Mrs.
Kipling had passed her childhood,
was in Brattleboro, Vermont, and
here, three miles north Of the town,
sands "Naulakha." bungalow which
Kipling erected mainly with his own
hands around a fine old Indian cary
ing. The house commands splen-
did. sweeping view Of the Connecti-
cut Valley, and in it the kiplings
lived from August, 1892, until Sep
TENDER. 1896. Not all rural New Eng
land appealed to Kipling, but it ap-
pears probable that the dominating
industry of a neighboring town was
responsible for his interest in sus-
penders.
At Brattleboro, Vermont, Kipling's
children were born, and here some of
his poems in "The Seven Seas" were
written. as well as the two Jungle
Books" and "Many Inventions"
These children were probably the in
SEPARATION for the "Just-So Stories"
and Josephine who died in 1899. at
| the time when Kipling himself scri-
ouSLy i'll with pneumonia, was prob
ably the cause of an immortal gift
to children everywhere. kipling and
ms children may have been intrigued
with the ultimate significance OF
SuSpendcrs by frequently seeing a
picturesque building, where suspend
ers were manufactured. in Shirley,
massachusetts,, on the Titchburg di-
vision. going toward Boston from
! Vermont
A mil was erected on this site in
i''O. which later was turned into n
factory where srspenders have been
mad, since about 1870. The building
stands on the hanks of the Catacun.
emaug. narrow creek adorned with
an Indian name which only the en-
ployees Of the President SuSpender
| COMPANY seem able to pronounce.
| Tor they and the total population of
Shirley are almost identical. The
factory is in full view of the railroad
| as one leaves this old New England
town. and from it may have been de-
rived kipling's refrain. "You must
particularly remember the suspend
ers. Best Beloved"