Evening star., 1926-02-14
u. S. VALENTINE INDUSTRY HUGE;
ORIGIN OF ROMANCE is VAGUE
Patron Saint of the Day, February H. Was Beheaded
by Roman Emperor in Third Century-Pepys
Wrote of Expensive Gift.

Every ybody knows that this is Val
entine day. but few persons know
why it is celebrated. how big the val
entine industry is or q lot of other
interesting facts connected with this
day of romaCe and fun.
Did YOU know, for instance, that
more money WAS spent in the United
States last year for valentine greet
ing cards than for any other kind. eN-
cept Christmas cards?
That valentine making is essentially
a WomanS work. requiring deftneSS,
delicacy and speed, and that women
even run some Of the presses in the
factories?
That the industry WAS founded in
America by the daughter of
Worcester, Mass, stationer?
+ That the patron saint Of the day
was Bishop Valentine. Christian
martyr of the third century, and that
just how romance became associated
with the day is still mystery?
Origin of Celebration.
Franklin Monroe of 20lS First street
has taken the trouble to look into all
these. and other things, and he has
given The Star the benefit Of his find
ings.
Regarding the origin Of the Celebra-
ton, Mr.. Monroe says: "AnSered by
Bishop Valentines zeal as "A mission
AIRY and by some marvellous cures
which he effected, the Roman Emper-
or Claudius Gothicus. had him tor
tured ana finally beheaded. His con
uection with romance is still some
thing uf a mystery. Cynics say that
he was in no way responsible for the
vast volume of sonnets which have
borne his name through the ages.
1T merely happened that February
l4, his feast day. corresponds with the
ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia. or
Spring festival, once sacred to pagan
lovers. at which time it was custom
AIRY for young men TO choose their
sweet hearts
The custom lasted through the
Middle Ages at all the courts OF chiv.
airy. the young knights bestowing
presents on their liege ladies' and be
ing supposed to remain loyal for the
ensuing year 10 the service of their
Valentines
Last year. Mr. Monroe declares.
more than $50, 900 were spent for
greeting cards In the United States.
Valentines follow Christmas messages
as the second largest item on the list.
Founder Of Industry.
The founder OF the valentine indus
try. he states. was Miss Esther How
land. daughter OF a Worcester sta
toner and graduate OF Mount Holvoke
Academy. About ISi9 she found in
her fathers store a valentine imported
from England She decided to copy it.
With the aid of brother her first
samples brought in orders for thou
sands of dollars worth of the ''pret-
ties"
The demand became so startling
that she was obliged to enroll dozens
Of girl friends in the work.
The site Of Miss HoWland's old home
and workshop now "a occupied by a
quick-lunch room. This is the original
shrine OF ST. Valentine in this coun-
try. Mr.. Monroe asserts.
For more than half a century Miss
Rowland was in sole control of the
American valentine industry. Annual.
~ she sent out goods valued at 500.
600. After her death the business was
taken over by George c. Whitney.
who had been designing valentines
since 1860 in Worcester. From man
ufacturinS In a small room he was
obliged to move to larger quarters on
five different occasions
George G. Whitney died in 1915 and
now the business Is carried on by his
son, Warren A. Whitney. The Whit.
ney firm now occupies six large glass
walled factories and covers more than
l0o,ooV square feet of floor space
More than 600 employees punch the
time clock there every day.
Men Buy Most.
Mr.. Monroe declares that men spend
more money on valentines than do
women. The men also buy them in
larger quantities, he says Children
purchase more Of the greetings than
their elders and the youngsters also
receive more Of them than the old
folks.
The observance of February IA is
spreading among the grown-ups. how
ever, Mr.. Monroe told The Star.
Modern valentines have more punch
and less delicacy than those of the
last century. too. The comics of
1879 We're quite different from those
bought by the humorously inclined to-
day. They were almost poster size,
and were classified according to pro-
fessions or characteristics of doctors,
lawyers. tightwads or dozens Of others.
"A typical example showed a hen
pecked husband. His wife grabbed
him by the collar and waved a rolling
pin. The verse ran:
We fear some day your better half
VIII grab you by the neck
And chrtaten you your proper name,
Which all know--Henpeck.
The very expensive valentine Gift