Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-02
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
RY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

L La <AO
II is reported that Eve first tasted the
ample, but history fails to tell us WHO
first smelled the rose or touched UP
cheeks and lips with the colorful Juices
of Nature. All we can declare no"
with certainty is that American
wonoankind have answered the chai'
lenge of Shakespeare by ridiculous
excess" painting of the lilies OF thelr
countenances, besides seeming the,i
toilets with synthetic perfumes sucii
as the spices of Araby never equaieu'
The special student IN natural ms
tory helps to trace the story Oh t,ils
addiction to cosmetics ana SceIto Wy
showing that. even before the preacher
had discovered the vanity box and de-
clared that vanity was the Whoie
thing. birds and monkeys and other
ancestors of our unWinged fapperS
had used the same methods for Dill
lions of wears, either to escape their
enemies by camouflage. or attract
mates. with tints added to their naturai
rainbOWs. So it comes genealoSlcally.
X X X X
The Census Bureau announces that,
last wear, Americans used OF creams
rOuges, etc, what cost manufacturers
tomake. no less than$34 900; talcun
and other toilet powders, $21. 423. OoO'
nerf,,merv and toilet waters, $2O.544.-
600. other cosmetics and perfumes, S28,'
Isl .OOO--making a total manufacturing
cost of S1O4 1896 900. That does not IN
clude dentifrices, hair tonics nor halr
dves--which the preacher might nave
included in his animadversion on van
ity. Nor does 1t account for what per
fumes and cosmetics were imported
from foreign makers-perfumes. pay
runs and toilet waters. S2,o3o,o oo: anu
cosmetics. powders, creams. ETC., 1884,
1913.
Furthermore, none Of these figures
measure what the ultimate consumer
Maid. at retail, for her beauty and
aroma-estimated at three or four
times the above manufacturing costs.
Also. If one were StatiStically lncllned,
one might add the cost of all the httle
mirrors and gold vanity cases. VANITY
of yanities, all is vanity for. with
such bills for camouflage, 1t is no won
der that there is left so little for dry
Coods-mere "unconsidered trifles.'
X X X
The important thing to study is
not what vanity costs today Tor niusii
or odor, but whittier runs the trend
Including all the smells, cheek paints
lipsticks, hair beaches and dyes, plus
the tooth powders, hair tones, pc
mades and permanent pillows, the
total today for looking pretty is sl4l; :
ASS. 600 a season. Maybe the end Justl-
fies the means. what man Is 10 set
himself up as judge?
1t must be stated in full justice
that in 1914 a dollar bought twice
as much beauty stuff as it does today
but again we recall that some of us
men were a dozen years younger then,
and maybe it only seemed so.
However that may be, in order
to make a conservative comparison
we would count the quantity used In
1914, if estimated on tOday's costs, as
double what it actually cost then
say $50 100000 worth at present rates,
contrasted with our Sal .48S,000.
In 1914 our population was 97,927.-
900, while today it is 115,378,00
Hence i'll 1914 the per capita-or per
cheeka "-cOnsumption at tOday's rates
was 81 cents worth, now it is $1.22
worth. Or to be more accurate in
bald or uncolored facts, since the
population is only half female, we
must double that per cheeka." That
shows the high cost of husbands to-
day, compared with the good old times
before the war. Besides, look at the
kind of husbands we are now!
X y X X
In 1898 the Department of Agri-
culture advocated perfumery farms,
where they would sprout two roses
where but one sprouts today, for even
then the demand for scents suggested
dollars. Nothing came of the recon-
mendation beyond q few civet farms
hn ytrhn oil 80
Jasmines and geraniums and other
sweet-scented vegetation was given
over to civet cats! Now the Coolidge
administration wants to help the farm.
ers and stand we'll with the ladies'. So
1t is considering a plank for the next
platform, Fewer civets and more AZ.
tar of rosesv' or More polls and
fewer poles"
REWRITING to Mother Eve and her
apple orchard and the snakes in the
grass, 1t is declared by natural his
tOrians that that first snake which
gave her the first ripe apple was
the one which brought her the idea
of celebration camouflage, supple
mental to the rolled fig leaf. Ever
since then. birds and snakes. chame.
Icons and many beasts and insects
nave Deen Trying out HpStlckS, rouge
and other DISCUSSES. They all camou-
f1age: why not our womenfolks?
Mr.. w. p. Pycraft, author Of the
book, "Camouf1age in Nature" says
1.-The coloration Of animals Is regarded
as presenting four main types-pro-
tective. warning, mimicry and sexual
coloration. Protective coloration
Is generally described as having been
evolved for the purpose of conceal
ment"
Cation, a naturalist of IS years ago
pointed out:
mo more conspicuous animal can
we'll be conceived, according to the
common idea, than a zebra; but on a
bright starlight night the breathing
Of one may be heard close to you. and
yet you will positively be unable to
see the animal. If the black stripes
were more numerous he would seem