| Show I FRENCH SILK WEAVING W H II HUNT of St Etlen Etien Etienne EtI EtIne CONSUL ne In response one to tA an American Amerlean request has bu prepared the follow following ing article on the Ibe of ribbons rib ribbon bon bons at t that French city elt The Tho production of ribbons ribbon at nt gt Etienne amounted mounted In 1906 to being biting an of J the tho previous year was some Boma somewhat somewhat what over ov or 01 an 0 increase of loe 00 M as red with 1908 1905 Rib Ribbon bon boll are exported from St world but the tha more or leaa 1 lee over the which are ara the largest pur purchasers chasers are 4 Germany United State Canada Argentina China Italy and nd Spain The Tb present nt number of ul looms loom In Bt St JCU lIa and Ute the vicinity is II estimated at OIW that of and andU the U total number of or mss men women aid alia ad employed POT In the th industry I In at It 71 The Tb number ot of ribbon man at tori M I b about boat no 17 but they thy are not all I confined to the city olty a largo large number being scattered through t the small mall 11 towns town of the departments department of the tb Loire Haute Haule Loire Loin and sad the laere I Within th tb the la Wt t few row year ra electric mo no moor noor tor or power ha tau beep been distributed not DOt only to the large ribbon factories of ot the tho region but wt also alo to every weaver who works work at home bo Hitherto the We who generally po from two to three thre tb looms loom did all th the t e work by hand but row handmade ribbons ribbon may gray be lie considered a thing thin of or the put peat Th Tao t output ban ha consequently Increased and the wage 11 are a little better bU than UIn some 10 yean yeah y afro ajro WI AT HOMB I The Th weavers weaver a u as a class claa IH are ure sober sad and a 4 men man living Irving frugal fual live and andra an ann asem ra n totally absorbed in their trade t tA A large 11 number are liTe not only proprietor Ill tor tore tori of nt their theta looms loom but also of their help houNa bu sad and It U may be said d that many In of thi city were ware built by b them A model modal weaver 1 hOI home of ot three tb a room tall all I the Ihl working people live in tenement ones on long 10 and a large Irp rough enough to 10 contain three looms two family v room of ot which one Is I the kitchen eating U and bedroom con Mu 00 the other oUr la ls I th the bedroom of t the tIo parent and contain contains the tb beat best house household Iou hou hold furniture The homes hom 9 are always clean dean and nd neat presenting frequently a contrast contract with tuo e of of ot other trades Their diet consists of or soup BOUp morning and evening made or of a It curious mix mixture mixture mixture ture of bread potatoes and cabbage to tn which a I slice IllIce of ot bacon In is added to I give it a It flavor nav lr Th T dinner Is I com corn composed complIed posed plIed of meat luet vegetables cheese ch I coffee cof coffee of oft fee t and a quart of ot red rd wine wh while th the supper Is le made up of soup ou the th rn 1 re remainder minder of ot the dinner and anti the usual bottle of or wine A As will be seen the French weaver live lives fairly well but without any ny extravagance Tie He seeks no beyond a walk In the country on Oil Sunday gunday or an nn occasional mil vi It to the theater WAGES W AND HERITAGE The earnings earning of ot a 11 weaver are aN difficult dl cult to calculate but JIM I per r day a may maybe maybe maybe be con considered Ul red na as 1 an average for th the year around At some come seasons linn tin ten will earn a as much a Jt I 1 to U sa 1 a day while at t others other he lie will not make mak more than M eo sante MIl II or his bin looms loom mil may maT lie Idle Idla for fora a III tow few days 48 In tn the factories the work I la Is more mora regular but bul frequently short tun I is Imposed for obvious reasons The ribbon Industry Inu depending entire entirely ly I on Uio Ule caprice of fir fashion Is subject to fluctuation The prominence given to tn St Nt Etienne In III the production of ribbon Is I due to tn two factor one of which Is le the nature or of It its Ita water weter at which free from Any min minI er t I ubel 1 is III cure Dur and ami amiI andIs an anI I Is Ideal for O It Fl Is III thus thu that the most ate shades or tints tint ran n be b produced to almost perfection nert The number of dyeing dyn In the city I to II ti l sTill anil na those houses hou not only supply the local IMBI needs but bUI execute large I orders order from Lon and elsewhere The Th second conI reason j Is s that of fit the well known special lal aptitude of nf the weavers The he weaver of ot Bt It Etienne Is ls I by na nature lure ture an ft artist In III hU hie bl trade trude t IM 4 Handed down from father to 10 son lion all the secret 10 of If the th Industry the th delicate drat manipulation lion tion of If the thread on 01 the looms loom II and an anIh the Ih varied vt d combinations of lit it n the design to obtain the th most mint affects are ar ard sad and d will remain maln th the distinctive and attractive features feature of ot the th It Ellenne ribbon Industry fit It t with It U O Inhabit Inhabitants Inhabitants It ants anti po poa en other oU industries whisk although ft lee I ley known perhaps than limn rib ribbon bon making yet are AI Im Important Important to 10 give gire got employment to than theu and a of at workmen n nod d may ma to the prosperity or af f thus the olty oily Among these may mar U W eoal mine ml iron Imn and tel sleet mm gun making hardware af et t various nou kind Iliad bicycle ste tr |
