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jv's nccnnns ron AUTUMN.
Viirleil Shniien In Millinery The Court
Sleet e , OutMlilu INickrtu , Klc.
NEW YORK , Sept. 15. Welcoming the
coming1 huturan and speeding the parting
Rummer 'is a task the milliners are busy
about. So far ns shop windows arc concerned -
corned the frlyolous straws and Mowers bavo
disappeared before a strong September gale ,
bearing felts rind -velvets In Its arms. How
far , from n , standpoint of beauty , we have
profited by the change remains to bo seen. .
There arc those who look very dubious over
the autumnal prospect , eo far as It reaches ,
nnd candor demands the confession
that a goodly proportion of the
much heralded 'toques ' look very
lllio hasty puddings. . They are , In
the majority of cases , oktrcrricly solid affairs ,
built on the strata principle. ; Jhat Is , a
layer of felt , then ft superstructure , of velvet ,
above this spangled or embroidered' tullea ,
and finally a topping off of feathers. Such.
toques as tbeso look quite ns well set on
the head hind stdo before as the other way
round , and , by their weight and heat , they
nro calculated to Injure the growth of ono's
hair , even to the bringing about of Incipient
baldness. As regards height these com
plicated round things arc stalwart to a
degree , and they can bo no more tolerated
In the theaters than the wldo and lofty head
gear we felt heir to last spring.
Hutu fur Bvcry Goivn.
There Is , however , a silver lining to this
cloud of objections , for the greater number
of these toques are distinctly pretty and to
ninety-eight women our of 100 the toque Is
a becoming crown. One good thing about It
Is that It blends most comfortably with
your circumstances and If you are quick
with your fingers you can weave a hat to
match nearly every gown this winter. For
example : Heaps and heaps of these Jaunty
little top-knots will be made of Just the
goods from which visiting or walking gowns
nro made. If your best suit Is to bo a rich
French livery cloth , a fourth of a yard of
the stuff , gracefully puffed and distorted
over a wire frame , gives you the toque
proper. Add to this a knot or two of bright
harmonious velvet , caught down by bril
liant ornaments , right from a hat of last
year , tuck In a fluff of short ostrich tips
over one ear and there ! without hint or
help from a milliner , Is a thing of beauty
nnd a Joy for all autumn. As a matter of
fact there Is no reason , In this season of
small bead ornaments , why women of any
depth of purse should not have as many
changes of hata as they have of gowns. Of
course these fortunatcs who never borrow
anything from last year's wardrobes , but
begin every season with brand new rai
ment from toe to crown , are going to revel
to the point of extravagance among the
Bpoclal materials , Imported and otherwise ,
that the milliners offer for toque construc
tion alone that Is to say the painted vel
vets and the embossed satins , not to speak
of the chenille embroidered nets that are
npread forth In all their seductive richness.
These , for rich -folks , are the very corner
stones of toque building , nnd there la a
lovely goods , called braided satin , that has
a great vogue.
Breasts and the tall feathers of brlds are ,
for > tht nartlcular specimen of Jiat , most
ought1 after and utilized so that the sheeny
plumage will fall against the hair at either
aide. Last winter there was a fancy for
wearing a knot of white .ostrich tips
utralghtly upstanding from a point some
where Just above the left temple. This
easpn the sarao earnest -attention will bo
given to , velvet horns , Jutting at correspond
ing ancles from Just above cither side of
the brow. Sometimes the horns are twisted
and oprlng from Jeweled circles , sometimes
they stand straight forwi 1 and erect like
the prlckcij up ears of p. . ulllgent donkey
nnd sometimes they ar . ; back and close
together. In a very M < ! Imitation of a
mule's obstinate expie < "em Hut whatever
the angle of the hon.s , there they are ,
piquant , aggressive and Indisputably most
chic and becoming. Almost as character
istic of the newly arrived race of toques
are the rosettes , or to better describe these
o'rnamcntB , the Ilaun'tlng bows that adorn
them at the front , sides or 'rear. A wheel
bow proper Is a circular ornament of any
material preferred with a Jewel In Us center.
Those most universally adopted are made of
smallest black ostrich tips , or soft and
highly tinted water fowl plumage , springIng -
Ing from a sparkling center. Exceedingly
narrow ribbon with wired edges makes a
cnplvatlnc cockade ; so does crisp net , nnd
oven a bias piece of velvet , with Its rim
treated with line gold milliners' wire , serves.
I'VH ' MIUJICH Union * .
Though the rule of the modes Is that all
toques are fashionable , not all fashionable
headgear of necessity takes the form of a
toquo. On every hand the most enticing
felt Bhnres attract one In the millinery
matt" What these shapes enjoy , however ,
Ip common with tbolr toque brethren Is
rjoundnccs and politeness of form. Leaders
tunons them , In the department of distinctly
ornamented hats , are the Little Corporal ,
Test Boy and I'ctcr the Great shapes , The
Ltttlo Corporal Is nothing more nor less
than a small Incroyable , or the queerly
cocked felt that was worn In the period of
French dandyism Immediately following tha
French revolution. It Is built of the most
ellken soft felt , and In his mighty youth
Napoleon the Great were one , at least when
lie was a little corporal In the French army.
In Napoleon's day n cockade significant of
the liberty , equality and fraternity that
was supposed to reign over the pacudo re
public adorned the face of the sharply up
turned front brim , and the milliners have
everywhere made use of the Idea. Instead
of liberty , equality and fraternity , the huge
NBUVOl'S WO3IUX.
The Opinion of n ruinous Mciltcul
Writer nn to the Ciiti e.
In a recent lecture on diseases of women ,
Dr. Hartman said : "A nervous woman Is
always a sick woman. Some drain on her
system is the cause of it. If the mucous
membranes are healthy , the woman Is
usually healthy. Each one of the numerous
nnd delicate organs of the human body Is
lined with mucous membrane. The slightest
catarrhul congestion of any of these mem
branes gives rise to weakening discharges ,
which leads to nervousness , and finally pros
tration. Pe-ru-na is the only remedy that
I have ever found to bo of lasting use In
these cases. Thousands of women are lan
guishing with the very common ailment
known as female weakness , which in almost
every Instance is caused by catarrh of the
pelvic organs. Pe-ru-na will cure tbeso
cases promptly and permanently. " Mrs.
Luoy Lee , Naples , Texas , writes : "I am en
joying better health than I ever did In my
life. I can't praise Pe-ru-na enough ; It Is
the greatest medicine there Is in the world. "
Dr. Hnrtman'a latest book , written es
pecially for women , "Health and Deauty , "
will bo eent free to. any address by The
TI - . . > . r > < - T v niifaMnrlt" ( "nmnnnv
rosette on the front of a Little Corporal hat
usually represents rank extravagance and
ovq of color. The cockade Is made of mirror
velvet , 'tis nigh as big 03 a baby cabbage
ana in Its heart sparkles n jewel. Rosettes
on a more modest plan , and Eorno of them
vlth floating ribbon ends , seem linlf falling
out of the trough-like sides of the hat , or a
cnot of ostrich feathers trims off three cor
ners , and usually a mild panache of the
laruo plumes waves above the crown of t'he
lat. Occasionally the front brim of a Little
Corporal Is silt In the center from ciown
of a brilliant color In sharp contrast with
he brim. This mismatching of the two parts
of a hat Is a favorite device for the fall ,
and one and all the good felts show nn ex
ceptionally soft and pliable quality.
Slate bluet peacock green and copper
irown are some of the favored colors In
cits so far , while the Importers are show-
toward the back and carry It two Inches
down on the arm. The under sldo teams
of the waist are also carried along the arm
a distance to properly correspond and Chen ,
a couple of Inches below Its usual position ,
the sleeve Is fitted In. This Is calted the ' I
court sleeve since It displays the curve of
the shoulder as a presentation dress at the
court of St. James Is required t . Two
pleats , or a tiny epaulette , else an elaborate
braided pattern Is placed where the sleeve
meets this long shoulder seam nnd thus
something almost new has been evolved
from the lively Parisian brain.
Dressmakers have at last done away wlt'h
the skirt pocket entirety. For a couple of.
seasons now the pocket's fate has been hang
ing in the balance and its location was at
the placket hole , where only one out of every
fifty women reached It. Now that a wee bit
of stiffening Is located hero the pocket has
*
T JfQjf PARTIng
© Q
Ing hata that have fur crowns and felt
brims , felt crowns nnd velvet brims and
very smart walking shapes mode all of the
roughest braid wound on wire frames. In
velvet shapes there are many new things
to captivate one's admiration and attention ,
for some of the velvets are attractively
striped , Interspersed with satin dots or
woven In ridges that resemble the pattern
of corduroy.
The Alpine Ousted.
A round tubby little felt hat with n
highly ridged brim , called the Acorn , and
trimmed with hawk's quills , Is the sort of
headpiece the close follower of fashion
wears , when she goes about her early mornIng -
Ing business In the street. It has not the
smallest relation to the Alpine , for the top
of Us rather stiff crown Is as round and
level as a table and Instead of a crown band
ridges of felt , that might by a stretch of
the Imagination bo called small tucks , fal
low the crown's circumference. The brim
turns no equally on all sides and from a
steel buckle , planted flat on the hat , the
quills sprout. Now this may not be beauti
ful , but It's very neat and new , and truly
we ore weary of the Alpine genus.
As the sphere of hats widens by the week
so also does that of dress , and we find after
a season of fair experiment the tailors are
lapsing back Into the habit of lining their
Skirts as of yore , Instead of using the
separate sham. From Paris some of the
dressmakers have brought over a goods of
which they expect great things. It Is used
for skirt linings and Is called silk paper.
One of Its chief virtues Is crlspncss that
does not fall and endurance beyond that of
the most expensive silk. In price It coin-
minds In Paris something less than cheap
silk , but over here It Is still a novelty and
an experiment. The HnlngR of dresses are , If
possible , more elegant than ever and all
women In these days , when something like
sumptuary laws ought really to be passed ,
seem to afford silk doublures. Dressmaker *
as a rule like to cover the interiors of
skirts with silks In sharp contrasts to the
wool eoods. The most dazrllng stripes are
not regarded In bad taste , but the stripes
must run horizontally , not In the perpen
dicular ,
A Queer Sleeve.
There is no news , since the last edict ,
about sleeves , except that you can spread
them all over with braiding , let them fall
open , cup shape , on the shoulder , In case
you should have a narrow chest , or on a
plain cloth gown do a very now thing by
not setting in your sleeve on the usual
shoulder line. True enough , onfy women
with wonderfully perfect physiques can en
dure rue test , but dressmakers don't pretend
to say who is a Venus and who is not , and
for nv enntomfr a ralstrus ot tha needle
been ousted at last from ornamented skirts.
The snug fit of our autumn petticoats gives
not a cranny for Its replacing , but ) the tail
ors are making shopping and rainy day , bi
cycle and golf skirts with one good square
pocket sowed on the outsldo nnd on the
front , where the wearer can revel In whole
some enjoyment of Its comforts. Indeed
some exceedingly smart braided skirts are
shown with pockets applied to the outside ,
but so cleverly braided about and over as
to bo almost concealed while they do their
good work.
UliiMtrntloiiH of KnNhloiiN.
Significant hats Indeed nro the three set
forth with all their most marked character
istics. Uy their names ono may know them ,
for they are excellent exponents of what the
Little Corporal , the Post Doy and the Peter
the Great should be. The Little Corporal Is
of green French felt , bearing on Its broad
facade a tosctto ofelvct In a lighter green
tone and caught In the center by a flat
button of brilliants. Ribbon loops ot green
velvet fall nnd flutter from the points of
thu bat , while above the crown flutter a dark
and a pale green plumo.
The Post Boy is a warm robin red felt ,
turned off the face , and its front brim edged
with a shirred red velvet ribbon that falls
at one sldo Into a plump cockade , mingled
with dashes of brown velvet. A cluster of
shaded brown and red ostrich feathers gives
the hat height and dignity.
A brown ridged felt brim , turning back
from tbo face about a sapphire blue felt
crown , Is the color and material of the third
hat. A fold of black velvet winds about the
crown and a varied bow of the same orna
ments the front of the brim. This springs
from a cut steel buckle , while a pair of
smooth black wings , powdered with steel
sequins , gives just the required note of
fashionable eccentricity.
A princess gown in rough sandstone , red
camel's hair and relieved only by a vest
of rich green and white brocade , Is the sub
ject of ono of the single Illustrations this
week , and shows to what severity of outline
the smart dressmaker Is tending. A sketch
gives a pretty blue peau de gazelle cloth
braided In black and opening over a vest
of silk muslin. This Is something In a more
approachable form for the woman who
will not trust to the classic pos
sibilities of her figure , while yet more
agreeable Is the third suit of soft
brown winter cashmere and Invisible
brown velvet. There Is bltfck braid used
tastefully on the skirt and the little jacket
that falls over the velvet body Is almost
wholly covered with braiding on cashmere.
SPONSOR FOR TUB 1M.INOI.S.
The I.nily Choxcii to Chrlatcn the
t ; rn I llnttleHhlp.
Miss Nancy Leltcr of Chicago has been
chosen by Governor Tanner to christen the
battleship Illinois , which Is to be launched
at Newport NOWB , October . She Is one of
the thrco daughters ot tha noted Letter
family , the eldest being Mra. Curzon , wlfo
of the newly-appointed British viceroy of
India. Miss Letter Is tall and Blender , with
violet eyes and fair hair. She Is decidedly
literary In her tastes. She has enjoyed sev
eral seasons of popularity In Washington
nnd London.
Tbo ceremony of christening a chip Is
' simple and Impressive. Upon this occasion.
Governor Tanner nnd his staff , with Miss
Leltcr and her party , will stand nt the bow
of the ship , nnd just ns the last block Is re
moved Miss Letter will break over the bow
I the bottle of champagne or water , which will
J bo Incaceil in a silk net. She will cay : "I
[ christen theo Illinois. " The scene of n great
ship gliding from Its resting place Into the
I water Is ono of great majesty.
CI2LI.V THAXTO.VS 1'AHUOT.
A Coy , Art lea * anil llxtroiuely 1'ollto
lllril.
A few years ngo when Miss Thaxton lived
on an Island off the const of Now England ,
among her flowers and birds was a gray parrot -
| rot that she had Inherited from her mother.
But It must bo admitted that Polly , how
ever much she was endeared to the poet
through long association with her family ,
was roundly hated by the Islanders.
Although only a bird , she was like an
i extremely disagreeable person and having
I passed nearly all her llfo In the society of
human beings Instead of with her fellow
parrots , she had taken on their views and
Ill-mannered ways , Instead of their virtues ,
very much ns do savages when brought Into
contact with civilization.
Ono of the ways by which Polly made her
self disagreeable was through her powers of
mimicry. To her mistress she was Invari
ably sweetness and courtesy , and she would
say "C-c-1-l-a , C-c-1-l-a , " as If she were
calling the name of her most Idolized friend ,
In the most musical and endearing tones
possible , nnd from that turn to Imitating
the bashful , whispering utterances of a shy
little Norwegian maid until the girl would
bo teased beyond endurance.
In approaching Polly's cage It was no un
usual thing for a visitor to bo captivated
with her coy and artless mauncr , nnd the
very caressing way she had of putting out
a claw In friendly welcome , and thin when
the unwary mortal was within her reach ,
she would drive that enticing claw Into hla
llesh llko a thing of Iron. There was never
any trusting her , for she was sure In the
end to be treachery Itself. When she seemed
to think the atmosphere too quiet , or when
jealous of visitors talking to her beloved
mlstrcfcs , she would break out Into a ter
rific HCrecch that could be heard all over tbo
island.
Among the whims that seized Polly and
she seemed forever to be Intent upon mis
chief was to annoy the now driver of an
express wagon by shouting "Whoa" to his
horse in the exact volco of the former
driver , which would bring the animal from
a smart trot to a sudden halt.
Let It bo said to Polly's credit that she
was no mean songstress. Her favorite airs
were "Yankee Doodlo" nnd a jumble of a
Norwegian tune. She had also a peculiar
whistle , which a composer wove Into a
serenade called "Polly , " and she frequently
ended her song , or whistle , with one high
and very sharn note.
One day Polly escaped from her perch and
was lost sight of for several days. The
ground was white with an early snow nnd
the poet's brother , who was fond ot hunt
ing , went out with his gun. While wander
ing about In search of gajne ho saw In a
tree what ho concluded wns an owl or gull ,
and lifting his gun , took aim to shoot. Sud
denly ho was arrested by the sharp cry of
"Ccdrlc , Codrlc ! " The bird had called him
by name and was no other than Polly her
self , who for once at least , by a word in
good season , had saved her own life. Of
course Cedrlc got Polly down and took her
homo , where she proclaimed her return by
sending over the island one of her famous
shrieks.
After the death of the poet Polly again
disappeared and r-as never more seen. Just
what her fate was has not yet been dis
covered , but it Is supposed that she wns
poisoned or In some way secretly killed.
That her llfo had been so long spared In the
midst of her many enemies all of her own
making was due to the Influence of her
beloved mistress , for whose sake since her
death , no birds have been allowed to be
shot on tbo Island , because she so loved
them.
TUB 12MIMIUSS TL'B.V.
The Itoiiinntlo lint True Illntory of
Chlnii'H Ileitl Unler.
The true story of the woman who Is at the
head of the Chinese empire Is of extraor
dinary significance as well as interest. It
has been told how , disappointed with her
son's weak and characterless rule , sh has
again taken Into her own hands , openly , the
reins of power which she has held In truth
for a generation. This monarch , \\ho is
comparable to Catharine of Russia In her
sagacity and shrewdness nnd Judicial wis
dom , was once a slave. When she was a
little girl she was sold by her father to be
a slave In the family ot a viceroy in a ie-
mote province of China. Her father was of
Tartar blood , and ono of those who could
read , and would not have thought of selling
his child , although she wns "nothing but a
girl , " but as the family had become desti
tute In a rebellion the little girl of 11 sug
gested this means of getting bread for her
mother nnd little brother and her father
the little brother whom long after she sought
and made rich and powerful.
Tuen served the viceroy's wlfo nnd moth-
er-lu-la\v , and was taught spinning nnd
other useful arts by their maids. When she
was 12 she cmbioldcred a beautiful tunic for
the viceroy , and he was so delighted with It
that he offered the little slave whatever she
F V. 57" " ONE H
J TRIAL I30TTLE J
THIS OFFKK ALMOST SURPASSES II ELI E
thp ! ( in
pplied to iiio osvaio
Beautifies It As by Magic.
OF
A WOMAN WAS THE INVENTOR.
Thousands have tried from time Immem
orial to discover some efficacious remedy
for wrinkles and other Imperfections of
the complexion , but none had ytt suc
ceeded until the Misses Hell , the now fam
ous Complexion Specialists , of 78 Fifth
avenue , New York City , offered the pub
lic their wonderful Complexion Tonic.
The reason BO many failed to make this
discovery before is plain , bocausa they have
not followed the right principle. Balms ,
Creams , Lotions , etc. , never have a tonic
effect upon the skin , hence the failures.
The Misses Hell's Complexion Tonlo has
a most exhilarating effect upon the cuticle ,
absorbing and carrying off all impurities
which the blood by its natural action Is
constantly forcing to the surface of the
ekln. H Is to the skin what n vitalizing
tonic Is to the blood nnd nerves , a kind of
new llfo that Immediately exhilarates and
strengthens wherever applied. Its tonic
effect Is felt almost Immediately , and it
epeedlly banishes forever from the skin ,
freckles , pimples , blackheads , moth patches ,
wrinkles , liver spots , roughness , olllncss ,
eruptions and dlscoloratlons of any kind.
In order that all may bo benefited by
their Oreat Discovery , the Misses Bell will ,
during the present month , give to all call-
wished most. Then Tuon fell ou her knees
and declared her heart's desire. She wanted
to learn to road llko her father. It was a
most extraordinary request. The viceroy
told her that girls could not learn such a
thing , but Tuen told him S"JG was not to
blame that the gods had made her a girl ,
and Bhi ) could not help longing to know how
to read. So her master had her taught , nnd ,
his own daughter dying after a time , she
SOME Al TUMN HATS.
crs at their parlors one trial bottle of their
Complexion Tonic absolutely free ; and la
order that those who cannot call or who
llvo away from New York may bo bene
fited , they will send one bottle to any ad
dress , all charges prepaid , on the receipt of
25 cents ( stamps or silver ) to cover cost of
packing nnd delivering. The price of this
wonderful tonlo IB $1.00 per bottle , and
this liberal offer should be embraced by all.
The Misses Dell have Just published
their new book , "Secrets of Uenuty. "
This valuable work la frco to all desiring
It. The book treats exhaustively of the
Importance of a good complexion ; tells
how a woman may acquire beauty and
keep It. Special chapters on the care of
the hair : how to have luxuriant growth ;
harmless methods of making the Imlr pre
serve Its natural beauty and color , oven to
advanced age. Also Instruction ) ) how to
banish superfluous hair from the face ,
neck and arms without Injury to the sitln.
This book will be mailed to any address uu
request.
FREE Trial Dottles of Wonderful Com
plexion Tonlo free at parlors , or 25 cents
( cost of packing and mailing ) to those at a
distance.
Correspondence cordially solicited. Ad
dress
THE MISSES BiLU 78 Fifth AVC. , New York City.
The Mla cn llcll'H Complexion Tonic , Completion Soup , Skin Food anil De- I
pile are fo. ' mile \ > r nil
BRAIDED CLOTH.
was adopted ns a daughter of the house and
! given bcautlfuf clothes as well as lessons.
i Later the viceroy received some political
( honor from the emperor of China , anil , bc-
I Ing desirous to give him a bcaul'lful and
worthy present in token of acknowledgment ,
ho followed the artless oriental custom and
i sent Tuon to Pckln. The girl's feet hnd
never been bound , of course , and she could
\\ulk upon them , and her mind wat > < li vel-
, oped beyond that of most Chinese women.
The favorite fla\o of the emperor of China
became the favorite wlfo , nnd when the
empress consort died she became empress
of China. On the Journey by river to Peklu ,
with servants sent with her by the vlrtfroy ,
she had given a ring to n young lad who
saved a man from drowning In the river.
She bad promised the ring to any ono who
would save the drowning man. The youth
to whom she gave the ring hnd n bright ,
intelligent face ; ho wns a sailor , In the
coarse clothes ot the lower class. That
was LI Hung Chang ,
During her son's minority Tuen was re
gent , and now as empress dowager she
again assumes command. The emperor Is
about 24 years old ; the empress is 60.
COAL AVOME.V OK ST. THOMAS.
They Do the AVork of Currying Conl
to the Ship * .
When cable communication between the
United States and Cuba was cut off as a
result of the nctlvo operations of our army
nnd navy against the Spanish colonies In
the Caribbean sea , tbo telegraph stations
among the neighboring Islands took on an
linportanco which they had not hitherto en
joyed. The principal places which soon became -
came familiar to us as news centers , relates
Harper's Bazar , were Kingston , Jamaica ,
Capo Haytlcn , Haytl and St. Thomas In the
Danish West Indies. St. Thomas , having a
good landlocked harbor , also became promi
nent as a coaling station for press boats
and dispatch vessels , and as the head
quarters of some twenty-Jive newspaper cor
respondents , who mode it their base for
gathering and disseminating the news of
the progress of the war. The town of St.
Thomas , sometimes called Charlotte Amnlle ,
IB ono of those delightful spots built on a
hillside , surrounded by tropic vegetation ,
facing the sea , and blessed with a climate
that varies llttlo the year round , the tem-
pcraturo rarely falling below 70 degrees or
rising above f'O ' degrees. Although a Danish
possession , the language of commerce and
society such society as there is Is Eng
lish. The majority of the population , however -
over , Is made up of negroes and mulattocs ,
who speak a dialect consisting of a mlxtur *
of broken Dutch , Danish , English , French
and Spanish. These negroes are the de
scendants of the slaves who were Imported
about 1GSO to cultivate the plantations of the
Danish West India nnd Guinea company ,
nnd they are mostly fine specimens of th
black race. The women , in particular , nr
strong and well developed , nnd by reason
of their strength and endurance have made
themselves nn Important factor In the com
mercial development of the Island. It li
said that vessels may coal inoro cheaply at
St. Thomas than at any port In the West
Indies , and doubtless that Is true , for there
Is seldom n day when Bomo steamer Is not
coaling at the wharves , and the ships of nil
the navies have made this Island their prin
cipal coaling station for years. Perhaps thli
quality of cheapness la due to the employ
ment of women laborers , for they are almost
exclusively used In transferring the coal
from the sheds to the bunkers. They do tha
work better nnd quicker than men , and are
always cheerful at their labor. Hundred !
of women are employed In the work of
supplying ono ship , and thus a continuous
line of these sinewy carriers may bo seen
striding up the gang plank , balancing their
loaded baskets on their heads , while an
other stream , unladen , pours over the ship's
sldo on to the wharf.
These St. Thomas coal carriers u o largo
bafkets for their work. They carry theto
an their heads , and so skillfully balanced
ihat no accident ever occurs , oven on the
steepest or slipperiest of gang planks. So
expert are these women that they can thui
carry a load of from 150 to 250 pounds ol
coal. While at work they usually sing some
peculiar and monotonous negro melody , and
when the loading Is being done at night ,
by the light of flaring torches stuck In tn *
ground near the coal heaps , these long ,
crooning processions of erect black women
form a picture that is weird and Impres
sive.
sive.These women are Drained to the work of \ \ . i
carrying loadu on their heads from baby
hood almost. When they are not older
than 5 years they are taught to acrry n
email loads on their heada , and thus they *
become familiar with the science of perfect s
balance for It must bo a vclcnce. At 0
or 10 flic glrfs ore able to carry heavier
loads in larger baskets , say from twenty
to thirty pounds , and they become profi
cient In the work by walking many miles
all over the Island carrying fruit and mer
chandise for ealo. Thus at 1C the htgio
Blrl li tall and robust lithe , \gorou | ,
to rb of tonrtnn and hard flpuh. Bhe can
