The Sunday Oregonian., June 04, 1911, SECTION FIVE, Page 5, Image 69

5
TIIE SUNDAY OTtEGOXIAy. rOKTLAXP. JUNE 4. 1911.
1
LEATHER IS FULL OF POSSIBILITIES
IN ARTISTIC HOME DECORATIONS
Upholstery and Hinjinj. Designed If M-artera. ruixUa IasplrUlon In Industry That Eu No Trade Secrets.
World's Beat Knowltdf Is Access iule to Craftsmen of Present Day.
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BT UCRA BALPW1X POOt-ITTLK.
We ARC Indebted to Spala for on
of our moot beautiful decorations
oamely Spanish leather. Few
peraons think of Spanish leather as
other than the lovely soft bronie
leather so much need tn opholsterjr. es
peclailr In mission and rottaura furnl
tare; but Spanish. leather, treated In an
artistic way. means much more.
The art of deroratlns; leather with
. palnttnc figures la relief and n-tldlns;
Is s;lrea hy hlsa authorities to Spanish
oria-in In tact la said to bars orlirl
nated In a small towa In Andalusia, la
the middle ages the preparation of
leathers was aa Important Industry,
Cordova. Seville and I'arrelona bring
the principal centers of the Industry.
Cordova was the principal one and to
this day the beantlful Cordova desk
sets, mats snd other product so beau
tifully tooled and decorated are tha
famed leather goods of the entire
world. The ordinances tn trie early
ages were so strict concerning tha
work that It Insured the best work
men and workmanship. A penalty of
death for counterfeiting In preparing
the leather was In vogue In liT.
ladOKtry Is Very Old.
There are records showing this Indus
try prior to tha 14th century. Cold leaf
waa not used In the work till about
1 All the best decorated leathers
.abSJ?1ai
of tha present day ara prepared with
gold leaf and that Is one reason why
they are art expensive, aa well as beau
tiful. I have watched the" process of
making the beautiful screens seen In
the Tiffany studios: also the One hand
tooled frlexea used In wall decorations
dona In a New York studio. Cow hides
are used. The hides are prepared
that Is. tanned, and made ready for tha
decorator. These ha buys whole and
they are Immense, having been
stretched to the full capacity. These
are cut tn slses for screens or other
purposes; then they are alsed and gold
leaf la put all over tha surface.' Then
tha artist paints on this gold surface
after It Is thoroughly dry. using chalk
to do his drawing. After tha painting
Is done the leather Is tooled and lllum-
Inated and finally a thin transparent
brown paint Is spread over all and
wiped off In spots to get the high lights
and to let the gold show through a bit
to get that rich bronse tone so much
sought for. 1 saw the Immense panels
prepared In a New York studio for
ona of tha banks in Los Angeles. It
was dona on tha roof of a large build
ing, there being no studio long enough
to admit working on it Inside.
I have a very fine copy of an old
altar front painted on leather, the
original brought over to thla country
by the late Stanford White, who was a
connoisseur In decorated leathers. Yon
can see one of thess old altar fronts
In tha San Gabriel mission near Los
Angeles, the same motif In decoration
a basket of flowers being used in the
mission aa In the one brought over
from Spain.
Prod nets Widely lsed.
In Seville, at ona time, the shops of
the leather workers occupied nearly
all of one of Its most Important streets.
These leather products are used In a
great many ways for walls and floors,
for table covers, bed hangings, cur
tains for doors, cushions, covers for
chests, boxes and chairs. Today there
are no more beautiful screens made
than those of decorated leather. They
are practically Indestructible If prop
erly made, and there la ona shop in
New York City devoted to this one In
dustry. One made from1 tha design of
the altar piece Is beautiful and coats
nearly $1000. I have seen screens in
a shop window of New York ranging In
price from $35 to $3000. In Portland I
saw one of these lovely leather screens
n a dining-room making a harmonious
. and elegant bit of furnishing. A screen
before the dtnlng-room door that opens
Into the butler's, or serving pantry. Is
such a relief, hiding, as it does, all the
service and giving Just that finishing
touch all dining-rooms need. One can
get a screen done in Ivory-tinted leath
er, painted in all tha soft tones so much
used In decorations. There are Louis
XIV screens, colonial screens and. In
; fact, every style to suit all decorations.
Individuality Is Given.
Hand-tooled and decorated table cov-
era are so useful for the den and II'
brary and ctialr seats and backs deco
rated In the same way give a touch of
elegance and Individuality to a room
that is pleasing. There Is nothing
more appropriate for a frieze In
Jacobean or Elizabethan room than
hand-painted hunting scenes carried
out In panels wtth hand-tooled bordera.
One of the largest decorating firms
on tha Pacific Coast has just added this
Industry and brought from New York
one of the best artists to design and
superintend the work. A dlnlng-roora
In Los Angeles was thus decorated and
Is considered one of that city's show
places. A man's den could be well
carried out fn this way. A decorated
frlese above the wood wainscot, soft
ooxa leather hangings at the doors and
furniture upholstered in leather would
make a den that would satisfy the moBt
fastidious and luxurious taste.
One of the finest yachts of the Pa
cific Coast was decorated in synan pan
ellng of leather, the lnsisnla of the
New York 'Yacht Club being used aa
the motif and the color scheme car
rled out in silvery blue tones. I can lm
aglne nothing more appropriate and
elesant for the smoker In one of our
new and most luxurious hotels. I have
In mind a room decorated in this way
and its color scheme Is rich, dark and
harmonious and to me most appropriate
for the Dlace.
The beauty of leather is Its taking
any tone one desires by using dyes or
Dafnts. and In the bands of a skilled
workman It comes out smooth and even,
while Its wearing qualities are not Impaired.
Just a word for the care of leather
furniture. Take hot Neatsfoot oil and
rub Into the leather of chairs, couches
and all leather covered furniture at
least once a year and It will wear
many times aa long aa well ae being
made fresh and new by its use.
I have not spoken of the cut-out
leather, but it has Its decorative value.
There are no secret processes In leather
work. The libraries have boons on an
thesa applied designs and decorative
arts. The old Spanish methods are
open to all. The Japanese made use
of the cut-out leather in even the 18th
century.
Care Adds to Wear.
When one has originality strong, and
the decorative spirit, it Is easy to
combine the knowledge of these old
workers with more modern processes,
apply them to the present needs and
get atunnlng decorative effects. The
arts and craftsmen all over the coun
try are doing much to educate the
public along hand-made Individually
wrought things. In Portland I find a
lack of organization among these
craftsmen and the lack of It weakena
their power for the public good. There
are many good workmen here, doing
or capable of doing excellent things
for the decoration and furnishing of
homes and buildings If the public only
knew of them.
I am looking for auch workmen all
the time people who can do good
work, original work something that
will stand the test of time, as has the
work of these "old Spanish leather
workers, and I do hope to see a so
ciety of the arts and crafts workers
here with a building of its own. where
people can find them, see their work
and grow to appreciate more and mora
the "gospel of work."
MAYOR GAYNOR WINS SHARP CENSURE
FOR NOT OPPOSING "DEATH AVENUE"
JJew York's Executive Vetoes Measure Aimed at Dangerous Tracks Where Many Axe Killed Annually Tail's
Stronx Cordon of Guards Noted Woman Who Keeps Boarders Fights Rich Association.
BY U.OTD r. UOVCRGAX.
NEW YORK. June . (Special.
Mayor Oaynor. who complains In
print that "all aorta of people ara hol
lering at me." has brought new singers
Into the choir by vetoing the "Death
Avenue" bill. Several Indignation
meetlnce have already been held la
the district affected, and others ara
In eoatesBplatlon.
"Death Avenue- Is a condition, and
net theory. Away bark In IMS when
tie city was much smaller than It Is
now. tha New York Central obtained a
fraachkM to run cars along the river
front. It did aot much matter at that
time, but of late years the problem has
become a serious one.
Krom Spuyten ruyvll down to Twen
tieth street, the New York Central has
a freight Una. that la architecturally a
blot aa the city. Down aa far aa fla
tlet street. It Is aot dangerous, for
tha cars run in a deep cut. but below
thai they travel along Eleventh ave
nue, at grade, aod without any gates
or tlajriaea. Tha englaea proceed at a
a.ow rate, and a bui oa horseback,
carrrlng a red flaa. Is supposed to
preceda the profession, to warn pedes
trtana. Despite this antiquated precau
tion, many persona are killed every
year, wauh explains where the nick
aame of Eleventh avenue came from-
For years reaiJenta la the territory
affects, bava tried to gain relief
frra the Legislatare. Thle session a
bill was paaaed. by practically a unani
mous vote la both Noses It gave tie
railroad six moaths to agree with the
city authorities noon a piaa of remov-l-g
the tracks, either by a subway or
aa -L line. At the ead of that Pr1i.
tie city waa authorised to tear up tha
raiia.
X&a fetUl waa iauadiacad, sjr a Tam
many Senator, and a Tammany As
semblyman, but warmly advocated by
men of both parties. In addition Con
troller Prendergast. president of the
Board of Aldermen Mitchell and Presi
dent of tha Borough of Manhattan Mc
Aneny. sent the Mayor a Joint letter
asking him to sign the measure. These
three cltv officials hsve been acting as
a committee of tha Board of Estimate
to Investigate this very subject, so It Is
reasonable to auppose that they are
posted oa the subject.
The only persons who opposed tha
bill were representatives of the rail
road, whose Interest Is natural In tha
circumstances. And the Mayor, who
has the power of veto over city legis
lation, disapproved this atrt on the
ground that ha thinks It la unconstitu
tional. Of coorse Caynor was once a Judge,
but be la not on tha bench now. so
he Is simply guessing. And when he
wss a Judge, he waa overruled many,
many tiroes by the higher courts.
The Mayor favors an act which ha
and his Dock Commissioner. Calvin
Tomklna. drew up. This measure gives
tiis railroad an elevated Hoe. which Is
generally opposed, and permits them
to extenJ It to t:ie lialtery. The New
York Central naturally likes this, for
It would award It a monopoly of the
water-front traffic, and enable It to
load directly from North River liners.
And the people are talking about
"treachery." but the Mayor does not
care. He will never asain be a candi
date for public office, and he knows It.
Tart's Guard strongest.
Tbat President Taft Is more carefully
guarded than were any of his predeces
sors waa demonstrated recently, when
he came over here to open the New
Cltv Library.
of csunej oa UM ooisiMn, ifce Pres
ident was tha guest of the Library
Board, and while the officials were
perfectly willing to spend money, they
were surprised on being told that they
were expected to provide two llmou
senes and four touring cars.
The mystery waa explained later.
When the President arrived at the
Pennsylvania station, he entered a
llmousene alone, while secret service
men Jumped Into the other cars. The
procession started with a touring car,
filled wtth secret service men: then
tha President In his machine, followed
by another carload of sleuths. They
did not take the recognized route, but
turned off and reached the library by
a roundabout route.
But many persons swore that they
saw the President go by. for there was
another procession of three autos, two
open, filled with secret service men.
while the ona la the center contained a
large stout man. all alone tn a llmou
sene. This delegation entered the li
brary by the front door, while the real
visitors slipped In through a back en
trance. iSea. Gate, New York's exclusive Sum
mer colony. Is stirred to its depths over
a fight now la the courts. It Is a
battle of one poor boarding-house
keeper against men worth all kinds of
money.
Only a few years ago, Norton's Point,
tha extreme end of Coney Island, was
a desolate stretch of sand. It was too
far away from the noise and excite
ment to draw the crowds, and anyway
there was no means of transportation.
But It struck a number of well-to-do
citizens as an Ideal spot, so they boucht
It and formed tha Sea Gate Associa
tion. Muck money was apent on Improve
ments, streets wera laid out. a water
system Installed, a cxivata luus of
steamboats Instituted, and there were
many other conveniences. Sea Oata Is
separated from the vulgar horde by a
wall, and a, private police force keeps
out all strangers.
Boarders' Rate Defied.
It Is mighty hard to become a mem
ber of the association. Applications are
psssed upon by a committee before a
plot of land Is sold, and there are rigid
restrictions as to tha cost and style
of tha houses that are to be built There
is also an embargo against boarders,
members pledging themselves not to
take "paying guests."
But Mrs. Helen Briggs defied the
magnates, and kept boarders last year,
despite all objections that were made.
She was not punished last season, but
waa Informed that this year her sew
erage and water privileges would be
cut off. As that meant that she could
not live In Sea Gate. It spelled finan
cial ruin. So Mrs. Briggs hastened to
court Tor an Injunction, and the battle
was on.
The association contends that It has
a right to take the action it did in the
circumstances. Justice Kelly. In grant
ing a temporary Injunction, said:
"This pronunclamento of the Sea
Gate Association that it will cut off the
privilege of any member keeping board
ers, seems to be about equivalent to
ordering the Inhabitants of the colony
to wear uniforms."
A crusade against dangerous Ice
cream has been started, and it all be
gan because the favorite niece of a
chemist died.
The man in question ia employed In
the Hochstader-Riley Laboratories. Af
ter the trasedy he purchased samples
of cream from iS street venders and
small shopkeepers, and then bad tbem
analysed.
Dyes In Ice Cream.
The result showed that in every case,
the so-called Ice cream was extremely
dangerous to health. The cream was
below the standard. It was thickened
with gums and gelatine, and colored
with dangerous analyne dyea. In con
sequence there has been a public out
cry, and the officials of the Department
nf Health have shown some signs of
Ufa.
r.WTTxmHNS SCHOOL FARM OPENS IN
THOMAS JEFFERSON PARK, NEW YORK
Work Organized by Mrs. Henry Parsons in 1902 Is Being Copied in Other Cities of World Object Not to Teach
Tot Agriculture, but Care of Property.
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NEW YORK. Juno S. (Special.)
The children's school farm In
Thomas Jefferson Park. Now
York City, has Just been opened for the
season by Mrs. Henry Parsons. Mrs.
Parsons organised this system of in
struction in 1902, when the first chil
dren's school farm of New York City
was started in the- De Witt Clinton
Park.
Mrs. Parsons says she did not start
these gardens to teach agriculture or
farming, but to teach the private care
of public property and to have city
..hiirti-on hAoma acauainted not only
with the common vegetables they see
dally In the stores, but also in a minia
ture way to become acquainted with
the products which they study about In
their geographies at school.
The work done In New York has at
tracted the attention of the entire
world and similar gardens are being
established in London and other cities.
This year the Duniferline trustees of
the Carnegie fund in Scotland have
sent a delegate to New York to observe
the work there and 'begin a smaller
work In Scotland.
At the opening on Saturday, a thousand
children planted 7000 seeds. .
CALIFORNIA LABOR LAW FOR WOMEN
MAY CAUSE GIRLS TO LOSE THEIR JOBS
Cannery Employes Ask Its Suspension, rearing Men Will Take Places, and Hotelmen Begin Suit to Test Validity.
; Prominent Priest Outspoken for Woman Suffrage. ,
BT HARRY B. SMITH.
SAN .FRANCISCO. June z. ispeciaj.i
There la a world of trouble being
stirrer ud over the eight-hour law
for women, which went Into effect in
California May 21. Apparently the law
i. nt nrovinsr all that the Legislature
fondly expected. It has stirred up a lot
of hornets- nests over the state and the
end Is not yet.
M..xi. tnunn to be in the am
biguous wording of the law, which pro
vides that no woman shall work longer
than eight hours In one day or 48 hours
a week. This last clause Is what has
ik. trouble. It la assumed by
some employers whose business prac-
Ucaliy aemanos mav me"
longer one or two days In the week
. th. time, that it Is per-
misaable to have them work alx hours
a day, for Instance, on certain un)S
.sv a r mnr than eleht hours
l limy w -
on other days, keeping within the 48
hour limit for the week.
Hotelman to Test Law.
v c . . t aKvxv CnminliiKlfln h& de-
ine 014,10 4i , ,
elded that the law Is literal in its mean
ing and that no woman may
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longer man eis"- Ii,J" "
conatltutlonality of the law will soon
be passed on In the courts. A test suit
was begun In Los Angeles this week
when Frank Miller, proprietor of the
Glepwood Inn, Riverside, submitted to
arrest for violation of the law. It was
charged that he had compenea mo
waitress to work longer than the eight
hour limit.
This action was in pursuance ox
. - cn..,ai. P, fnrn R Motel
pian a "
Men's Association. Miller pleaded not
guilty ana oommeu au - "
men l iwr mo ijuiiwao .
appeal Both sides regard the Issue as
being of such importance mm. w
join in an effort to have the case ad-
anced to the supreme touri.
. c n QAAP.tarv nf Rtatll JAN
in OBCC BlUClliw, . j
dan's office is being flooded with letters
from various sections of the state, mak
ing inquiries ' as to the application of
the law. It IS quesnoiieu ..ri..
law applies to cashiers, postomce em
ployes and women in law otnees.
The women in me oiaw -4" " -"
to fcnow 11 F'" - " .
Jordan has referred all these legal points
to the Attorney-General.
loss of Places Threatened.
c if.T .iiDhlin fit 1 li e Tjhor
Commission, was recently confronted
1th a peculiar prooiem in can rru-
clsco. A delegauon of the employes oi
a canning company asked him If the law
eould not be set aside In their favor,
as they wanted to work nine hours a
day. They said that unless they were
allowed to do thla their wages would he
cut to pay. for extra, girls, or that they
would be discharged and their places
would be filled my men. McLaughlin
told the women that the Commission
could do nothing except enforce the law.
Alfred Roncovleri, Superintendent of
Schools, and active member of the Cal
ifornia executive committee of the Na
tional Educationaly Association, acting
for the San Francisco Convention
League, has virtually completed arrange
ments with the Presidio authorities for
holding a great military review here In
the week In July when the National Ed-
.t i ..nn;a,4nn mMtn In this citV.
UCUUUU4U loav'" . - , ,
The teacher delegates, league officials
say, will have an opportunity of seeing
not only the battle fleet of the Pacific
anchored In the bay through the orders
of the Washington Navy Department,
but also see a sham battle engaged in
between thousands of Uncle Sam's
troops. The return of the troops from
the Mexican boundary line, military au
thorities believe, will take place before
the holding of the convention and these
troops will assist in the military spec
tacle. The programme suggested by Superin
tendent 'Roncovleri to the military au
thorities on behalf of the league officials
will be taken part In by all the Presidio
troops, who will march through the
streets of the city, if the proposed plans
of the league do not miscarry.
"Pirates" Kind to Captive.
Captain Harry Gaukroger, the officers
and many of the passengers of the
wrecked liner Asia, who arrived in port
from China on the Mongolia, together
with Richard Arundel, the oiler who was
reported captured by Chinese pirates,
tell stories that are far from as thrill
ing as previous accounts received here.
The Asia's passengers say they owe
their lives to the good Judgment shown
at the critical movent by Captain Gau
kroger. To him and his officers they
also owe the saving of their personal
effects.
After the passengers were rescued, of
ficers of the liner spent the night on
the wreck and were kept busy through
out the hours of darkness keeping rag
ged Chinese pirates from boarding the
ship. Whether they killed any, they do
not know. The Orientals were unarmed
and bent solely on loot.
Arundel, the "captured" oiler, was in
a boat that capsized. He climbed aboard
one of the pirate sampams' and by signs
asked the Chinese to put him aboard the
Chinese steamer. They were too busy,
however, looting, to waste time with
Arundel and Arundel finally Jumped
ashore when his boat landed JR-ith a car
go of loot. He saw two well-dressed
Chinese and was taken to a village,
where he was treated with great kind
ness. A week later he was turned over
to the British Consul and thus escaped.
San Francisco barbers are not dis
mayed at the ruling of the International
Union, of Journeymen Barbers, issued
from the St. Louis headquarters, that
tipping must be abolished. The local
raior-wlelders believe that tipping is
Inevitable, even if the safety razor Is
their undoing.
W. Baron, secretary of the Barbers
Protective Association, has this to say:
"Chairmen receive wages ranging
from 14 in the short-hour shops of the
commercial district to $20 In those of
longer hours In the hotel districts. Tips
average from S1.50 to S5 a week. These
figures are not excessive."
"All this talk about the tipping evil,"
said another barber, "Is .not a circum
stance to the safety razor, although
the one Is a direct result of the other.
My trade Is composed of busy men of
affairs, among whom the falling off has
been more than noticeable. What I be
lieve will come, probably before the
exposition. Is an Increase In the charge
for haircuts to 50 cents. A .man may
shave himself but he can't possibly cut
his hair. That is the only redress we
have if present conditions continue."
Priest for Woman Suffrage.
Rev. Father Joseph M. Gleason,
scholar, historian and priest of the
Roman Catholic Church, has come out
flatfootedly for votes forivomen. Re
cently he made a public . address in
which he advocated woman suffrage.
The speech was begun with the logi
cal deliberation of the scholar, but th
enthusiasm of the speaker and his be
lief in the cause carried his argument
Into an enthusiastic .declaration and
appeal for immediate action. He be
sought his audience to "be loyal to
their Idea of justice" and called on
every man who will go to the polls In
October to "cast his vote for the right
of his mother, sister or wife, that she
may assist him in holding back the
forces of corruption
Ever since Colonel Isaac Trumbo's
collection of paintings was sold, there
has been a dispute as to their value
and genuineness. Amateur connoisseurs
have disputed high and low over them.
But at last comes Alfred Chatain, the
venerable expert, whose word is the
last resort.
He' says that there are both genuine
and bogus canvases in that collection.
For Instance, Ferdinand Reis. who
bought four of the Trumbo collection,
found that three of them were genuine
and one bogus.
"But," says Chatain, with a shrug,
"he has no cause for complaint. His
Diaz" Is not worth what he paid for
It. but he secured a Depre for J1100. I
should like to give him four times that
money for it."
The really good pictures In the col-
i . , f mm thtt rallprv of the
1 I , l, II .,- - ....... - - a J
late Governor Latham and some of them
had been tnrougn a tire in a p.ew igri
warehouse, needing slight retouching.
But on the whole, the pictures wera
worth, more than they, brought.