en can, by their use,
become expert workmen and display artistic skill. A great
advancement has been made along this line of work during the
past ten years, or since the last exposition; not only from a
practical standpoint, but as an educational feature, especially
in rural districts, for through their schools, conducted through
correspondence, they have enabled women throughout the country
to learn dressmaking and to keep in close touch with the styles
of the world. The McDowell system, for manufacturing purposes,
is superior, and under a skilled workman is most correct. The
Edward Curran drafting machines are useful for the novice--good
on account of their simplicity, being more portable on account
of folding into a small compass. The same can be said of the
Valentine system.

In this group there was no installation by foreign women.

In group 53 there was nothing unusual displayed that would lead
one to think that women were more capable of executing more
advanced work than they accomplished eleven years ago.

In the Louisiana Purchase Exposition woman's work was installed
in such a manner and not being specified, one could not tell
where their work began and where it left off. As to the
appreciation of woman's work, it was taken as a whole and was
judged as a work of mankind. Women's work and men's work of
to-day would be hard to separate. Perhaps if women's work could
be brought out more prominently it would be better for them. No
work was displayed in such a manner as to enable one to
distinguish between the two. In the manufacture of personal
effects, the larger proportion was women's work. No woman
received an award in group 53 to my knowledge.

As has been said before, the operation of machines is especially
women's work. Women were not the inventors, but they displayed
ingenuity and skill in the operation--application. Although they
are not the original inventors, it is a well-known fact that
many improvements are women's suggestions. Their working at the
machines and the ingenuity and taste displayed in the choice of
work was of marked value as an exposition attraction.

_Group 61. Various industries connected with clothing (processes
and products)_.--Class 383, hats; hats of felt, wool, straw,
silk; caps, trimmings for hats. Class 384, artificial flowe