Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-11-16
HOW FELT HATS ARE MADE

but few of the wearers have any idea of
how these useful and ornamental head-cov-
: erlngs are made. A visit to the large es-
tabllshment of Z. Herst & Co., No. 30S Cher
ry street, New York, will give all the infor-
nation that could be desired but, as only
; few Of the many have the time to inspect
: Its various apartments, we have saved them
) the trouble by personal inspection, and
will endeavor to interest and instruct by a
) short description of how felt hats of all
r shapes and sizes are made
The fur generally used is that of the
French COny, the Scotch Cony, the Russian
Hare, and the South American Nutra, but
that Of the Beaver Otter, Muskrat, and Am
erican Rabbit is also used The French fur
is worth about $3.50 a pound in gold the
Russian from 50 SO to $3.50; the Scotch
S365 the Nutria from $3.50 to SIS, and
Beaver from So to $40 in currency. The
foreign fur is brought to this country neat
ly done up in white paper or in brown pa
per bags, and by the adoption of the nee
essary preventatives there is rarely any in
Jury detected upon examination by the pur-
chasers in this country.
When required by the workman a suffici-
ent quantity OF the fur is emptied from the
paper packages into a large box, from
whence it is removed and placed in small
machine, through which it gradually passes,
becoming we'll shaken and mixed during it's
progress. 1t is then taken to one of the
large and unwieldly-looking pieces of me-
chanism, known as =" Blanchard's blowing
machine" wherein the hair and dirt is sep
acated from the fur, the latter for the first
time acquiring any combined consistency
md fnv md -
OF rollers, coils itself up into box prepar,
ed for its reception. 1t then is divided up
into lots, each lot being the quantity re-
quired for single hat and weighing from
two ounces Sufficient for a small SLOUGH ito
five and one-half ounces, the weight of the
army regulation hat, and is then ready to
be formed. This forming" process is the
most remarkable connected with this par
ticular branch of manufactures A lad, who
is always at his post during working hours,
places in a curious-looking machine the
quantity of fur necessary to make hat
Immediately at the other end of the machine
stands man with a perforated copper
cone, some twOand-a-half feet high and
three feet in circumference at the bottom
This cone is dampened and the machinery
being placed in motion the fur passes thro'
the machine, and is torn into a thousand
fakes, which being elected rapidly from the
funnelled-shaped outlet, by suction scatter
and fasten themselves upon the revolving
cone, soon covering it with smooth and
compact surface. This cone is then cover
ed with damp cloths, and after immersion
in boiling water the fur covering is remov-
ed and for the first time presents the APP
pearance of hat body, although, of course
of huge dimensions. 1t is then pressed in
a blanket, and is by this means "hardened"
1t is then taken into the basement Of
three-story brick building in the rear of the
main structure, on Cherry street. Here are
some seventy or eighty men, with their
shirt sleeves rolled up, surrounding ten
large kettles, or batteries" as they are
termed. each kettle being filled with hot
water. Each man then takes four hat bod
les as they are received from the hardener,
and, placing them together, by continued
rolling and dampening for an hour or an
hour and a quarter, shrinks them to a size
a little larger than that required for the hats
he is ordered to make. From the sizing
kettle it is taken to the shaver, an individ-
ual who seated on a low stool, dexterously
cnts with large knife the roughness from
the surface From the shaver it is taken
back to the szer, who again dampens and
rolls it for some twenty minutes, when it
becomes shrunkensto the dimensions desir
ed 1t is then taken to the upper part of
the building, into the drying-room, where it
is kept with some three thousand other hat
bodies for ten or twelve hours, with the
thermometer denoting about 130 degrees.
When it is we'll dried the uncouth and con-
ical shaped body is taken into another
apartment, and the lower portion is first
dipped into composition of gum shelac,
and then passed between rollers until the
stiffening has become properly distributed.
Up to this time there is no appearance of
brim, but as soon as it is stiffened the
body is taken to the sizer, who stretches it
over block, and, by frequent manipulations,
gives the lower portion a resemblance of
that important part of a head covering
The coloring is the next process This
is accomplished by means of large kettles
in each of which thirty-six dozen hats are
coored at time. The principal coors
given are black, nutria, pearl, beaver and
mouse The bodies are then again blocked
and dried.
Notwithstanding the care of the shaver,
the hat, even after coloring, presents very
rough appearance, Its smOothness and beau
ty being marred by outcroppings of hair,
and to the "pouncer" is entrusted the duty
of giving it what is known as a cloth sur
face. The operation is accomplished by
means of pummice stone and sand paper,
and emory paper of different grades of fine
ness each in it's turn being rubbed around
the hat body. After being thus smoothed,
it is taken to the third story of the main
building, where, in large room extending
along the entire front and through to the
rear, stand some forty or fifty men at their
benches finishing" hats. With the aid of
a little emory and hot iron, a competent
and rapid hand is able to place in proper
shape from twenty-five to thirty hats a day
When the finisher has performed his duty
the services of the trimmer" are called
into requisition. The trimmers are some
forty or fifty young ladies, who, with their
needles, manage during each day to line
nearly fifty dozen hats The binding and
the fancy colored cord which joins the lin
ing of the side with the centre piece, on
which the mark or name of the manufacture
er is stamped, are each stitched by sew