The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-09-23
Panama Hats-How and Where
L They Are Made,

of Panama has probably heard of the
far.famed Panama straw hats. And
who has not remarked, on the Boule-
wards at Paris, the shop filled with
these hats, and with characteristic ex-
actness dedicated in the old Partisan
style, "snI docks de Panama. Alas
for the illusions OF commerce. There
are really no Panama hats, as there are
no docks at Panama. The hats IN
auestion are so called in the same way,
but hardly with the same right that
the hats made in Tuscany are called
Leghorn hats. The Panama hats
are made chiefly in the neighboripg
republics OF Ecquidor and Peru, though
some are manufactured in the interior
of New Granada. but all are merely
shipped from Panama. Mme. Ida
Pfieder says: Both sexes lin Pans-
ma) wear little round straw hats, which
they know how to plat, but these do not
look we'll on the women, as they are
too email, and scarcely serve to cover
the thick plaits OF their hair" Here
the traveller was mistaken. The hats
worn at Panama are the hats above de.
scribed; but none are made there but
those OF coarse straw worn by men
only. We have seen another published
account that states that "The Province
of Panama produces much more than
Peru. II is supposed that not less
than 10000 or $4,000 hats are annual.
ly exported from the Province OF Pana-
ma. II the average price OF hat is
reconed at two piastres, these exporta-
tions will represent q value OF about
s2OO,0OO." We dare say the natives Of
the Isthmus heartily wish this was the
case. The account goes on to say,
however, with more correctness:
1.-THE plating OF these
hats occupies the whole
of the Indian colony of Moyobama, on
: be banks Of the Amazon, to the north
II Lower Peru. In this village men
;.nd women, children and old men are
Quslly busy. The inhabitants are all
en- seated before the cottages plating
90 and smoking cigarettes. The
i aw is plated on a thick piece OF
wood, which the workmen hold be-
tween their knees. The ceatre is be-
gun fret, and the work continued on
ward 10 the rim. The time most favor
able Tor this kind of work is the morn
log OF rainy days, when the atmosphere
is saturated with moisture. At noon,
o,;when the weather is clear, .a.e straw
10 dry, and apt to break, aud these
breakings appear in the form of knots
when the work ia done. The leaves Of
the bombonaIa, to be fit to be used,
are gathered before their complete de-
velopment. They are STEPPED in hot
water until they become white. When
this operation is terminated, each plant
is separately dried in chamber where
high temperature ia kept up. The
bombona1a is then bleached for two or
three DAYS. The straw thus prepared
is dispatched to all the places where the
inhabitants occupy themselves in plalt-
ng hats; and the Indians Of Peru en-
iploy the straw not only for hats; but
also in making those delicious little
cigar cases.
These hats are also very durable,
and when washed with care look al
most as well after years wear as
when new. These are, however. heavy,
which ! think makes them TO some ex-
tent unsuitable for hot climate. They
are also very expensive; a good one
costs from $40 to $40, as well as a dol
lar every time it ia cleaned. They are
much worn by South Americans and
West Indians, and no native girl OF the
lower classes consider, herself properly
dressed to go. Gut OF the house without
one. The hats worn by these classes
cost from 81 to $40, each.
The author of Three Years in Chill"
correctly says: "Guayaquil is the
great depot for Panama hats, 100000
worth being sold annually. The grass
of which they are made is found chiefly
in the neighboring Province of San
Cristoval. They can be braided only
in the night or early in the morning, as
the heat in the daytime renders the
grss. brittle. 1t takes native about
three months to braid one Of the fnest
quality; and I saw some hats which
looked like fine linen, and are valued at
fifty dollars piece even here"
The abov estimate is, however, much
too large. The value Of the hats ex-
rorted from Guayaquil in 1853 did not
amount to 100000. In 1862 it was
about 1920 800, while in 1861 it was
under $l50,000.