The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-08-31


mense canine teeth, the ladies inspect
him with great interest.
Hats, and How to Treat Them.
ALTHOUGH we can never allow that |
the fashion of wearing "chimney-
pot ~ hats is a desirable one, yet, as |
they seem to be a necessary evil, one |
must make the best of it, and learn
how to take good care of them; for
there is no article of gentleman's |
attire which so quickly becomes shah
by as his hat, because dust, air and |
light all tend to injure it, and there |
fore it should always be kept in box
when not in constant use.
On ordinary occasions a soft brush |
should be daily applied to keep it |
smooth; but when the hat is wetted, |
moisture should be carefully wiped |
off with dry soft cloth. If it has
only received a little sprinkling, which |
gives it notified appearance, dip the
hat brim gently into water and pass it
lightly round in TIE same way as the
nap runs. When you have dampened
all parts alike, take harder brush
and lay the nap to its former state of
smoothness; then place the hat on its
side on a clean napkin, for the night,
to dry. Next morning brush it with
an ordinary hat-brush, and it will look
but little the worse for having been
wet. The better the quality of the
hat, the oftener may this process be
repeated without injuring it. Indeed,
it is the poorest economy to purchase
a cheap hat, for one wetting will often
spoil it entirely.
Bulges or indentationS in hats can
be removed by holding the hat over
the steam of the tea-kettle, and then
pressing it with hot iron on the in
side, laying the hat on soft surface.
Any other attempts to restore the
shape will probably result in cracking
it past repair.
When, after some usage, the nap be-
comes dull and gray-loOking, its gloss
can be renewed by gently pressing a
warm iron, ordinarily hot, two or
three times round in the direction of
the nap.
If your hat has been wet in salt
water, and the nap has become clotted,
take hard brush, Il little boiling-hOt
water and some yellow soap; then rub
a very little of the soap on the brush,
dip it lightly into the hot water, and
brush around in the direction of the
nap. Continue this until the nap is
smooth. Now dip the brush into clear
water and work out all the soap; then
take an ivory paper-cutter and scrape
around the edge Of the hat After
ward dry the nap as much as possible
with a soft brush, and lay the hat on
one side on a soft napkin until quite
dry.
When purchasing new hat, bear in
mind that the more stoutly it is made
the more durable it will prove, but
that, for comfort, light and elastic
one is much better; and you must de-
eide which Of these desiderata is Of the
most Importance. a short and full
nap is of the best quality.
1t is needful both for the comfort
and health of the head that there
should be supply of cool air between
it and the hat. In India hats are
made one within the other, with
space between them for the circulation
of air. Such an arrangement would
be very desirable for the heated term
of our summers. A constant supply
of fresh air should be given through
an aperture in the center of the crown
of every hat, as it is essential for
health. Many men lose the hair on
the top of their heads from not wear
ing hats thus ventilated.
Formerly all hats We're made of the
soft fluff of the beaver, or the cheaper
fur of some animal. This material
was employed in the manufacture of
hats for several centuries, and it was
not until 1910 that silk hats were
manufactured to any extent. The
plush used for coverings consists of
pile of the finest silk woven to a
groundwork of cotton, and is imported
from Lyons. This is cut out to fit the
foundation or "Shape," which has
been prepared from calico saturated
with solution of shellac, and the
requisite form is given on a wooden
block by means of heat, and it is then
lined with thin sheets of cork, and
thus an elastic, light framework is
made. The plush is attached to it by
heat, and the Shellac varniSh acts as a
glue to faSten it to the frame. Women
sew in the Innings and the trimmings.
But as yet the brims are perfectly fiat,
and they are formed into shape by
softening in stove and mOlding with
a hot iron and the hands. Some SKILL
however, is needful to make a stylish
hat-HdyDer'S Bnz0r