The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-06-18
Umbrella and Parasol Manufacture.

The manufacture OF umDrcllaS anu
parasols is an extensive industry in the
United States, and the importation OF
theE goods all made up is reduced to a
very small limit. Parts OF umbrellas
and parasols are quite largely imported,
but they are generally put together here.
Plain twilled silk for covering is almost
entirely imported, while figured silks,
such as are used to some extent in para
soils, are made at Paterson, N. j. AL
paca is largely imported, though the use
of domestic is increasing. The cotton
coverings are all of domestic make.
There IS class of goods, known as
worsted serge, which have silk border,
and which are all Imported, being made
especially for umbrella covers. The
cheapest covering used is print cloth,
dyed black or brown, and stretched over
the ribs of parasol without hemming.
A fourteen-inch parasol OF this descrip-
tion is sold as low as eight cents by the
manufacturer. This is barely the cost
of the article, which is complete in every
part; but it is used at this price as q
leader by the maker and by the Western
trade, who are the chief buyers. From
this price parasols range up to any figure
a buyer wants to ray, it being an easy
matter to put a hundred dollars worth
of work into lace-covered, ivory
handled article. The sizes of parasols
range from fourteen to twenty-four
inches, and the average price for full
sized goods is from S2.75 to 81. Um-
brellas measure from twenty-six to
thirty-six inches, with stage and truck
umbrellas running up to thirty and forty.
inches.
The main parts of an umbrella or
parasol are the handle, the shank (the
stick), the ribs, the stretchers, the cover,
the runner, the ferrule, the cap, the
notch and the cup. Tile "cup'' slips
over the ends of the ribs when closed
and holds them, and the "notch" is the
ring which is fixed at the top of the UNI
brella under the silk, and into which the
ribs are fastened. The leap" is imme-
diately above this-the silk being be-
tween. The other parts are indicated
by their names. 1t often occurs that
the stick is only in one piece; but when
elaborate handles are employed, they are
separate from the stick, which is then
known as the shank. Sticks are made
of maple, ash and birch. Ribs for very
cheap umbrellas are made of rattan,
though the use of any other than metal
lie ribs has pretty much passed out of
date. Whalebone long ago fell into dis
use on account of its high cost. The
finest paragon frames, comprising ribs
and stretchers, are imported, but most of
the frames used are made in this country
from finely tempered iron wire, drawn
down to the requisite size. Handles are
made Of great variety of materials and
Mt all sorts of prices.
Celluloid, which has been in use of
late, makes one of the best handles
known. 1t can be nodded into any form
desired, and is strong and lasting. 1t is
made in black, white, red, blue and imi-
tation tortoise shell. The largest manu-
factory of umbrellas and parasols is in
New York city. More of these goods in
the aggregate are made in New York
than anywhere else in the country. A
few manufacturers make their own
sticks, ribs and other parts, but gener-
ally this is separate business from put
ting together and making the covers.
The largest factory of ribs and stretchers
is in Forty-eighth street, New York; the
sticks are made chiefly in Jersey City,
while the small parts are mostly MA, e
in Connecticut.