Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1880-09-09

From the journal Of Botnuy.
Panama hats are principally manufac,
tured in Vcraquas and western Panama.
Not all, however, known to commerce by
that name are plated in the isthmus, by
far greater proportion being made in
Manta, Monte Christi, and other parts Of
Ecuador. The hats are worn In almost the
whole American continent and the West
Indies, and would problbly be ,qmlly
used n'Europe did not their high p,ice
varying from 81 to $50 prevent their
importation. They are distinguished from
all others by consisting only OF n single
piece, and by their lightness and aaxibili-
ty. They may be rolled up and put into
the pocket without injury. In the RAINY
season they are apt to get black, but by
washing with soap and water, besmearing
them with lime juice, o; any other acid,
and exposing them to the sun, their white
ness is easily restored.
So little is known about these hats that
1t may not be out OF place to give an ac-
count Of their manufacture. The straw"
(paja), previous to plating, has to under
go several processes. The leaves are gath.
cred before they unfold, all their ribs and
coarscr veins removed, and the rest, with
out being separated from the base Of the
| leaves, is reduced to shreds. After having
been exposed TO the sun for day, and
| tied into knot, the straw is immersed in
boiling water until 1t becomes white. 1t
is then hung up in shady place, and sub
sequently bleached for two or three days.
The straw is now ready for use, and in
| this state sent to different places, especial
ly to Peru, where the Indians manulac-
ture from it those beautiful cigar cases
which sometimes bring as high as $50
each. The plating Of the hats is very
troublesome. 1t commences at the crown
and finishes at the brim. The hats are
made on block, which is placed upon the
knees, and requires to be constantly press
ed with the breast. According to their
| quality, more or less time is occupied in
their completion-the coarser ones may be
finished in two or three days, while the
finest may take as many months. The best
times for plating are the morning hours
and the rainy season, when the air is moist,
In the middle Of the day and in dry, clear
weather, the straw is apt to break and
this, when the hat is finished, is betrayed
by knots, and much diminishes the value.
A Maryland tanner is making money
out Of an enormous crop of potato bugs.
Being opposed to the use of paris green,
he rigged up a large wash boiler in his
field, and hiring six men, collected the
bugs and soused them in boiling water.
About two gallons were collected and by
accident piece of old sheepskin leather,
used for lining shoes went into the mess.
After the cooking had been going on for
half an hour he was astonished to find
that the leather had changed its color to
the richest dark crimson. This arousing
his curiosity, he inserted other materials,
and ascertained another popularity of the
liquid. The material placed in it changed
first to dark brown, then greenish hue,
then pure yellow; then light blue, chang
ing to dark blue; then light red, termin-
ating in the brilliant scarlet, which was
the permanent color. Consequence: For
nation of stock company to make dyeing
mixtures from potato bugs.
ENGLISH table clothes for dinners Of
ceremony are Of fine heavy white linen
damask, made transparent in longitudin-
al lines by Kensington drawn work laid