Morning journal and courier., 1882-10-25
Where The Old Hats Go.
Sons te be RsInade in Bayard Street, Some to Southern Negroes and Some to
From the New York World.

Some to Southern Negroes and Some to Chicago
 tFrom the New York World]
 Fall is Q time particularly dear to the hearts of hat manufacturers and retail hat dealers Ihe straw hats must go and the brown Derby take it's place but the life of brown Derby is short and fieeting. This the matters know well and so fall is pleasant time to them, for the black Derby must follow the brown one immediately, and hence during the fall hats are sold in great numbers But where do the white straws and brown Derbies and iu fact, all old style and worn-out hats go? No inventive mind has as yet been able to bleach and make an old straw hat new but the case is different with brown Derbies. They do not go out with autumn. A few may be lost forever, some find their way to garrets and out-of the way places, but the majority receive better treatment and rest in band boxes, where they remain during the winter months. When the old hat rejuvena- ! tor, spring, comes around they are cleaned | and dyed 8 deeper brown and the fall Derby appears again, newly labelled, as the "latest SD ring style'' of hats
 There is a store in Park row where a great trade is done in hats of all kinds and there ! World reporter went for information. The proprietor of the store was asked:
 | "How many hats are altogether discarded every year in New York city ?'
 ! "None," " said the storekeeper. "You may I cast away your hat, but have you any evidence l that you do not buy it again next winter or ! spring? The style is gone, the color IS goneY but still you may pay twice for ono hat. To l show you how hats travel around will give you an instance. An old hat was left here l by Mir. Seward years ago to be cleaned it was never called for. Two days ago I gave it to old John, who sells the World out here
 by the door. He doesn't know it. but he is wearing an imported French silk hat. Silk ] hats and Derby hats worth if little worn. ah 0 Iu Inv ! a man in Bayard street and sold to Bowery customers for $1 and $2 apiece. He washes hat in some way, and then gives 1t by l means of chemicals temporary lustre, and after ironing it, you see what hobby hat l that old tile would be; but if the hat is very good he sells it to much better class of the trade on Third avenue. All our old hats do
 not go to this man." continued the halter.
 Last week sent couple of hundred dozen to firm in New Orleans. and then the coun- try firms buy them also to great extent. Down South the colored people will buy any l kind of hat that has brim.'
 ''What becomes of the hats when the col
 ored people have worn them for while ?''
 asked the reporter. The hat dealer looked at the reporter in surprise. 'Can it be pos
 sible," said he, "that you live in New York and yet are in doubt as to whether & hat ever
 comes out of Thompson street Since you
 don't know, I'll tell you that after colored
 person gets through with a hat, the hat is |
 me tell you something about old-style hats, '
 continued the natter. We send them all
 on to Chicago. The young men of that city ! will buy whatever a dealer tells them is the
 latest style in Fifth avenue in this city. They
 are generally one season behind New York
 ers, but what's the difference in the long
 run? Here is an old-style high sil k hat; the
 brim is narrow, the sides high and somewhat
 bent. It belonged to 8 man with small
 head. A new crown will be put on that hat
 so that the wear on the side will not show
 and then lady's riding hat will be the re
 suit. Milwaukee and Cincinnati are grea
 places for old-style New York hats.
 "How many new hats are sold in New Yorl
 every year ?" asked the reporter.
 About 45O,0O0 or say half million
 Then, as you now understand, of this hal1 million of hats some wander around New York, others go South and others West.
 have been in the hat trade quite while ant
 have cleared over $3O, GOO in the business, SC you see it's remunerative."
 At the Bayard street store the proprieto
 said he was a hat manufacturer, and not
 resuscitator of hats. While he was making
 this statement an old hat collector walked il : and depositing load of old and decrepit looking articles on the floor, said: '"There'
 the last Jerry for ter day, and better col
 lection of old 'ats don't know as I eve ! aadei'