The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-07-07
Canes.

The horrible. habit Of Americans Of put.
ting their hands In their pockets has led to
tho popularity Of canes Ill this country.
The Japanese gentleman shows apprecla.
ton to the same feeling when his costume
Is incomplete-without his shutting fan,
which he hangs at his belt, over his right
shoulder, or in the breast folds of his silken
gown. The French or English gentleman
for the same reason never attends full
dress party without his crush hat in h,a
hand. u
The fashion Of carrying canes, however,
an .ong the swe]s anu lab de- dab lads of
New York has each season It's rules winch
are observed with las much exquisite
punctilio as those of ladies who wear a
poke bonnet one year, and SCOOP hat the
next. Most of these. Fashions originate IN
Europe. A year or two ago there were
two styles-the shepherds crook, shaped
like u tlshhook, and aZllu crook, a plain,
curved handle. The Zulu came from Paris,
the shepherd from London. These STYLES
IN canes were introduced In the spring, and
were preceded by the orutch. When our
fathers were lads the whalebone cane was
the proper thing. Now they are 80 scarce
to $3.50. Last year the fashion was to
carry silver ball cane. Then there ls a
style in carrying cane, and this varies
each year. One year 1t was to walk with
spring gait, with bent knees and arms
akimbo as far forward as possible, and the
cane was held between one finger and
thumb, correctly balanced so as to swing
gracefully. Then came the esthetic style.
The cane was held IN front Of the body by
the first and second fingers OF both hands,
and was allowed to hang limp, while the
elbows were still further forward, and the
shoulders, If possible, more round. Then
there was fashion last year Of holding the
ferule down. This year 1t is t0 hold it IN
the middle, with the ferule to the front,
just as Mr. Spot cambridge does after his
return from the east That's the proper
'caper.'
The material Is as various as can we'll
nigh be conceived Of. Many are of i'm.
ported woods; some from the tropics,
China, and the East Indies. The cele
brated Whongee canes are from China
where they are we'll known and celebrated
for the regularity Of their joints, which
are the points from which the leaves are
given of, and the stems of species Of
gigantic grass, closely
allied to the bamboo. The orange and
lemon are highly priced, they are imported
chiefly from tho West indies, and perfect
specimens command enormous prices The
orange stick is known by its beautiful
green bark, with fine white longitudinal
markings, and the lemon by the symmetry
OF It's proportions and both prominence
and regularity OF Its knots. Myrtle sticks
possess also value, since their appearance
is so peculiar that their owner would sell
dom fail to recognize them. They are I'M
ported from Algeria. The rajah stick Is
an importation. 1t ls the stem of q palm.
and species of calamus. 1t is grown in
Bornco, and takes Its name from the fact
That the rajah VIII not allow any to 60 out
OF the country unless heavy duty Is paid.
These canes known aa palm canes arc dis.
tlngulshed by an angular and more or less
Hat appearance, Their color ls brownian,
spotted, and they are quite straight, with
neither knob nor curl. They are the
petlolcs of leaf stalks Of the date palm.
Perhaps The most celebrated Of the foreign
canes arc the Malacca, being the stems Of
the calamus sceptonum, slender climbing
palm, and not growing about Malacca, rs
the name would seem to Indicate, but I'M
ported from Stalk on the opposite coast of
Sumatra. Other foreign canes are of
ebony, rosewood, partridge, or HARDWOOD.
and cactus, which, when the pith IL cut
out, presents a most novel appearance,
hollow, and full of holes.
The manufacture Of canes is by no means
the SIMPLE process Of cutting the sticks IN
the woods, peeling Off the bark, wh,ttlinp
down the knots, sandpaperlng the rough
surface, and adding touch of vnrnish, a
carved handle OF head, and tip.
ping the end with fcrule. In the sand
flats OF New Jersey whole families support
themselves by gathering nAnneberry sticks,
which they gather IN the swamps, straight
en- with an old wise, stoam over an old
kettle, and, perhaps. scrapo down or whittle
into size. These arc packed III large
bundles to New York city and sold &c the
cane factories. Many imported sticks,
however, have to 90 through a process of
by mechanical means, which
are mystery to the unlnitiatcd. They
are buried III hot sand until they become
pliable. In front OF the heap of hot sand
In which the sticks are plunged is stout
board from five to Six feet long, fixed at
AL ahSic luCilucu 10 LIlo workman, and
having two or more notchcs cut IN the
edge. When the stick has become per-
fectly pllable tho workman places it on
one of the notches, and, bending it in tho
opposite direcIlon to which 1t IS naturally
bent, straightens 1t. Thus, sticks appar-
emily crooked, bent, warped aud worthless
ire by this simple process Strengthened;
out tho most curious part of the work 1s
observed In the formation OF the crook or
curl for the handles, which are not natur-
ally supplied with hook or knob. The
workman places one end of the cane firmly
n wise, and pours continuous stream of
Ire from gas plpo on the part which Is to
Dc bent. When sufficient heat has been
applied, the cane Is pulled slowly and
round until the hook ls complete.
y formed, and then secured with a string.
An additional application Of heat serves to
Jake and permanently fix the curl. The
lndcr part of the hafidlc Is Frequently
'harrcd by the action Of the gas, and this
s rubbed down with sandpaper until the
cquisite degree OF smoothneas Ia attained,