The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-11-27
Making Straw Braid.

Ino tfafflc III straw braid is ono O
the most important of tho minor Ill
dustries of Detroit, and il carried OF
almost exclusively by tho Frenoh peo
pie, Or the millions Of yards that are
bought in small lots to Detroit every
year not moro than ono per cent. il
mado by native Americans, or in fact
by any except the class mentioned
For miles up and down Oh both sides
OF the riyor, but chiefly in Canada,
there are scores Of "Muskrat French
who devote their littIo plot of ground to
raising wheat, tho straw of Which il
utilized as their main source Of income
81 don't think it is very generally
known," said n prominent dealer il
Detroit. "that in this city is tho most
important market for straw braid in
tho United States. The business has
been carried on hero for over half a
century, and although tho manufacture
OF hats is not 30 extensive as it was
some years ago, the amount Of braid
handled has not diminished, but has
rather increased. When T went into
tie business, over forty years ago,
Maohinaw straw goods. as they are
technically called, wero almost unknown
| In the Eastern States, and for a long
time after they came i'll tho market
| Detroit and one or two other points
had monopoly Of tho manufacture.
Now, my factory here is tho only ono,
aside from those attached to tho large
retail hat establishments, west OF Now
York, tho braid being bought by brok-
ers who send it to Boston, Philadelphia.
| New York and other eastern manufac-
turies."
What locality does most of tho De-
troit braid como from?",
"Petite Cote, below Sandwich, md
in tho vicinity OF Tccumseh, near Luke
st. Clnir. There are small settlements
| at these points. whose inhabitants for n
generation back have depended on the
| sale of braid for living. Both sexes
and all agcs make it, and tho straw used
(generally wheat, though bnsIey and
rye straw arc sometimes substituted for
an inferior grade OF braid), is gathered
just before the grain Is ripo Those
who 40 not raise it themselves, 90 back
among the farming community and bny
from half M acre to M acre OF growing
straw, often paying much more than
the grain itself is worth. Tho heads
| haze to be cut off and left bohind,
though there amt many farmers who
wouldn't jump Mt the chance to throw
: i'll the whole crop if they could sell all
the straw ut the price that is asked for
| an aero of 1t. 1t is surprising what
money these French people can get out
OF small patch OF straw. can rocall
one instance OF q man who raised eight
bushel of wheat on half an acre, aud
| sold $3.50 worth of braid that he and
his family made from the straw. The
women cut the straw into pieces about
eight inches long, tie it up in small
bundles. and pack 1t away in garrets
| and otller dry places"
"Brald 1t at their leisure, l suppose?"
eyes; during the winter all TIC fam
lily, from the children to tho grand
paronts, work and turn out an amount
Ill Il few hours that would seem in.
credible to II person not used 10 tic
business. Of the sovon-piy straw braid
so to rs yards is n fair average for one
day, and there are experts who can
mako 100 yards i'll II hours.
Strong active mon work at it, md
frequently mako twice rs much as thoy
could chopplng wood at tho ruling
wages"
''If there is 80 much money in it,
why do not other classes make straw
bra,d?"
''That is question Two never been
able to answer, but it is, nevertheless, a
fact that they aon't. Evon tho Indians
with aii their skill ana taste in making
basket work, mats, etc., have never to
my knowledge braided any straw. At
least. they never sold 1t in Detroit
The impression prevails in the East
from the word 'Macklnaw,' that the
Indians all make it, but tho name, like
a good many other commercial appel
latlons, has no sectional Significance,
and its origin was purely accidental.
About 90 yoars ago a Philadelphia hat.
tor while returning from trip to st.
Mary stopped over at Detroit. He saw
some OF our hand .mado straw hats for
the first time, and though he wasn't
very favorably impressed with them he
invested in dozen, as he said, 'just for
luck and 10 sec what the natives down
in his own State would think of them,'
When he got homo he displayed them
in his show window, and soon an old
Quaker dropped in.'
"What does thee call this now head
gear?" he asked picking up ono of the
lot and examined it.
"The halter had never heard any
proper name applied to them, but
after moments puuse replied: Mack
inaw hats, They are worth s. oach."
'"fhe dozon sold rapidly at that price,
and were the beginning OF what was
soon an important trade in the East
The Philadelphia man in ordering his
goods always referred to them as tho
'Mackinaw hats, and tho name thus
became fixed.
"Aro imitation of the Mackinaw hats
ever put in tho mnrket?"
eyes, any amount of them, and the
worst OF it is that tho shoddy can be
made more attractive than the genuine,
and the average customer at retail
stores couldn't to save his mock toll tho
difference. Rice straw goods can be
sold at a largo profit OF 80 per cont.
less than Mackinaw, and tho innocent
purchaser never knows but that he is
getting staple article until he is caught
out In the first shower, and then his
hat loses its starch. 1t begins to wilt,
and soon has to be cast aside. A genu
inc Mackinaw. whi ,h never soils for
less than 81, 90 can be ripped up and
bleached half dozen times, while the
sntde article, being machine sewed, is
spoiled as soon as it begins to rip.
And that's the only way in which one
i Il