The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-11-06
Tho Rug Hat Fever.


! "Have you ever been attacked with
the plug hat feyerp" asked an old gen.
tleman the other evening, and without
waiting for a reply, went on to relate
his own experience, and to tell the "a
suit or his own observations, 81 never
knew Of young man who, when he
lad reached an age between 10 and as.
but what ne had the plug hat fever to a
greater or less severity. He will suffer
great deal, too, before 1T fairly breaks
out, anu he gets u shiny tile on his
head. Then he suffers severely for sey.
eral days after he gets the hat, and is
conceited enough to believe the ewes Of
the whole word are upon him. Ha
will wish for the first day or two he
ladh't got 1t, and then again he'll
pluck up grit enough to wear it in spits
of everything. Next to the mustacIlo
ambition, the plug hat fever strikes to
Cne very yitals. The first symptom Of
the fever makes its presence known by
Clo VictIm visiting some hat store, and
Crylny on half dozen silk hats, and
looking a1nrlngly at himself In Il mir.
tof, l1e Will put 1T on square, then cock
IL oyor to the right side, then hang il
on his left elr, and smile, with safis.
facClon ut the i'll lye OF himself under
tho hat in tho mirror. "A yonuy calf
under now shed could not feel prou.
dor or ITSELF than the young m.n with
GOOSE down on his upper lip, when ha
ilf'C Daloltl5 his manly brow IN a look
iil5 glass, supporting II shiny silk hat.
us too overcoming for anything, and
III S;ntI many Instances il. is In Jr.
overcoming than becoming. But then
Ciey must ltVo 'om no III Utter abDui
Jlio expense. Finally the hat is pul-.
chased, put i'll Il hat box and cunyeyed
W Tho young nuns room with the
greatest Of care and fond expectation.
OF The manlnesS il will give tho weIrer
III tho near future. For Il Week. NAV
w, ne VIII exercise the hit by wearinr
1t III his room for Il few hours ey,.,y
evening. Finally he gets his courage
10 Cho proper pitch, and on :Ln a,lsplt-
lou' Sunday evening starts for church
WIN The ltC nicely setting on the top
Jf MS head. lle knew he would ;lttracL
attention and tho first street urchin no
nloeIS c.tllS attention to it by shouting
Shoot tho hat Now how did that
young heaChen come To notice anyt,,inv
new or novel III tho haL2 It is easily
Explained. When a NAL wears Il plug
hat Oh the street for Tie first time he
gives himself away by Ills pm-on-dress-
parade air IIo will walk AZ carefully a
though trying To balance IL pail OF
water nn his head and expecting eyerv
moment that it will tip off aud uousa
hlln. 1t uontsuue;.k like Il new sho,
70 attract attention, but il stiifens up
the spine III all unusual and unnatural
uoSfee. 1t takes several public appear-
Ahces Ill the new plug to again Timber
up tne spine TO It's normal condition.
Arriving ut church the young MAN
ne5ltaCeS Tor an instant about going in.
ouI romemDorlng an appointment to
SEQ young lady home, he braces up,
stillly holds the determined to attract
attention silk hat over his right fore.
arm, and mentally swears vengance on
tho usher who pr;ance5 him up to tho
front pow i'll tha centre of tho church
tor no other purpose than TO call at
tention i'll his mind, to the new plug.
Eight out OF ton llrst-time-l l-woro-a
plug-haC young men will become 30
aylCitted that Instead Of putting the hat
otl The loor out OF the way, will place it
on the scat and forget to remove it
"Aen the usher shows some one else in
tor tho sole purpose, in his mind, OF hay
lng them SIT on it and wreck it. It'sa
good thing to have the first plug
wrecked i'll this way, because the first
lilt has got to be wrecked, but it is
generally done by some kind friend
who sneaks up behind, jams it down
over your eyes and is away before you
Fairly understand brick block hasn't
tunbled on to you. a plug hat is
probably the most dressy hat, but
neavensl how man suffers when tho
fever first fully devolps itself to
head.
Just Us the story was finished youny
FELLOW with skin.tight pants, tooth-pick
shoes, arms curved so as to mako his
body look NJ though 1t was in a paren,
thesis, with pipestem cane in the fin
gers of his right hand, while u shiny,
latest loud style Of plug hat was on his
head, passed. Poor fellow" re-
marked the old man as he passed into
the hotel, "if he only had BRAINS enough
TO cover the point OF a cambria needle
ms hat would be quite becoming. They
all got the feyer though, regardless Of
brainS."