, 1886-09-29
REGENERATION OF OLD HATS.
An Hourin a Shop on the Bowsry-Good
for Fair Weather.

An Honrln "a Shop on tho Bowsry-Good
for Fair Weather.
"What becomes of all the old hatsf7 u
halter on Park row was asked.
"Oh. they 90 to the skinners, who do
them up again and then ship them TO the
country. OF cour.e, you don't know
what a skinner isi There is one right
across the way, and you can nId any
numb-r on tue Bowery an on Hester
and Baxter streets. Go there If you want
TO hnl out something about old hats"
AS long as IL VIII hold togeth n. a hat,
re 1t ever so battere | and shapeles4, re-
tains a certain value In the eyes OF the
dealer In old clothes and the rdIplckers.
T.e Jewish ~perambuiatn9 mrrchants.
who melancholy mouotone OF "oll co"
l. as familiar. will s..lo n refus.tI in
vest their small capital in Odd hats.
C ushed, frayel. and dim. thy are car
rs d uf to b. ~rejuven tel in frowzy hacS
snops by R.beccls an jos pas. IL IL
wonderful 10 MARI the transformation
VIII C the cunning Touch Of THESE man
ipu.ators ca effect, or how tn ir Rus
amt brown paper, blac~Nly and dyed rtb-
bits fur can stiff aid smarter tie
nianHie.t old tile Into the sembltnce OF
its ear. y prime. An old hat re reshe | ut
this perennial fountain Of youth Is
really IL wonderful and creditaUls WORK
OF art. M old p ,iuting, wor M eaten AMI
chocolate-hued, disinterred from II girr.t
In Client or Nuremberg and FURNISHED
for sale to millionaire pur chasers could
be rouched up with lighter hand or NOR,
trembling care. 1t ut last becomes
brighter tdau the new, siee <, trim, oil y,
and thessprucest, IL not the most durable
OF hais. A thing of beauty it Is but not
49, (A- l--. So - H.. 49,
gu ne purchaser.
One OF the best known establishments
In which old hats unuergo u re1uvenating
process is to be found on the Bowery. IL
is an Old, narrow, AMI frowsy shop, I'LL d
to owe. e jwiny with old, mlsslapen things
once nppendagrs 10 the seat OF human
reason. In the years Of lis existence the
oil shop and ii, proprietor must have
fOen NUM-, rous changes In ma-cu.ins
headgear. The owner of the establish
nent, for some mySteiiou, ra-o' Is
deep + than m my oi his brothers o Hes
ter street and PIrk row iu the seer Is Of
the enxir whici turns old garments into
new. He is Ito conjurer. and never tiles
the proverbially difficult experiment OF
placing new heads OIL old shoul lert. But
how many. many times has h. succeeded
In putting old hats o | young heads, es-
pectally In re note country Ill ,trictA This
Bowery lsraelite is a real artist, His
womanKind serve him vel, making II Il
labor uf love TO r place the lost nap, anil
handling the bare edges as glngerly as If
the felt or pa>leboard below were d, ma
mite really to explode under rough usage.
Refreshed hats at his establishment ARE
not dear either. They are quo ell ut from
sl.W 10 ESQ. Thirty-tive ceuts represent
the cnargs of the Old c.othes' dealer, the
rest Is Tor labor, establishment, and lair
profit. Al sl.OO the pretty and brilliant
thing seems caeap. 1t bears fine wealth r
well. and may fl ure creditabiy On Broad
way Tor three consecutive ) tturday after
Moons But at the first downpour of rain,
g.ue and gum aud paint, silk and brown
paper rrso.ve themselves into their orig
inal constituents, and the whole fabric
collapses Ink IA dissolving view.