Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-08-19
WALKING STICKS.
Frequent Changes in the Fashions of Canes
and Umbrella Heads.

Frequent Changes in the Fashions of Canes |
and Umbrella Heads.
Within stones throw of the city |
hall, in basement, is situated firm
which manufactures a large number
Of the canes and umbrella handles sold
IN this city and New York. The IN
dustry is almost monopolized by Ger
mans, many of whom learned the trade
in their native land. A reporter
talked with the senior member OF the
firm recently, who is broad-shoul-
dered, good-natured and intelligent
German of fifty years. He said:
II have been engaged in the manu-
facture of walking sticks and umbrella
heads since | was fifteen years of age.
| was taught my trade in Germany.
There one is obliged to serve an ap-
premiership, as the trade in all its de-
tails is difficult one to learn. The
larger part of the wood used in the
walking sticks made in this country
comes from England. The favorite
woods used are English hazel, olive,
webthorn and snakewood. The last
named wood comes from South Amer
lea and is very valuable. The wood is
received in the rough and is polished
here The polishing is q separate
branch of the trade Up to a few
months ago this was the popular walk
ing stick with fashionable young men
and dudes"
At this point the cane man exhibited
an enormous buckhorn-handled cane,
the stick of which was two inches in
diameter. The head of the cane was
of buckhorn and not quite foot in
length. To make the cane more at
tractive and saleable a nickle band was
placed at the base of the handle. These
sticks can be bought for one dollar
each.
"These large sticks or miniature
trees, as they are sometimes called,
continued the cane manufacturer, care
slowly going out of fashion. They will
be succeeded by natural-handled sticks,
of which there are many qualities. Oh
the woods from which natural-handled
sticks are made can be mentioned Flor
ida oak, dogwood, thorn, English
hazel, lockwood, apple, mulberry
diamond willow, orange, yahya, rec
gum, cedar, chestnut, hickory, peal
and lignumvitg. There are many
woods from which canes can be manu-
featured, but those mentioned above
are the principal in USE Fashions
change in canes as often as in hats
Some months ago the popular cane hac
a silver-topped handle, but this kind o
cane is not now fashionable. Whel
the silver-topped cane was all the rag
great fraud was perpetrated by I'M
scrupulous dealers, who sold fille'
canes as solid ones. Silver-toppet
canes bring as high as ten dol
lars. Many of these cane
, were sold last winter whicl
did not contain two dollars worth o
, silver. The same fraud was practice'
in the gold-headed canes, which wer
sold at ten dollars and eighteen dollars
This class of canes in many instance
were heavily plated and will wear les
\ than year. But few of the commo
canes which sell for ten or fifteen cent
, are now manufactured. The popula
taste is for expensive walking sticks
Formerly it made very little differenc
/, to man what quality of cane he cal
= ried, but now handsome walking stick
: are considered an important part of
gentleman's wardrobe"
: "Of what kind of wood are the bette
= class of canes madeP"
: Ebony and rosewood are the stoc
:, woods. Aged and wealthy men prefe
U the woods named because of thei
u strength and durability. Nothing
Il more handsome than a highly polishe
: : ebony stick with gold head. Man
y y men have every day and Sunday stick
y The latter are, of course, of dress
= woods. Canes are also made of har
u rubber and the backbone of shark
: Umbrella heads are made from natur;
Il woods, silver or gold and carve
:. wood"
u The origin of the walking stick is III
. known. Canes during Biblical time
q were called stats and rods and WEI
I, used mainly by aged people. Befol
n the walking stick came into vogue
% England the nobility carried short cam
= TO which were attached whips. 1t WI
e considered IL weakness for man to
/, seen with a walking stick. BROOK,