San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-07-26
MAKING STRAW HATS.
HOW THE INDUSTRY HAS GROWN
IN THIS COUNTRY.

Successive Steps by which tho Grass ol
China becomes Hat In Amoricn- Why
Bleached Hats Turn Misunderstanding
Touches.
The manufacture of straw hats, though
not peculiarly American, has attained i'm
mense proportions In this country. Ovei
in Brooklyn. in some of the quiet streets
between the city hall district and Broad
way, are number of straw hat manu-.
factories, some of which give employment
to more than two hundred hands, besides
lot of the most ingenious and slSillfully
devised machinery. Most Of this ma
chinery is Of American invention With
1t ten times more work can be turned ont
by tho skilled operative than by tho old
hand process and yet better wages made
at less labor.
The straw hat of civilization Is nearly q
century old, and its manufacture was not
begun in Brooklyn to any extent until
about eleven years ago. Tho raw mate
riGl Is all imported, and. In fact, reaches
the manufacturer hero In q considerably
advanced stage Of preparation 1t comes
from China, Japan and southern Europe
chiefly. Years ago, when straw goods
brought higher prices, braids woven with
Tuscan straw, and that from Bohemia and
Switzerland were exclusively used, but
they are now employed only for the finest
grades The cheaper qualities for the
masses, such as the "Mackinaws," are al
most entirely made with the straw braid
imported from China. This was found to
be less expensive than any other, because
the cost of living among tho producers
| amounts to almost nothing.
THE CHI? HAT.
| The Leghorn hat Is made entirely in
Italy, and only the finishing is done in
this country. Chip and Panama hats, al
though sold under the general dcnomina-
tion Of straws, are made in fact from en-
tiroly different material Tho chip is so
called because made from the splints of
the Lombardy poplar out of which the
sap has been dried by burial in the ground
| for three years-a precaution taken to
prevent it from turning red, which hap
pens when dried i'm the air The Panama
Is made from the immature leaves of a
palm tree indigenous to South America.
The district of China where straw braid
is made lies in the region of Canton, and
Elully lIIIllClto VI ItODlc III
Its production. Living principally ON
| fruits, which the soil of that country
naturally yields, and with no inclination
to do more profitable work, 1t is often the
only occupation that all the members of
the family engage in. The average wages
earned arc a penny day. When the
species of grass or wheat used FOR making
the straw has attained its full height, and
before it is quite ripe, it Is cut down, left
on the ground and allowed to bleach in
the sun This process being completed,
the stalks are bound in sheaves about a
foot in circumference and then drawn out
rs wanted After scvering them at the
Joints into strips four or five inches In
length, they are put into kind of sieve
and sorted in equal sizes. Those at the
top being finer have greater value than
the lower or coarser ones. These pieces
ere in turn separated and tied into bun
dies of convenient size. Those of good
color are laid aside for bleaching. while
those spotted or discolorcd are dyed and
lsed with the bleached to make variega-
ted braids The solid colors are all dyed
n America to suit the leading fashion.
The bleaching is done by inclosing the
stalks in box with burning birthstone,
The plating, next in order, is done mostly
by women and girls, while the straw is in
o damp state, and after the braids aro
pressed fiat they are put in rolls Of yty
yards, packed in bales and ready foi ex.
portation. Encouraged by their govern
ment the Japanese with their character.
istic energy, have recently begun this
industry.
WHY HATS TURN YELLOW.
When the rolls reach the manufacturer
in this country the braids are slightly
moistened and then sown together, begin.
ming at the crown and working round
until tho whole is finished. On the top
floor of the straw works arc the sulphur
rooms, where some of the hats are bleached
It Is found that nature or science has pro
vided nothing SO powerful in this regard
as the sun, aud all the sulphur baths and
other processes of bleaching are not com
parable with n sun bath. Ladies often
feel disappointed because their straw hats
turn yellow, but this Is the natural result
of sulphur bleachcd goods. Such thing
never happens after sun bleaching When
practicable and the weather permits this
latter process is used at all the works and
on fine day rows of hats may be seen on
the roof undergoing whitening by the
operation of the sun S rays. After being
dipped in French glue they are placed in
crying room where the temperature Is
about 11j degs and where the moisture is
extracted by means of rapidly revolving
faUs. driven at high speed This leaves
tho hat in very pliable condition.
The blocking process is next in order.
Io,lling ut numbered tag which has
betn previously sewed inside, the work
man places the hat ON the proper steam
Leated sectional expanding metal block
ane presses it into the required size. and
shspe. This blocking machine WIS in
veI,ted at the straw works. The hat Is
thea placed on solid metal dies cores
poLding in size TO the blocks above men
toned. and subjected to powerful hy
drsulic pressure. which gives Il its proper
f1rn. If for men and boys. the sweat
bard Is then sewn in. and meanwhile the
lacs tip for tho interior Of tie crown is
pro Jared by an ingenious machine which
has an attachment for cutting It tho cx-
act shape and size. as well az for sewing.
Put ring on the band. the only process re-
qui ing handiwork IA the making of thcsc
gOOis. Is the last operation. and the hat
is finished ready for boxing and ship
incl l. - New York Commercial Advor-
tiss:
Anic1tors and the water suppiy.
A Florida newsnaper says that the kill