Smyrna times., 1888-06-13
MAKING STRAW HATS.
HOW THE INDUSTRY HAS GROWN
IN THIS COUNTRY.

Successive Steps by Which the Grass of
China Becomes a Hat in America-Why
Bleaehed Hats Turn YeIIow-Finishine
Touches.
The manufacture of straw hats, though
not peculiarly American, has attained i'm
mense proportions in this country. Over
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 skillfully
devised machinery. Most of this ma
chlnery Is of American invention With
1t ten times more work can be turned out
by the skilled operative than by the old
hand process, and yet better wages made
at less labor.
The straw hat of civilization is nearly a
century old, and it's manufacture was not
begun in Brooklyn to any extent until
about eleven years ago. The raw mate
rial IS all imported, and. in fact, reaches
the manufacturer here in a considerably
advanced stage of preparation. 1t comes
from China, Japan and southern Europe
chlely. Years ago, when straw goods
brought higher prices braids woven with
Switzerland, were exclusively used. but
they are now employed only for the finest
grades. The cheaper qualities for the
masses, such as the "Macl1inaws. " 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 the producers
amounts to almost nothing.
THE CHIP 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 denomina-
tlon Of straws, are made in fact from en-
tirely different material The 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
Tor three years-a precaution taken to
prevent it from turning red, which hap
pens when dried in 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
many millions of people are EMPLOYED in
It's production. Living principally on
fruits, which the soil of that country
naturally yields, and with no inclination
to do more profitable work, it is often the
only occupation that all the members of
the family engage in. The average wages
earned are penny day. When the
species of grass or wheat used formaking
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
n q rTra1fs 4 ~ L
as wanted. After severing them at the
joints into strips four or five inches in
length, they are put into kind of a sieve
and sorted in equal sizes. Those ot the
top being finer have a greater value than
the lower or cOarser ones. These Dieces
are in turn separated and tied into bun.
dies OF convenient size. Those of GOOD
color are laid aside for bleaching, while
those spotted or discOlored are dved and
used with the bleached to make variera-
ted braids. The solid calors are all dyed
IN America to suit the leading fashion.
The bleaching is done by inclosing the
stalks IN box with burning birthstone.
lhe plating, next in order, is done mostly
by women and girls, while the straw is in
a damp state, and after the braids are
pressed fiat they are put in rolls of XIV
yards, packed in bales and ready fol 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 the whole is finished. On the ton
door Of the straw works are the sulphur
rooms, where some Of the hats are bleached.
1t IS found that nature or science has pro-
vided nothing so powerful in this regard
as the sun, and all the sulphur baths and
other processes of bleaching are not com.
parable with a sun bath. Ladies often
feel disappointed because their straw hats
turn yellow, but this is the natural result =.
Of sulphur bleached goods. Such a 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 suns rays. After being
dipped in French glue they are placed in
drying room where the temperature is
about llj degs and where the moisture is
extracted by means of rapidly revolving
-.lAAo5 uALFCA az ulSu speed. lllS leaves
the hat in very pliable condition.
The blocking process is next in order.
Looking at numbered tag which has
been previously sewed inside, the work
man places the hat on tho proper steam
heated sectional expanding metal block
and presses it into the required size and
shape. This blocking machine was in
vented at the straw works The hat is
then placed on solid metal dies cores
ponding in size to the blocks above men
toned, and subjected to powerful hy-
draUlio pressure. which gives it it's proper
form. Ii for men and boys, the sweat
band Is then sewn in. and meanwhile the
lace tip for the interior of the crown is
prepared by an ingenious machine which
has an attachment for cutting it the ex-
act shape and size, as well as for sewing.
Putting on the band. tho only process re-
quirlpg handiwork in tho making of these
goods, is the last operation, and the hat
Is finished ready for boxing and ship
ment. - New York Commercial Adver-
tiser.