Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-06-09

B1eschcd Hats Turn Yellow-Finishine
Tho 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
20 more than two hundred hands, besides
. lot Of the most Ingenious and skillfully
devised machinery. Most Of this ma.
chinery II Of American invention. with
e ten times more work can be turned out
by the slxilled operative than by the old
hand process, and yet better wages made
The straw hat of civilization Is nearly q
century old, and its manufacture was not
berun IN Brooklyn to any extent until
about eleven years ago. The raw mate
Hal u al imported, and, In fact, reaches
shs manufacturer here In n considerably
sdvanced stage Of preparation. 1t comes
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 the producers
amounts to almost nothing.
THE CHIP HAT.
The Ieghorn hat Is made entirely In
Italy, and only tho finishing is done In
this country. Chip and Panama hats, al
though sold under the general denomina.
tion Of straws, are made in fact from en-
tirely different material. The chip is so
called because made from tho splints Of
the Lombardy poplar, out OF which tho
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 In the air. The Panama
Is made from the immature leaves Of o
palm tree indigenous TO South America.
The district of China where straw braid
IL made lies In tho region Of Canton, and
many millions Of people arc employed In
its production. Living principally on
fruits, which the soil Of that country
naturally yields and with no inclination
TO do more profitable work. II Is often tho
only occupation that oil the members OF
The family engage In. The average wages
earned are a penny a day. When the
species Of grass or wheat used for making
the straw has attained its full height, and
before II Is quito ripe, II is cut down, left
ON the ground and allowed to bleach in
tho sun. This process being completed,
tho stalks are bound In sheaves about o
foot In circumference and then drawn out
~ wanted. After severing them ut the
FONTS into strips four or five inches In
length, they are put into q kind Of a sieve
and sorted In equal sizes. Those ut tho
top being finer have n greater value than
tho lower or coarser ones. These pieces
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 arc dyed and
used With the bleached TO mako variega-
ted braids. The solid colors are all dyed
In 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 nfter the braids IRE
pressed fat they nre put In rolls Of xty
yards, packed in bales and ready for ex-
portation. Encouraged by their govern
ment the Japanese. with their character.
lstic energy, havc 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 top
door Of the straw works nre the sulphur
rooms where some Of the hats are blenched.
II Is found that nature or science has pro.
vided nothing so powerful in this regard
A1.n an ha u,,l,,hpr Lat1 t1,ao o,I
other processes Of bleaching are not com
parable with sun bath. Ladies often
feel disappointed because their straw hats
turn yellow, but this is the natural result
Of sulphur bleached goods. Such thing
never happens after sun bleaching. When
practicable and the weather permits this
latter process Is used at all tho works and
On a 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 IA
about 115 degs. ind where the moisture Is
extracted by means Of rapidly revolving
fans, driven ut high speed. This leaves
the hat in very pliable condition.
The blocking process Is next in order.
Looking ut u numbered tag which has
been previously sewed inside, the work.
man places tho hat on tho proper steam
heated sectional expanding metal block
Ind presses it into the required slzo and
shape. This blocking machine was IN
vented at the straw works. Tho hat is
then placed on solid metal dies cores.
ponding in size to the blocks above men.
honed. and subjected to n powerful by.
draulic pressure, which gives 1t its proper
form. II for men and boys, tho 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 ~ for sewing.
Putting on the band, the only process 10.
quiring handiwork in the making of these
goods, Is the last operation, and the hat
e finished ready for boxing and ship.
ment. New York Commercial Adver.
tiser.