Wichita eagle., 1888-06-23
3 O $ 7 @ N - 5 7 @ r E
MAKING STRAW HATS.
HOW THE INDUSTRY HAS GROWN
IN THIS COUNTRY.

Successive Steps by Which the Grass OF
China Becomes q Hat In America-Why
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 slHllfully
devised machinery. Most of this ma
chinery is Of American invention. With
it 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 q
century old, and its 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 considerably
advanced stage of preparation It 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 the producers
amounts to almost nothing
THE CHIP HAT.
The Leghorn hat is made entirely in
Italy, and only the finishing is done ip
this country. Chip and Panama hats, al
though sold under the general denomina-
ton 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
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 q
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
its 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 a penny a 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
Oh 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
as wanted. After severing them at the
joints into strips four or five inches in
length, they are put into kind of e sieve
and sorted IN equal sizes. Those at the
top being finer have greater value than
the 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 are dyed and
used with the bleached TO make variega-
ted braids. The solid coiors are ell 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
a damp state, and after the braids are
pressed fat they are put in rolls o. sxty
yards, packed in bales and ready for 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
N this country the braids are slightly
mois5ened and then sown together, begin
ming ct the crown and working round
until the whole is finished On the top
floor Of the straw works are the sulphur
rooms, where some Of the hats are bleached.
1t is found that nature OF science has pro-
vided nothing so powerful in this regard
as the sun. and ali 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, bur this is the natural result
Of sulphur bleached goods Such a thing
never happens after sun bleaching. When
practicable and the weSther permits this
latter process is used a. all the works. and
u = IAAt9 Gaf fOWS OF I2NS nay De seen On
the roof undergoing whitening by the
operation Of the sun rays, After being
dipped in French glue they ere placed in
a drying room where the temperature is
about l 10 dogs. and where the moisture is
by means of rapidly revolving
fans. driven at high speed This leaves
the hat il q very plisiole 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 the 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 70 the blocks above men
toned, and subjected to q powerful by
draulic pressure. which gives ii its proper
form If for mon and boys. The sweat
band is then sewn in, and meanwhile the
lace ZIP for the interior OF the crown is
by al ingenious machine which
has sn attachment for cutting it the ex-
act shape aGd size, as well as for seY.nE,