Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-03-03
TO KEEP OFF RAIN.
The Umbrellas Are Smaller Than in Days
Gone By.

The Umbrellas Are Smaller Than In Days
Gone By.
The thoughtful observer OF MANKIND
upon rainy day is led to wonder whether
the umbrella protectorate, established
vears and years ago, is not being usurped
nv the gossamers and mackintoshes that
have had such a wonderful growth in these
latter days Of Billiards and thunder show
ers. Many men who pass along the street
on stormy day are umbrellaless by prefer
ence and seem to find in their greatcoats or
waterproof garments more serene comfort
than any overhead protector coold aii In'
When one regards the passing show he BE-
o;rs 70 believe that these are the days OF
fhe umbrellas degeneracy, and that may
han soroe of these times the species may
become extinct. Bat the umbrella men
have different tale u tell. The use oil
nmbrellss is By no means passing away
thew say. Instead, they are sccumuiating
rapidly, vet the demand almost exceeds
The supply. The multiplication OF water
nroof garment, has brought about 10 de-
terioration of numbers, but has ten1ed 70
effect considerable difference in style.
"Gentlemen's umbrellas formerly meas-
rred thirty inches in length as a matter OF
course. Now they are rarely more than
twenty-eight, and many Of them measure
only twenty.six. The Cld.fashiOned fam
ily umbrellas, of such generous capacity
that they could easily shelter a half dozen,
are seldom seen nowadays. We manutac-
ture few of them in cotton good for the
rural districts, but in the city everybody
wants his own, and not only one, but Il
mis- means are far-reaching enough, TWO or
three. He must have a handle of gold or
silver or finely carved wood and the UNI
brella must be OF such a style and size as
to be readily convertible into q cane"
Tine umbrellas of our fathers were
plain, substantial, homely articles, with
not the leHst pretenaion TO beauty or orna-
mentation. but the umbrellas Of thsir sons
are objects OF style primarily, and their
utility seems but secondary cousidera-
ton. Umbrellas sell cheap nowadays, ana
I guess I'll have to admit that they are
made cheap, too An old-time g'ngh2m or
alpaca would last rs long as three modera
silks or gloriss"
The invention of the paragon rib has
brought about a grea. change IL the UNI
b.slla's shape" said another. Once every
umbrella had twelve or sixteen ribs OF solid
steel curved like bow, but now there are
but eight ribs, and the UMBRELLAS shape Is
much more graceful than formerly. The
average city man weuld rather walk a mile
in a pouring shower unsheltered than hold
over his head psrspluie Of the fashion IN
vogue ten years ago"
A theorist has attempted to account for
the decreasing sizs Of umbrellas by sug-
costing that the human race is growing
gradually smaller, and hence coming to
require continually less expensive cover
ing. Umbrella men generally laugh at
such an idea. The changes in the UNI
brella are rather due, they say, to the in
creased style, comfost, esihetic taste and
sel6shness that characterize the advance OF
civilization. People do not want an UNI
brella that is big enough for two. They
want it only to shelter their own sweet
selves, and the smaller it is the better
they like it.