The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-04-06
KEEPS OFF RAIN AND SHINE
THE UMBRELLA: ITS HISTORY AND
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF 1T.
An Expert Gives Some Information of
Value Washington One of the Greatest
Umbrella Markets in the Country-A
Convenient way to Carry an Umbrella.

paired. The customer willingly gave up the |
Job, and the umbrella artist in an instant had |
the article neatly and compactly rolled up, |
every fold exactly in place, and not a bunch or
twist visible anywhere.
"lts so strange the dealer remarked, after |
the gentleman had taken his leave, "that not |
one person in fifty knows how to properly Sc
cure an umbrella. 1t is usually rolled so that
the tips OF the ribs resemble chickens foot,
and six-dollar umbrella is made to look like a
75-cent one. This is the way it should be DONE"
he continued, taking up an umbrella, and suit
ing the action to the word. "Frst, shake the
folds out, then grasp the umbrella securely
around the tips Of the ribs with the right hand,
placing the left near the opposite end; then
continue to turn the umbrella; at each turn
loosen the grasp of the right hand in order to
allow the ribs to form themselves into position.
Continue this until all the folds secured"
The reporter assumed g look of one thrsting
for knowledge, and the umbrella dealer contin-
ued in a confidential tone:
at is much better never TO roll good silk
umbrella, but secure the tips of the ribs with a
small rubber ring that is made for that purpose.
When your umbrella is wet never set it down
except with the handle end on the floor. This
is done in order to prevent the joints Of the ribs
appear to think they can use their umbrella as
a cane, and to stamp with at places of amuse
ment without injury. There is nothing that
will so completely wreck good umbrella as
using it in this way. Never carry your um-
brella in close fitting case. 1t will cut the best
silk in remarkably short time. In purchasing
an umbrella care should be used to see that it
is not shop-worD. Some may think this un
necessary caution, but the experience Of years
has taught me otherwise. Umbrellas and canes
should not be placed in the same stand or rack,
for the reason that one is liable to get the end
of the cane in the folds Of the umbrella, usually
to the detriment Of that article. Many UNI
brellas have come to grief in this way, and the
owners have been unable to account for the
mistake. When you see a gentleman with a
cane warped out of shape until it resembles
bowlegged man you can wager that the cane
has been in rack with wet umbrellas.
"What is your busiest season 20 asked the
reporter.
we make and repair from fifty to seventy-fve
umbrellas day. What has become of the large
number of umbrella repairers that formerly
travelled from door to door? They were COM
PEELED to give way to improvement, and are now
almost thing of the past.
''The history of umbrellas? They have held
an important position in affairs Of state in
Greece and Italy from time immemorial. In
China they have been in constant use since two
centuries before Christ Until comparatively
recent date umbrellas were in use in Italy and
France only as a sunshade. An English die
tonary of 170S defines an umbrella screen
commonly used by women to keep off rain.
Jonas Hanway is said to have been the first
man who commonly carried an umbrella in the
streets of London about 1880 Up to that time
their use had been exclusively confined to
women. They were first kept in the halls Of
great houses and at coffee-houses to be used in
passing from the door to the carriage. The
nlta nd 1nnf
brella while on horseback Parasols made
their appearance in England and France
in the h;s,,. Sc seventeenth century, ,eo Their use
pany was formed In Paris to loan para
soils. Umbrellas were introduced in the United
States about the eighteenth century, but were
not used by the sterner sex for years after that
time. There have been great improvements
made in umbrellas in the past few years. For
merly rattan and whalebone were used for the
ribs. The larger number made with eight
ribs; sometimes as many as sixteen are used.
In China and Japan they use forty or fifty ribs
in constructing their umbrellas. The paragon
frame, which is SO generally used, was patented
in England in 1852 by Samuel Fox. The man
ufacture in this country is almost entirely con-
fined to Philadelphia, New York City, and Bos-
ton, where there are about three thousand five
hundred hands employed in manufacturing
canes and umbrellas. The manufacturers of
paraso and umbrella handles are complaining
that the peasants of Switzerland are injurng
to be on the increase each year. During the
warm season the peasants guard their herds of
goats on the mountain side, but as soon as au-
tumn approaches their focks are driven to the
valleys and placed in winter quarters. Each
member of the family including wife and chill
dren-and of the latter there is usually good
supply-work early and late carving handles
for parasols and umbrellas Some of the most
handsomely y-carved handles come from Switzer-
land The children are taught to use a knife
at remarkably early age. 1t has been said
that the Swiss give their children carving tools
to cut their teeth on. In the spring their win
ter's work is disposed of to jobbers at a re-
markably low figure, so much so that it would
seem that they place little or no value upon
their own work.
SIT is not generally known" continued the
dealer, after pause, "that there are more UNI
brellas used in Washington than in any other
city in the United States with the same popula-
tion. This is accounted for by the fact that the
majority of the people are employed indoors
and consequently do not become accustomed to
the rays of the sun. The umbrella is, therefore
made to do duty during the heated term and
during the colder months or rainy season; the
prudent person is rarely found without one, sc
that they are in use the year round"
Upon inquiry at the one shop, it was
learned that they disposed of more than 20 00l
month, or "a per day. Mr.. Baum disposed OF
$4,000 during the past year, which would be
1000 per month, or 40 per day.
There appears to be an increasing demand fol
umbrellas and canes with crook on the handle
for the purpose of hooking it in the arm-hole OF
the coat. Any one who will form the habit o.
placing his umbrella in this position, instead o.
setting it down, will soon find it a great conven
fence, to say nothing of insuring him agains
A e.affo 10 Il hOuy Z.