New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-02
SOME HINTS ABOUT UMBRELLAS.
A DEALERS SUGGESTIONS THAT UMBRELLA
OWNERS NAY PROFIT By.


OWNERS NAY PROFIT BY.
"Not one umbrella in a hundred. no, not one in a
thousand remarked dealer, As ever out
through legitimate for the purpose for which an
umbrella Is designed-tlat Is, In keeping of the rain
Rain doesn't hurt an umbrella in the least on the
contrary, 1t Is my belief after years of experience,
that rain does it good. But don't believe that
ever saw an umbrella that was used up In shielding
It's owner Tor somebody ese) from summer showers
or winter storms.
Umbrellas are as a rule shortlived. and they
suffer harm in various ways. One is from being
allowed to stand folded up. OF course nobody expects
man to carry his umbrella In the street unless 1t Is
folded but how many people stop TO think that there
Is no use of letting 1t remain so during the time thai
1t Is standing in the housel The proper way is to
unfold it and shake out when yon enter your house
or your Office and expect not to carry the umbrella
during the next few hours longer period Other
wise the silk is much more liable To crack at the
creases, which are always the weakest point In an
umbrella, unless 1t meets with an accident that tears
the silk or breaks the stick. For the reason
never advise man, woman either, to draw a
cover umbrella after it is wrapped. 1 sell
covers Of course, and II purchaser nothing to
me about II say nothing to him. But IL my advice
Is asked, always say frankly that consider the
cover bad thing, unless 1t is used moderately, as
Josh Billings advised in the matter of counting. What
1 mean is that if a simply puts on the cover
when he is going to take his umbrella out of doors, and
takes IL OIL again he comes in and sets the
umbrella aside, 1t will not do very much harm. But
the safer practice is to do without the cover altogether
Another way In which umbrellas get out is by
being knocked about in travelling. You go into a
streetcar for instance and place your umbrella along
side of you. The next passenger who comes In may
brush his muddy boot against It, and you will be lucky
II he does not make hole in Ii. Umbrellas have hard
fully In the rack, the constant Earring and motion Of
the train VIII inevitably II considerably even In
going hundred miles. Under such circumstances
there is something TO be said in favor Of protecting 1t
with cover, though it is certain that in that
whatever is gained will be accompanied by zorro
spending, or at least by some, loss.
"Then again. umbrellas suffer because people don't
know how to handle them when the wind is boisterous
How often do we umbrellas turned inside out simply
through lack of care Of knowledge! This Is some
thing that ought never to happen; at least it ought
never to happen I'm such gales have in the streets
Of New-York City. Few people know how to hold
umbrella under such circumstances In order to guard
1t properly and protect it from damage 1t should be
firmly grasped by both hands. Let one hand seize it
the handle end Of the stick, about In the place
where it would be held In the mdest June shower.
Then let the other take equally firm hold far up the
stick, close to the point where the spring holds the
stretched ribs Thus you not only protect yourself
collapse Of your umbrella almost out of the question
If a woman Is ouS In a blow and tries to hold her
skirts with hand and to control her umbrella
with the other 1t is not the least wonder in the world
that she meets with a mishap.
There Is more science In taking care of an
umbrella the dealer said in conclusion than one
person in a hundred understands. / have doubt
that could make an umbrella last twice long as
any one of nnetenths Of my Customers would do
IL merely by acting upon the hints | have given
and others equally simple which would suggest them
selves 1t may not be good for business to talk as
have done, but ] have only expressed nv honest
thoughts. One thing is certaln--mglty few umbrellas
to natural end If the natural end OF
is TO be used up in keeping the rain or Of peoples
heads and shoulders