New-York tribune., 1894-04-29
THE SILK HAT.
A NOTE ON THIS DEADLY UTENsIL IN
GENERAL.
WITH A WORD ABOUT JUDGE cRABTREEs FIRST

WITH A WORD ABOUT JUDGE 'i'ADAi --
ONE IN PARTICULAR
..v, -,ool, cad " observed Major Dodge 10 nis
mariner as the latter strayed into the once.
.r am olwavs sad aftei dropping In at the natter
., hoyo nv hat ironed" answered Judge Craotiee.
..Tbere are sad scenes enacted in any piace "ne''
silk hats are sold. - ~ .ood among
still" said the Major, i nave So a ,.s
these hearrending scenes. the floor all soppy "..A
the tears OF the wretcheS apou' nv ~
paratively unmoved." -.
.you NAV make light Of this thing II you want
70 returned the Judge, but insist tha' ~
IN me something infinitely saddenlng III eeee
voung man buying his first SILK hat WIN d s'
on his face and the proud hres OF you'niu' -
o,cv burning in his eye. He knows not VIVA. "e
- ,hat no is forging the first link In chain
.nicb ba can never rend asunder that he -
forming a habit which will cling TO MIN 30 ,o"s
no lives Little does he realize that sim "A''
&C aniece and that the shape changes t"ioe 80
! met saw Snickett, that young clerk IN tne on'e
Of Billydick Puner Popkins smith take 'ne "iss
doxnward step. Poor fellow. he doesn't know that
he will soon be paying 500 for SUIT oi e'o'"e' :,
his effort to dress up to his SILK nat
"ybv don't YOU organize an indusuiai arniy'
mo rch 70 Washington and demand either utter pr~
hibition or free coinage III lee"'" - ~
asked the Major ,,.oo r,,b
II well remember" went on Judge Ctaouee
ant rotcinp the interruption. how myseh hrs.
forsoolx the narrow way of the low nat anu e.'eN
,be hrOa and easy plalSance VI t'iN '''> -
| Ti,tIe dld know that the shape changes Twice q
| r With an occasional extra. like an evening
nanor II the hatters get hard up. l went into inc
eilded silk hat palace and said careiessiy 10 '"'
clerk SILK please. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS anu
| "your head must have been bigger then than IL 10
| now ..or 7 NON
| "t, was This happened the next day after won
,,, erst case seven-and -hve-eighths. say; ana "
| vas a snug ft | went out. family ca'chns .ns
stealthv footfas OF the Goddess OF Fame close %
| hind me. .s l.,
+, voung woman who afterward married urussis.
,,,,, sco,,drel who wore a fur cap had asked
bar IN take n water excursion with me. ana she hao
consented. The next morning We poarueu a"
bany day boat for NevburS. our intention pe'i's :"
| come back on the boat we should meet 'heie' ".
| beort was light for the sinister shadow OF thas
| -. a,othscarv had not yet fallen across my
pathway | talked gayy and leaned against the
rail OF the boat with an easy, graceiui an We
modestly illustrating to the falr one 'he sS.e n
wherein had astonshed the Judge ana causeH '
fury TO sit in open -mouthed wonder Wneh my ne"
hat tumbled off my head into the water / iooHe.
over the edge and it pass under the por.
nodale-vhcel like a champagne cork beneath tioa.
| uava tied pocket handkerchief over my neao
and sat down on low stool beside the s'ti' Oh"
! ,allad about the interest felt In prison reform.
"The corners OF the handkerchief nuttereo aoou'
In the wind. and eighteen month-od oaoS "n,. m.s
! n woman was holding in her lap nearby ca''eo
! .Dranmar every time he caught sight OF me- a
| deckhand came and sympathized with me- anu
offered 10 lerd me the hat OF man VINO ths oay mt
before had reversed my experience, haNlns iel nlS
bat on hoard and gone under the port paddle wheel
himself but declined IT, Newburg haa iloceu eght ft
the river almost to Albany th;t uas, S put rSa deeL
up with last As We disemoarheu on .ns ,b end
hand came running to me with my nat ou "a ue haa,
| "f n boathook He explained that II hau osen
caught I'm the paddle-wheeI ana nau ~ mJ y smai
when the steamer stopped l TOOK ~ ~ s nIper boat
'..rha hat was not in good condition IL was nucn
battered with the pounding II had got whle sIiaSS sS
round with the wheel ,e aiS Wong Way and in some
enots worn off entirely, II the nat was noi.ims m
II occurred TO that II needed 70 De sSns ,por
vim a curry-comb. like horse But my n nanny ~ :.
| rhief had become unbearabe. so pattereii Wy
! hat into shape with brick, piusheu II IVA ~, n,t
broom which l borrowed from tne II ~ ,be cloth
| paper leather. buriap. iinoise%u % w. ~ nrssented
eredents had come out of IT, felt that poaned
usais utr a week before and had now repented ano
come back on board 10 finish MS )oSrhey, y,oree,acks
m on the upper deck between 'ie ,alred ~
vbsre the hat would dry rapidly ana va'neu ne ~ Ua
VIZ eenss, or extending outdoor relief In tne
slums New-York retreated rapidy; pu. we eel urig
1t by hard steaming tnousnS =, was only a niece OF
! rimn which had fallen down nearu "a Iaer a,o,Ser
refer TO me the submarine wonasr, , anu ,neTn,sr
,hronn np by the paddle wheels envied tne
,hoUShtfui tourist who had gone under the POI,
wheel and left ms M ha' last W and went home in
n,h tho driver looking Mt my hat ana coliecuh ms
fare in advance. We dropped the youts iauS az a.
lay ta,e home m and AT my door gave the nat 10 the
n.a M dr,ver lin 10 three four years age ne was
I'm ., u,earng H. carefully putting a ruoper coop
over II when 1t raned so that II snouion 80 se, o;
~ t,ntshap as found that the shape ma o
changed while was up the M river, anu nr been mis-
taken for coachmah every ''A'e