The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-09-23
1ATMAKES THE MAN.
IN THIS COUNTRY ONE MAY WEAR
{ ANYTHING COMFORTABLE.

But In London One Must Have Ugh AT
or BE Subject to Unpleasant Comments.
Small Shop Of Swell Hatter-stock In
the Basement,
A mans hat is q simple thing in Chica-
60 or any other American city. "Any old
h:t' will DO, and no one worries himself
much about the material or quality Of his
hats. But tho Chicagoan who at home is
One Of one hundred thousand or SO wearing
the conventional soft hat finds when he
goes upon the street in London that he Is
marked man. His hat proclaims his ma
tionality as certainly as the sou 'wester
Identifies sailor on the coast. One secs
about him an array Of silk hats-'top-
pers, j." in tho slang of Piccadilly-that is
simply astounding.
No matter how hot or how rainy the day
the topper easily outnumbers every other
form Of heeadgear-the silk badge Of servi-
tude to tho absurd demands of fashion.
One will SEQ among the lower classes few
of the conventional round stiff hats known
on this sido of the Atlantic as n derby,
and will also see q few gentlemen from
across the channel promenading with al
pine straw hats protecting their heads from
the hot sun, but tho overwhelming ma
jority of silk hats will arouse suspicion
In tho mind of the man with the soft hat
that he Is out of line. Tho sns"i"ion will
become certainty when he oiierhears an
irreverent street arab observe to compan-
ion:
A prry Hr-pta do
Buffalo Bill is a-doin 'ere2 Admit card
nothink Of is comm up be special tryne,
lad yerp 'E just Went pawst-thero, i'm
with the AT"
Then the impudent rascal PUSHES after
the stranger and tries to sell u paper.
Ere y are, capting. Oil the lytest
news from 'ome. 'Orrible murder in New
York an terrible ryleroad haxident in Ho-
eye-o Piper, colonel Do buy piper,
general. Only penny"
A visit to the hatter's is almost inevita-
BILE after an experience of this sort, and not
to make any mistake he chooses ono Of the
Piccadilly shops, whose product is known
nll over tho United States. Possessing
vivid mental picture Of the extensive prem
Uses of the leading hatters at home, he Is
startled when he squeezes himself Into the
London shop. The SWEETEST tradesman in
London, at tho corner Of Bond street and
Piccadlly, who is halter to the queen and
the royal family of England and most of
the nobility Of continental Europe, has o
floor space about 10 by 20 feet in area.
There is no long perspective of black wal
nut, glass fronted cabinets, no stretches of
cloth covered counters, no arrangement of
carved tables about the place. The office
fixtures of the average American hat store
OF any pretension would pack the English
establishment solid from wall to wall and
floor to ceiling
In this establishment there are four "as.
sistants Not clerks, mind you. "Clarks"
are the young men who do clerical work
about commercial establishments and aro
much above shop assistants socially. No
self respecting CLARK" would jeopardize
his standing in his own little circle by as
socinting on equal terms with q low down,
mere shop assistant.
AS the wearer of the despised soft hat
approaches tho low counter that separates
the assistants from the customer ho won
ders where tho stock is kept. Tho nearest
assistant braces his hands on the counter,
with his thumbs thrown forward, and fixes
his coldly critical eye upon the offending
hat Without meeting the strangers
glance, he inquiries:
"'At, STRIP
II want to see something in stiff hat"
"Yessir. Round at, sirS"
"Why, just an ordinary derby, you
know-a plain stiff hat u
"Ycssir. For yourself, sir2"
"Why, Of course"
"Ycsslr II you re goin to ave q at for
everydye use, sir, better ave Ugh 'at,
sir. It's quite the proper thing, sir. AL
low me- sir"
He lifts off the strangers hat, slides o
metal tape measure into it, and then put
ting his head under the counter bawls
"Twcnty-one sixty four, quarter, five.
eighths' If he Is asked, he explains that
that is tho stock number, the size and the
width of brim he wishes to submit for In
spcction There Is rafting sliding
sound ending in bump under the coun-
ter, and the mystery Of the stock Is ex.
planned 1t is kept in tho basement and
comes up in dumb waiter
The article he produces Is covered with
tissue paper, which he deity slides off,
presenting tho hat with flourish and the
remark, TRY this one, sir"
"1his seems all right as to TT, but
don't quite like SO much bell to the
crown"
mo, sir. Awf q minute, sir" His head
goes under the counter again. "Twcnty.
three eleven, quarter, fve-eighths." And
then after moment different shape Is
submitted COWS that, siri
,tilI +h},>l, tbap,, a +oo ,,pnh hall u
"Lytest block, sir"
IT know, but 1t doesn't quito suit me.
Ia like little straightcr crown. "
Sorry we 'aven't such at in stock,
sir Well be glad to mike you one, SIR.
"How long will 1t take:"
"Abaht a fortnight, sir I'm sure you
like that at there, sir. 1t suits you puff
1lckly, sir
well, l dunno. suppose if It's the
proper thing I'd better take it. How
much Is itl"
Twenty three shillin's, sir"
Lets sec that's - UNI 1878. All
right Send tho old one to the Victoria. "
"Yessir, thank you, sir"
And the stranger passes out into the
Piccadilly crowd no longer mark for i'm
pertinent urchins
But 1t really Is a good thing 1t Is a
sort of official stamp of responsibility, and
the sightseer with high hat receives more
courteous treatment from policemen, ush.
ers, watchmen, caretakcrs and Others In
public buildings. When the traveller gets
homo after having worn his hat daily for
three months he starts out with it from
force of habit, but quickly discovers that
he Is as conspicuous here with 1t rs he was
in London without 1t, and 1t is RELOCATED
to tho closet shelf, where 1t remains until
called into service by the marriage or fu-
neral Of some friond Chicago Tribune.
Easily Answered.