Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-12

70 the cane world. and as she is an in
dustrious. ureiess old lady, her efforts
ere fruitful
There is very little change In woods. but
the golf craze has made an indelible marx
IN the style of the handles. Not to have
. cane which looks for all the world like
one OF the weighted drivers used In the
swaggsr game u to announce ones SELF
to the world as belkg completely out OF
the fashionable swim. and this is exactly
what most people refuse to do.
BAMBOO In FAVOR.
The newest cane Is the Whangee.
curious bamboo OF bright yellow, with
leaf branches from each alternate joint
to the rieht and left This cane sells as
low as 10 cents and as high as So. for
Fashion DEGREES that the value depends
on the arrangement Of the knots or joints.
II these are regularly placed, with equal
distances between them. the cane Is com
para;iyely valutiess. IL should have
rather knots or joints. with spaces vary
ing frcm nearly two inches at the handle
end 10 half an inch at the ferrule end,
the cane tampering In proportion. This
IL because the tapering cane is the very
top OF the bamboo. and only one comes
to each cane growth, while In 90 or tO-
foot bamboo scvera! OF the more evenly
spaced can be cut; hence the price ana
the vogue
The most popular cane this spring Is the
Congo Why II is called the Congo Is
difficult 10 perceive. because II is the
wood OF an oak sapling doctored In
peculiar way. Most cane-dealers, how
ever. will solemnly assure you that II Is
called the Congo because IL Is made OF
Congo wood. The reason OF It's great
popularity is that the Prince OF Wales
Invariably carries cane OF that Kind,
and, OF course, what he does In the way
OF making fashions is never Questioned
by the men who pay attention to such
matters.
THE FIRST CONGO.
The Congo is a peculiar brown stick.
marked here and there along its entire
length with tiny dots. making one wondey
what. kind OF appearance 1t presented
whSn all these embryo shoots came to
maturity They never did mature; as
matter Of fact, they are not natural 1t
Is simply an oak sapling. colored to taste.
which, when growing In the forest, is
pricked or bruised with blunt instru-
ment, and left for time. the growth at
tempting TO heal the marks. and so pro-
duclng tho curious pricks on the inner
wood The cane-dealer may not acknow-
ledge this. but this Is an undeniable fact.
The wood Is the Austrian OF ineuidr Gan
The stick was produced by chance.
Frenchman happening across sapling
accidentally wounded set II aside for
cane. After receiving several offers OF
money for the stick, he began wounding
che saplings In large numbers, keeping
the secret to himself for two years. until
he had enough TO offer them in wholesale
lots TO a manufat surer. Then the Congo
cane became the style
All the fashionable canes this year. with
the exception Of the golf cane. have the
handle formed into what is called the
Prince Of Wales hook. For two years this
style has survived, and II is more firmly
intrenched now than ever before. The
handle is bent into q long. graceful hook,
the end being tipped with silver and the
cane itself just below the handle encircled
with band OF silver.
ODD HANDLES COMING.
Next year all kinds OF odd and unique
handles will be In vogue. for there Is al
ready well-deflned tendency in that d.
rection. Men who are not content TO
keep abreast of fashion. but insist upon
walking In advance OF her DEGREES, are