Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-08-20
THE USE or OLD HATS.
One Of the Most Important Parts Of Mans
Costume.

One Of the Most Important Parts Of Mans
Costume
Formerly the United States imported
the major part of the hats used within
its borders from Europe, especially
from England, Germany and France,
the latter and Vienna furnishing the
best quality OF silk hate. To-day the
hat industry In the United States has
assumed such enormous proportions
that 1t not only supplies the home de-
mand but many thousands Of Ameri-
can hats find their way across the
ocean to foreign customers. There
are factories In this country, like the
StetsOn company In Philadelphia, that
produce In the neighborhood Of $4,000
dozen year, while the American styles
are freely acknowledged to be supe-
rior to those of Europe. The quality
Of hats manufactured in this country
is also superior to that manufactured
abroad, with the exception of the silk
hat, the consumption of which has Of
late decreased considerably. The fact
seems to be that foreign hats are inn
American consumers who prefer any
thing foreign to a domestic article.
For what with the quality, style and
quantity Of hats produced in the Unit
ed States, there seems to be no neces-
sity for importation.
The material from which the better
class Of hats Is made is imported
largely from several European cOun-
tries and from South America, the lat
ter furnishing the exceedingly fine
quality Of nutria fur. Russian and Ger
man hares, white aAd yellow carrot,
and beaver in raw and carrot state,
also enter largely in the manufacture.
Considering the good material hats
are made Of, 1t will be interesting to
note what becomes of the millions Of
hats that are annually, or even month
ly, discarded by their owners in con-
dtion which should allow their con-
tinued wearing for considerable time
to come.
The discarded hats of the rich man
rarely fall into other hands than those
of his valet, who either uses them
himself or disposes of them, together
with other pieces of his masters dis
carded wardrobe, to friends or dealers
in secondhand clothing. AS these
hats are generally in very good cOndi-
ton, they find ready sale without
the process of renovation which other
hats coming from less distinguished
sources have to undergo, and they
share their fate only at second
change of owners.
The average professional and busi-
ness man does not trouble himself
about the disposal of discarded hats.
They generally remain in some closet
in the office or at home until an appli-
cant for the same appears. But there
are many men of this class with an
economical turn Of mind who do not
disdain to enter into negotiations with
the hat doctor. This individual makes
a canvass in the downtown Office
buildings, where he contracts for the
regeneration of worn headpieces,
guaranteeing to return them, for a GER
tain consideration, las good as new"
He does not buy hats he is only
sort of broker, as the actual work Of
rejuvenating a hat is done by some
dyeing and repairing establishment
which makes speciality Of this bust
ness.
These establishments form the mael-
from toward which are drawn the dis
carded hats from all sources. Here
the hat of the plutocrat mixes with
that of the lawyer, the merchant and
the dry goods clerk, undergoing the
same process of cleaning or dyeing.
All distinctions of rank disappear in
the dyeing vat, where nutria, hair and
shoddy are on an equal footing, all
soaking in the new color, which, to-
gether with fresh binding, assures.
them a new lease of life.
The career of hat is n short one,
its average of life after leaving the
factory and up to the time it gets into
the hands of the hat doctor being not
more than six months. The silk hat
lasts somewhat longer, and its ex-
perience is generally little more var
led than that of the derby or. soft hat.
When silk hat reaches the rejuvenat-
ing stage it - n more pliable subject
than any of it's comrades.