The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-14
HATS OFF.
The First Night OF The New A.t-Hst Or
AiaNace .. tho Chicago Theatres.

EVo" ~ ShscuUo Duhb ITtoune-
Hats oR!" was the word In tho theatres last
evening.
1t was not the long-sufering mon. who are
used to looking at the stage through waving
masses OF foliage, who said 1t. 1t was the stern
mandate of the law which wen. into effect.
The woman who has been In tho habit OF look
Ing around and gently turning up her nose NJ
the meek little man who made whispered COM
ments of a sarcastic nature in regard TO tho
flower garden" upon her head was really
pitiable last night In her nervous haste TO set
the big hat of and into her lap before she could
be arrested.
two or three big hats. and these were almost In
variably confined to the rear rows. The women
who attended the theatres last night seemed
anxious to avoid celebrity by being the first to
be arrested for violating the ordinance. and they
began taking their hats off even before they
reached their seats. Many removed their hats
as they walked down the alsles.
Others didn't walt until they got inside tho
playhonses. As they neared the door and saw
the mousse policeman standing there the guilty
CONSCIOUSNESS that they wore high hats and
We're malcfactors In the eyes OF the law mRde
them treinhle, for they thought tho policeman
must he stationed there to nip the high mats. -
TO Keep the policeman from pouncing UInn thela
and dragging them away to u lonely prison eel!
the unhappy possessors OF high kais hunGl,i
them on and carried them in their hands.
Many women at the theatres had torro,ten
20 go INTO elect, and for a time they kept Their
hats on as proudly and detiantly AS Of old, IN
spite or the half-srr~thered remarks OF the Ne
dignant citizens behind them. They sat In lofty
contempt OF everything but themselves and
Their love OF n tonne.," whose tropical foliage
waved proudly aloft.
Then they would see tho other women walkiaI
down the aisles taking their hats of or remov-
ing them the first thing after they sat down,
ana tho women who had forgotten the hat OF.
dlnhnce would suddenly remember that tho
meek. quiet individual behind them at last la!
tights they were bound To respect, aud after a
last hrhrtOreakin9 sigh would reach M ana
sioWly hllu mournfully haul down tho high ihI
ilke neieateu garrison hauling down It's thg
AS they are excepted by the ordinance, were "
course worn during the performance.
mere were no arrests last night, and any h0Iy
wishing 10 DO the central figure in the nTst case
stu has an opportunity.
Hoo,sy's only one high hat was in si:A',
put H. made up In size for II half dozen Ur.iH hy
hlgh hats. 1t must have been built inside The
mouse py INC stage carpenter, for 1t certain
never got In At the Goor.
Al McNicker's there was hot n hiyh hat.
Az the Grand tho women loOke ed cnvioHs'r ~
the DIX round hat that Francis Wilson wore and
wondered why he wasn't arrested.
Less than All ado2cn hats OF uuiaw fuldimeI-
s>ons were seen at the Columbia,
Atthe Great Northern there was not "A s.ugl'
objectionable hat.
AT the Schiller n dozen women took long
chances on "a trip to the nearest police station,
ihcfo was rot a hat worn in the Olymp!c.
AZ the Chicago Opera House ono woman wore
y NAT. rivaled In lawlessness ny It's ri0tons
Soioss' through one short act, and then removed
Asths GslsS no large hats were worn.