The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-28
How FELT HATS ARE MADE.


thousands Of Men, Women ana Boys
Employed In the Industry.
One Of the leading industries Of this
Duntry IL the manufacture OF hats. At
he present time fur-felt hats are made
eleven states-namely, Connecticut,
indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Maine.
Massachusetts,, Missouri, New Jer.
ey, New York, Pennsylvania and
Rhode Island, says the New York Com
nercial. There are In all more than
100 manufacturing plants producing
,ats for mems, boys, women's and
.hildren's wear, composed OF the fur of
he rabbit, beaver, nutria and other
animals. The industry employs up
ward of $4,000 men, women and boys,
Ind the approximate value OF the out
put is said to be $40 ,00O, 900 annually.
Speaking Of mems hats and their man.
fracture, representative of one OF the
largest firms In this city said:
Felt hats include the popular derby
and the various other styles Of soft
hats, all Of which are made from ami
NAL furs, the natural coats OF the
coney, hare, nutria, muskrat and
beaver. To manipulate the skins OF
these animals so as to properly pre-
pare the fur for telling purposes is an
expert chemical operation; In fact, a
trade in itself, entirely distinct from
that OF hat-making. and is carried on
by 'hatters' fur-cutters in London, the
worlds great center for that work.
The art of the hat maker includes a
knowledge Of the particular fur or
combination of furs for making given
quality Of hats. The proportioning Of
the different furs requires the utmost
exactness. The quality OF product
having been decided upon. the fur is
then cleaned and separated from stray
hairs and all Unreliable substances.
This initial process Is accomplished BY
q windy machine called the DEVIL
1.-THE next process, forming COM
sists Of distributing by means OF air
light coating of fur upon the
outer surface OF a revolving perpen-
dicular cone, perforated with small
holes. When fur covers the cone suf-
[icent for one hat, 1t is wrapped in wet
cloths and given brief hot bath, then
stripped from the cone, and, after the
stopping process OF adding little fur
o weak spots, is wrapped with other
'loths inside wooden cloth to harden
t for handling. BY process called
sizing which consists Of repeated am
versions in hot water, together with
olling and unrolling, folding and un-
Gliding, the cone-shaped mass is re-
luced to one-third its original size. It
S wonderful how each fiber will twist
nd intertwine, asket-fashion, with
he other, until the product is a closely
woven mass.
THE body Is then shaved to re-
move stray hairs in the fur, and then 1t
) stiffened with a coating of shellac,
thoroughly dried and then subjected to
team, which softens the shellac and
raws 1t into the fabric. When dried it
) Immersed in hot alkaline solution
0 free the surface from shellac, and
hen in cold water to remove the alkali.
Blocking succeeds stiffening. The
abric is dipped in boiling water and
laced on block patterned for the
nal shape of the hat. After the dyeing
recess comes that of finishing, which
onsists Of steaming, blocking to shape
he crown, drying, coating with stiff
sning solution, drying again, ironing
ut wrinkles, after which 1t IL bounced
nth emery paper and singed to re-
love the long nap, and oil applied to
nooth the surface. The curling de-
artment cuts the brim to the desired
.idth, rolls up the sides and pitches
le front and rear as the style de-
lands. With the process Of trim
ling, consisting Of sewing on the bind
lg and band and cementing the lining,
le derby is finished. II soft hat is
ssired the stiffening process is omit
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