The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-23
PANAMA HATS ~ NEW FAVOR.
Found by Invaders of Cuba and Porto Rico
to BE an Ideal Head Covering.

Panama hats have como into increased vogue
since the war with Spain. Last fall. when tho
army began returning from Cuba and Porto
Rico. Panama hats appeared In town in notice
able numbers. For IA long while those hats
hadn't been worn much in Now York. and their
return was Il matter Of comment The men
OF the armyand navy and the newspaper cor
respondents. In their rambes about the Cuban
and Porto Rican towns, found Panama hats
selling for few Spanish dollars. and they at
once bought them. Ailoat or ashore they found
these soft straws the lightcst, coolest and most
comfortable headgcar for the tropics. The
hats could be rolled m and stuck into n saddle
bag when not wanted, and when they got dirty
they could he washed and cleaned until they
were like new. \ Porto Rlcan hat dealer in Ponce
did big business in bananas. lilo had a hat
OF very good quality which he sold for six
pesos or Spanish dollars. As American gold
was worth double the Spanish silver, the Amer
leans @otthrir Panama hats for So
Nearly all these Panamas finally reached tho
States and they Appeared in some towns where
Panama. were only name. Their utility as n
hot weather hat ut once created a demand
for them, and hattcrs who hadn't them in
stH @T {'srI Sn !" r rnI rdr oTtrr
Panamas has been remarkable. Several Of tho
big hattcrs have made a specially OF them
One downtown dealer imported lot OF 200
from Brn2,. u week ago ana nut them al on
sal" AT So each. Among them were some which
ordinarily would lring lOand SD. Another
downtown dealer ha- been selling great many
- pananns. IL his window he has u 5000
fan by n planter hankrupted by the war. ON"
can buy II Panama hat now for 50 or ST. which
at on" time SOid Tor several times rs much.
Thirty years ago hose hats from the trOpics
were quito tn, 60 in New York. aud many very
expensive ones were sold. but after tn" police
came ont one summer wearing an imitation
Panama hat. they be- amo unpopular with the
un-unl 'orucd citizen.
Th" Panama is named from the town from
which II comes. not whore II Is made. In
Ecuador. Colombia, Brazil and other parts of
Central and South America thos" hats are
mad" from straw oItR ned from the inf'U1O-
rcd pG'mdtI, called by the natives J'pudpe or
pOrtuyIcD. The leaves Of tho pant, which re-
Srmllcs palm. are gathered before thoy un-
! been removed, are cut into shrcds. They ar"
exposed To- the sun Tor n day. and then tied in II
| knot and immersed in boiling water until they
| hecom" white. They are then hlcachod in
| the shHd" for several days The straw -
! distributed about the country to he plated
| and made into hats by the natives; Whole
| colonies ~ Indians arc Engaged in this work.
| upon block ut wood, which they hold ho-
! tween their NhCrs, fniahiuK an ordinary hat
| in two or three days. In max ing he finer
| hats thu straw = selected with great care; ana
| the piaIltnE occupies scvrIa! months. Hats
| like the 500 hat are made under water.
| Non who play golf, sail row and play tennis
| find the Panama an id"nl hat for the country.
| and this summer 1t i taking the plaC" OF the
| cloth hat; which has been 50 much in vogue
| among athletic Americans ANY one who once
| wears Panama in the country in summer
| never wants any other,