The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-09-01
FINE HATS OF NAuAVI
They Are Called Panama. But Are
Made in Ecuador.
Were First Made Two Hundred ana
seventy-Gve Years Ago-A Particu-
IrrIy Fine Species of Grass or Cane
the B:,se-DursbIe but very Expen-
sivc Ee,idGeuE-May Be Popular.

Among the haberdashers and those yota-
ries Of fashion who annually decree what
the prevailing modes shall be, it is ru-
mored that next year will see the Panama
straw hat baskinE in the sun of favor
that it has never enjoyed in all the years
that it has been on the market. The
Panama straw has always been recognized
as the best procLralIe, but hats made
from it have never been popular on &C
count OF me high price demanded How
ever the straw is very durable and hat
Will last for any number OF seasons. In
asmuch as the hats have for the most part
been manufactured in Ecuador, South
America. by native manufacturers, the
shapes have seldom been those upon which
fashion had set the stamp of approval In
the United States.
For the most part the Panama straw
has been made up into a hat of SOM
brero shape. 1t is said that the merchants
Of Central America have awakened to the
fact that they must follow the fashions if
they wish to create a market fer their
goods IN this country and that they will
hereafter make I'D the straw into head
wear that will correspond to the faShIona-
BILE shapes of each season. The Panama
hats are easily cleaned and when Tetrim-
med look as good as when new. Large
quantities OF the straw will be exported
TO hat manufacturers in the United states
1t is thought that in spite of the high price
attached 10 the finished article, they VIII
have ready sale on account OF their
lightness and durability
In a recent consular report the manu-
NGfFr 81 Do avn hlrE &c ha6
follows:
Ecuador can with justice claim pre-emi-
ncnce in the production of cacao and the
manufacture OF straw hats and hammocks.
Her cacao crop represents about ons-tniTd
OF the worlds supply; her hammocks, made
! in the coast provinces, notably those OF
/ Manayi, can not be eEceIled by any made
/ elsewhere; While her straw hats are the
/ finest in the world.
The Manavi (Panamal hat was first
made in the Province If Manayi, Ecuador,
/ about z75 years ago. by native named
/ Francisco Delg2do. The present centres
/ Of the industry are ALOnte-CTisti, and JiP-
/ iiapa in the Province OF Manavi, and Santa
! Elena ana Cuenca, in the Provinces Of
/ Guayas and AZuay. respectively. They came
! TO be known as Panama hats years ago,
/ when that city was a distributing centre.
/ In Ecuador Colombia. and Central Ameri-
ca the hat is known by the natives as tne
! 'Jipijapa' pronounced Hipy -hapaD, but as
/ they are made elsewhere in Ecuador, prtn.
! cipauy in the Province OF Manavi tMahn-
| ah-vee), and as the name Is easy 10 pro-
| nounce it seems 10 me It might take the
| place of the present misleading appellaLiOn.
This is native grass or species OF cane.
! It IS cultivated in tie provinces of Mauavi
| and GUayas ana is known as ''paja tCquil-
| Ia IN appearance, il resembles very much
| our saw palmetto; it is fan-Hke in shape.
"Low-lying wet land is selected and
Ma in he rlfy,
| season When the grass attains height
| of four and half 10 five feet it is cut just
| before ripenirg, boiled in hot water. and.
| after being thoroughly sun dried, is as
sorted and ready for use.
The straw is first carefully selected,
| dampened 10 make it pliable, and then
! very finely divided into requisite widths,
! the little finger or thumb nail being used
| for the purpose. The plating commences
| al the apex OF the crown and is continued
! in circular form until the hat is finished.
| The work is carried or while the atmOs-
! phere Is humid. from about midnight to Z
| a III If the strand breaks, il can be re-
placed and so plated as not TO affect the
/ work Tor be visible TO the naked eye. Il
requires from three to five months daily
labor of three hours Der day TO make one
of the finest hats The business in its
highest DEVELOPMENT is really an art. re-
curing patience fine sight and special
skiIl-quaiifications few of the natives
possess. The plating completed, the hat
is washed in clean. cold water, coated with
a thin solution OF gum. and polished with
dry powdered sulphur. They are so plia-
bic that they can be rolled up without in
Jury and put in ones pocket; they Will
last for years and can be repeatedly
cleaned.
Natives of both sexes and all ages are
engaged in this work at odd times, the
| business being a side issue. Children
make from raw. undressed straw about
two Of the common hats per day.
The Cusnca hat WHOLESALERS at from
$7.92 to $2640 Per dozen; finest al $5.28 10
$500 each; the Man2Vi hat brings - to
So Per dozen; finer hats, $40 to $3.50
i each; fancy hats. $22 to $44 and more each
The principal markets for hats are Cuba
and Central America, nearly all for the
| United States being sent in transit for
| Cuba
Peru has been taking a large quantity
of the straw from which she manufactures
hats, competing sharply with Ecuador and
causing a decline in the industry; but the
| export duty imposed by the last Congress
| is reviying the business, exports in 1899
| being $50, 500 more than in 1898.
| Since the Germans. with characteristic en-
| terprise. have been running a line of
| steamers from Hamburg to San Francisco,
some shipments are going to that city.
| The finest hats ever made were by 4
native named Palma, and were exhibited
| at the Paris Exposition when Napoleon III
was Emperor. The two best We're bought
| by a French gentleman for S193 and pre-
| sented TO the Emperor and Marshal Mac
| Mahon Palma is now dead, but there are
two OF three others who possess equal
skill.
''Monotony in shape has been perhaps
one Of the chief causes why the hats have
not Teen more popular but if dealers would
| take up the matter the natives could cas-
| lily make any style desired Ladies' hats
may be worn number of successive sea
sons; cleaned and retrimmed, they appear
perfectly new