The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1901-01-24
MEXICAN AND HIS mar.
why he spends 50 Mach Attention and
Money on Hls fseadgesr.
Washington Evening start

Washington Evening Start
while on train in Mexico on my
last trip 10 the country OF the Azteos. .
young American lady, upon whose as
tonished gaze was flashed for the first
time the fearfully and wonderfully made
suear-loaf Mexican hat, which is the
first out OF the ordinary object that greets
the tourists eyes after he CROSSES the
Rio Grande, asked me why Mexican men
of all GLASSES spent so much money upon
the covering for their heads and appeared
to take suoh evident pride In the great
wide-brin.med, high conical-crowned
shelter from the tropical heat and sum-"
said hat drummer to o reporter.
"when the American soldiers departed
for Cuba or Porto Rico they wore the
regulation army sIouoh hat, with deep
crease in the centre. When they returned,
heroes and veterans, thsy wore the fame
regulation hat, but with the peak OF the
GROWN pulled up to sharp point, pyra-
mid-iike, in q gallant. desperate attempt
to initiate the Spanish hat, which had
caught their fancy and had struck them
hard, and their wives, sweetheaFts and
the public gazsd awe-stricken and rever-
entially but helplessIy at the new style
thus created here.
"And then the hat makers took IL up
or the ladies', and this aco3unts Tor the
present rakish style OF ladies' miiitary
gray mats with mannish crowns.
1.-THE main reason why the Spaniaru
and the Mexican devotes so much atten-
tlon, time and money TO mis- hat 10 De-
cause is Is TO some extent made the gym
Dol OF his standing In tine community,
and because it was the grAndees OF spain
who OF all others at oonrt possessed tbs
privilege of sitting or standing In the
presence of their sovereign with their
hats on while the rest OF the court I'M
covered.
NATURALLY the hat became an object
OF respect and veneration, and the gra n
dses We'd with one another in the size OF
their brain covering, the nneness ano
costlinsss OF its texture and the rich gold
and silver orpamentstions profuseiy
worked thereon. The populsos, accord
ing to their respective means and position
In life, emulated the example OF the
grandees. and thus, "a time adyance1,
the big hat became ths distinctive feat
ure Of the dress of the SpsniRrd, as the
mantilia corresponded on the head OF
the senorita and the sonora.
'The time was when a Mexican placed
his hat ami his norse before all his world
ly possessions, spending as much as 5000
to $1,000 for gold-trimmedi embroidered
hat, and as much more for his heavy
saddle and bride all trimmed with silver,
and this passion Ia strong today. Inc
higher GLASSES of Mexicans have aban-
doned this sugar-loaf hat for city wear,
for the European stlye, as they have
adopted long ago our ideas on clothes.
though every Mexican gentleman has bis
native costume with its gauaily-embroid-
cred short jsckes and tisring trousers and
hat to match, TO be worn when the occas-
ion dsmanis.
"The othsr GLASSES cling to the sugar.
loaf hat, made principally OF straw OF
tbre pee uliar TO the country, or or felt,
ornamente1 with gold and silver cord.
according to the means OF the wearer,
or perfectly plain and cheap. They look
odd TO us, these Mexicans In their white,
loose shirts, and trousers, standing Idly
about In their suniit, adobs cities, as the
train speeds on to the capital, and q pic
turesque lot they truly are"