Evening journal., 1901-07-02
KING EDW ARD SAYS
THB PLUG MUST GO
Probable Passing Of a His
tOriC Piece Of I..cac.
gear

/ utc4ee Is afOrmidabie affair
Due cah It kill the plug hat? Can the
sIeaeestr headpieco in history be shat
'etea by the fiat OF royalty? II il can.
'le famous title OF John Bull and of
Jncie S2nl, of Beau Brummel. of CEN
-nIy OF noble heads is doomed.
for Edward VII has said that the
plog hat must go
Engiands new king has not spoken
hastily He first made certain er-
,erlmeDts, Like the boy who said II
llant pray last night or the night he
'oIe' and | amt going 10 FRAY to-mor-
TOW night, then II nothing happens 7
p-lt going 10 pray any more. the
eng, cautious gentleman That he ,s
hade one or two feints at abandeninx
me sillIen dome Ncthing happened
now says the king, ION Win this
ieadgear-so much for Buckinghami"
Ike every other great thing. the
mug nat was the result OF an evolution
,olne Oh lts ancestors were v5qy queer
me OF them came from France
,nutper from Italy. Maybe there ia
iso a German strain in the parentage
'de chimney pot" II was called when
{ hfst began 10 show itself in the
ime OF George III.
In the best days George Ill was
modest dresser, and when he put on
lis chimney pot It was a low-crowned
emperate affair, somewhat after the
tyie immOrtalized in the pictures OF
Iohn Bull The extremists OF this
tlme-called 'nncarOnis" n thev imi-
lated the ltalians. cr Jean de BrvsnI
u they initiated the French-wore 81
tremendously high-crowned hat rather
aonical, with a fiat brim. The brim
was long time fixing Itself. For SOW
'ral years IL curled up vOluminouslv
mere WIS a great uprOar when II be-
anne 50 narrow that a man Who'll
wished TO salute a lady had hard work
get grip on II that could be called
secure.
During the period when the very low
lnn tne very high crown were strug-
,ling FOR supremacy the hat was rela-
lvely soft. It was not until the true
'hlmney pct put In its appearance lthatI
he texture began to solidify.
This was at the dawn OF the new CEN
nry. The stovepipe had now decided /
lot TO be French-not to be maagre
apering funnel but a broad master
~, circular box ourving out At bhe top. 1
Al first this curve was very slight. but Il
nee the curve had been recognized as
good thing Ii increased vastly and II
'Ormidably.
The hat that Beau Bummel lifted n
Win grace that made his brother
ludes despair and that smote the
lroudest women Of the young century, II
With a potency never equalled in the
Of gallantry was of the
General form familiar to American pa-
riots on tho temples Of Uncle Sam
The Beau Brummel hat was one oil
hose strokes OF genius that promise
There was no getting
way from Il. Il had come to stay. and
has stayed, With many notifications.
or hundred years
The most formidable rivals OF thelF
lllI hat have been the alpine and the
ouch hat OF the South and West. In
ecent years the alpine has been the :
lugue hat Of society The broad
rim felt hat, on the other hand, has
on absolute supremacy in many
larters Of the country. The Southern
atesman must have 1t.
The plug hat is hard, II Is heavy. itl Z
It's the doorway Of the cab and the
raps Of the street car. IL needs I
locking after the slightest misadven-
ire. lt is awkward to carry when not
use Il Is expensive. IL Is q shining !
ark for eggs or canes In row. 1t Is !
D embarrassing thiag TO ..t on. There :
seldom good place to put 1t in
mrch. From the beginning It has !
zen hat that has tempered provi- :
,nCe.
Yet in the come and go Of fashion it :
IS held fast. :
Art has despised It, but has painted b
When Thackeray illustrated his d
wells he put a stovepipe Oh everybody :
ho could reasonably fc expected tol y
Try one. The English snail boy with y
silk tile has neve hsel transplanted. =
ne Tux" coat is Is far as he Ameri- Al
II small boy has been able to get. +
II the plug hat does not 20 one form d
gayety must be totally eclipsed, for =
is the only hat which agile ladies can =
elk of with really thrilling effect "
IVY York World