Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-08-30
PANAMA. HATS ANp OTHERS.

, Il = a y
There are men vhn buy $50 Panama
mats ithuut aqlilycTa and are unnsham-
-I but th-y arr the men y no. have ui-
limited money ~ unlimited cr~clt.
which IL much the same thing. The
finest Panama hAt -tcr sewn IA this
country. ana probably a. fine speoi-
men of IN. work aS was ever turned
cut. belonged ID ti.n. Grant. Al uIA
given to him during EIs first team ahi
Was worth 500.
Panama lli- arc bought hy th" NJ"
York importers ia IN or,iiuaiy uatiNc
shape. with hipai. Hat ,rnWu and a
vide Hin sligntly roiI,i. In me hAt
factories here thy ar hlcd,hc.l. ol-.,n-
"a ana shaped ~ ,uiI th" prevailing
sIylrs. thc Alpine sHyp'- b,inl th'- su-
rerlatNclv correct thing Tins SUNNI g..
rhr cAral banana hat ro called
worn NY Iiuc ult y: every lu men 'n
the Sttc,t. E.. q I,nui tmmitlilou of ~"
genuine article Mauy y; these hltS
are not mnd. UT anything approaching
Panama STRAW The rest are II Frer-
IN Panama straw Greet quantities
II Panama grass arr exported from
south AmrrI,a tn Finn,-. where the
grass ~ Split lrd WON u into French
or split Panama. Even IN South
America some ~riit rdaeIaa grass is
made Th. grass ~ SIit ro carefully
that often no one save q counoiS>cur
could tell the finished straw from gen
lin- y hul. grass Panama. but IL iS far
inferior Ia durability and texture and
is not worth onr-iitth the value ~ the
genuine Panama.
Next To- Panama straw in value.
comes i Nary hur quality of Spill
straw manufactured IN belgium
Sunc 81 these hats a'e very expensive
ana The work upon them " remark
ably good. The superintendent OF q
New Yory hat factory is at present
wearing as nm, a specimen of thcsc
Belgian straw mats as wa~ ever made.
There was over ~ yards ut the braid
In the one hat.
Japan furnishes many Of the StraWS
that are used for mems hats here. '
new japanese braid called kurAko IL
popular fuI sailor hats This summer
The chimes" do 2 good deal Of straw
plating. but produce only inferior
qualities. though they ar" improving
their split straw ANA il is beginning n
Italy. SaN"ny. Belgium ana England
send us straw.
Filipino straws are being worn 'p
some extent here thus season an ! have
the merit ~ being cool ana we'll ,er-
tilatcd. but they are cheap ana poo"
in quality. Porto Rican hats are
coarsoly woven ana inferior. but lhat
is talk Of a Development OF the indus
try in Porto Rico. dnder the stimulus
Of United States capital ana manage
ment. the hat makers believe that
I'm" grade of straw could be made
there.
In Mexico the palma grass Is wovel
into SGmbreros of varying qualities.
but even thr hes; Mexican hat Is not
worth more than S25. The hat of this
quality is finely woven. hut has not
the Panama virtue uf lightncss. Dn
the other hand. the Cncap straw som
breros woven uf wheat straw. are cool
light ana practically indestructiblc.
through coarse and inelegant in lp-
pearance. The Mexican straw hats
are finding ready sale here this sum
mer for the first time. and certain
type Of girl looks uncommonly fetchin,
under the high conical crown ana
broad curling brim.
Women are affecting the Panama
hats. too. but in the original broad
brmmed shape. more often than In the
Alpine. The lightncsS and durability
of the hats make them pmncntly "
sirable or rough outing wear. but tn,
tightly woven braid forbis tcntila-
ton. and many heavy hat is cooler
than n Panama.
The man who owns a genuine fine
Panama seldom allows is to keep its
trim Alpine crease. He pokes it into
informal shape and leaves the dents
OF his fingers in il just to show that Il
is the real thing. for n good Panama $
as soft and flexible as silk. while ,he
cheap and imitation Panama keeps il
hard and fast curves and must be
treated with 1ue consideration and
respect
No straw is woven in this country
Labor is not cheap enough to make
the thing possible The only really
good straw ever made here was the
old MackinaC straw which was made
at Mackinac and at one time all the
rage. Japanese Mackinac straw drove
1t out. and now none of the old Mack
mac straw is made.