Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-30

The shipment OF palms Tor PAIN sunday
this year by far surpassed the quantity
ever sent north any previous year" ex-
plained telegraph operator who does
duty on the Long bridge to Star re-
porter Probably three-fourths of the
palm from the south passed over the Long
bridge. though a very large quantity went
tn the northern cities by water direct from
Savannah and Charleston. A great deal of
the palms for the. western cities also passed
over the Long bridge. The variety of palm
known as the cabbage palm, which was in
trcduced in the north less than fifteen years
ago is secured from the low lands in South
Carolina and Georgia 1t Is surprising
what large quantities OF it are used OF
course / never kept any account of the
number of cars of it that came along. but
il is safe to say 100 car loads came during
the week. The old-fashiened palm, va
riety of cedar. which was gathered years
ago has been almost entirely suppianted
by the cabbage palm, for the reason that
it lasts much longer, and being in long
strips, can be shaped in SO many ways.
The gathering of the palm furnishes en-
ployment for many OF the residents of the
swamp lands of the south. Most of it was
cut last week. and packed into bales ready
for shipment in the early part of this week.
At least twenty-five car loads of it were
billed for New York direct, where the
Catholic and Episcopal churches distribute
it very profusely among their members and
others.
4 = u Ks
Six hundred dollars worth OF eggs would
seem to be rather heavy breakfast for
one man to eat observed a well-known
scientist to Star reporter. but can GER
tify that man ate that amount of eggs.
and. that he told me after he had got away
with them that they had not fully satisfied
his hunger Ten minutes after he had fin
ished his meal he complained that the eggs
did not seem to sit well in his stomach. 1t
happened in this way. Several years since
l was out in the Rocky mountains, in Col
OradO. hunting eggs for the Smithsonian
Institution. 1 was instructed to devote spe-
cial attention to pheasant eggs and to one
variety in particular, the yellow pheasant,
popularity called, which were then as now
very scarce. The trip was on the whole
rather successful, though / did not find
many of the particular pheasant eggs re-
ferred to. One morning l found myself on
one of the high mountains which surround
the city of Georgetown Col. / had had my
own breakfast in the town and rode up the
mountain on burro carrying on my search
for pheasant eggs. About 10 o'clock / ran
across a mine prOSpector, who was just
finishing up his breakfast. After spending
some time in conversation with him, and
a. WIS ABOUT ISdNIrS MIN, some
pieces of egg shell on the ground. To my
surprise and delight they were the shells
of the pheasant eggs that / was anxious
to find. Not suppOsing that he was inter-
ested in my branch of science, mentioned
in a casual way that the shells were of the
egg of certain species of yellow pheasant
that L was exceedingly anxious to find or
secure. Then he told me that in his wan
dering up the mountain that morning
he had found a nest containing the eggs,
and finding that they Were fresh he had
eaten them. six in all. Then IL was my
turn to talk, and when had told him that
the eggs were very rare and that l would
willingly pay 500 piece for them, he
looked Disguised and actually turned pale.
He had been having rather hard run of
luck and felt very sorry, of course, that he
had unaware partaken of such a high
priced breakfast. He thought he might be
able to find another nest whereabouts and
offered to furnish ME six eggs of the same
species for sum considerably less than
$500 which offer j accepted We hunted
together all that day and every day for
over a week, but to no purpose Three
months later ] made 4 similar find myself,
but at a place 300 miles distant from there.
The eggs | found are in the Smithsonian
vet. and as far as i know are about the
only eggs of that particular species in any
collection in this country. A year ago L
got q letter from the prospector. He is
still in Colorado, but says he has never
been able 10 eat an egg OF any kind since.
x = y
The business Of manufacturing mems
and boys hats is one OF the most thriving
Industries in the United States" said
leading wholesale hat dealer In New York
to a Star reporter recently. Some idea
Of the enornity of the trade may be formed
when it Is known that there are at present
In this country over 200 manufacturing
plants producing hats and caps for men
and boys The hat factories give employ
an uh tlIrr a
finished product valued at s2500000O an
nuaiiy. OF the gigantic business New
York has the lions share, there being
about S6.W0.Oo0 invested in the manufac-
ture of hats and caps. and fully $500
hands employed. The value of the trade
in New York was last year between $500,
GO and S10.0O0.0O1.
New York leads in the manufacture of
fine silk hats. while most OF the derby hats
are made in Danbury. South Norwalk
Bethel and other Connecticut towns. The
cheap soft hats are manufactured at
Orange. y. J.. while the wool hat is the
product of factories at Peekskill and New
burg in New York state There are 100
salable shapes in the soft hat line, while
the silk and derby hat STYLES are as a
usual thing, limited to half a dozen differ
cnt grades. The most popular and largely
sold hat throughout the United States Is
the derby. This hat is worn commonly in
northern, eastern and western cities. In
the south the prevailing head covering is
the soft hat: perhaps to the extent of so
per cent.
There is practically very little importa-
ton of mems and bows hats. OF course
there are a few Anglophobic people who
must wear hats because they are made in
London. but the quantity imported for
their benefit Is very small We not only
supply our home market. but we have some
left over for export Many thousands of
American hats are now sold In Canada and
also in Mexico and the neighboring coun-
tries. and there are numbers sold in South
America. largely in the Argentine Republic.
Considerable numbers sold In South
Africa. excluding the soft hats bought by
American and other herders and miners.
The number exported to Europe is not
great. but it is enough to count. 1t has
doubled within year. and Is still increas-
ing
When man leaves his watch with me
for repairs" said matchmaker to a Star
reporter the other day. IT can after gianc-
Ing at the works, pretty well tell what kind
Of a person the owner is You see a watch.
Especially If 1t be a highly adjusted time
piece. is an excellent Indicator of the char