The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-08
THE ERA OF THE PANAMA HAT.
EOtaries of Fashion Have Set the
seal of Popularity Upon IT.


when the weather man is blamed for the
public's discomfort, nearly everyone has
/ been driven to the hat store in search of
summer headgear- Surprise Is often man
ifested al the unusually large number Of
Panama hats displayed by the merchants
The votaries Of fashion who yearly decree
what one shall wear have set the seal of
their approval on the Panama. and It will
bask this season in the sun Of popular
favor
High price has in years gone by been a
hindranCe To the popularity Of hats of
this material. which is most durable. 4
Panama hat may be rolled into a ball and
stuffed in d convenient pocket. but taken
out and unroued. it resumes its natural
shape. The ideal hat for r0ugh-and-ready
wear. when wound about with a bright
fold of silk enhancing its clear white, it
is drcssy in the extreme Arbiters OF fash
ion are already seen in large numbers
with the Panama replacing the ordinary
straw. But the obstacIe-the price-wiH
prevent the style from becoming over
popular
Ecuador can with justice claim pre-emi-
nence in the production Of cacao and the
manufacture of straw hats and ham
mocks. Her cacao crop represents about
one-third of the worlds supply; her ham
mocks. made in the coast provinces, nOta-
bly, those of Manavi, cannot be exceHed
by any made elsewhere; while her straw
hats are the finest in the world
The Manavi Panama. hat was first
made in the Province of Manavi. Ecuador.
about 2I5 years ago. by a native named
Francisco DeIgado- The present centres
of the industry are M0nte-Cristi and Jip-
ijapa. in the Province Of Manavi. and
Santa Elena and 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 Cen
trail America. the hat is known by the
natives as the "Jipijapa' pronounced
Hipy-hapa). but as they are made else
where in Ecuador, principally in the Prov
inve of Manavi CMahnah-veel, and as the
name is easy to pronounce, it would seem
that it might take the place Of the present
misleading appeIlation-
This is a native grass or species Of cane
It is cultivated in the Provinces of Man
avi and GUayas, and is known as -'paja
toquilIa-' IN appearance, it resembles very
much our saw palmetto; il is fan-like in
shape.
Low-Iying, wet land is selected and the
seed planted in rows during the rainy
season When the grass attains a height
of four and half to FIVE feet. it is cut
just before ripening- boiled IN hot water
and. after being thoroughly sun-dried. is
assorted and ready for use
The straw is first carefully selected,
dampened to make 1t pIiabIe. and then
very finely divided into requisite widths.
the little finger or thumb nail being used
for the purpose The plating commences
at the apex Of the crown and is continued
In circular form until the hat is finished
The work is carried on while the atmos-
pheEe IS humid, from about midnight to Z
a m. II the strand breaks. il can be re-
placed and so plated as not TO affect the
work nor be visible to the naked eye 1t
requires from three to five months daily
labor of three hours per 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
SNIli-qUalulcatiOnS few Of the natives
possess. The plating completed, the hat
Is washed II clean, cold water. coated
V Ith thin solution Of gum. and polished
with dry powdered sulphur They are 50
plabie that they can be rolled up without
injury and put in ones pocket: they viii
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
l4H v tAFilt3 lisAL y IltDtES<tftS at from %
to $3.50 per dozen; finest at S5.2S to s. SO
each. the ManaVi hat brings Sl.G2 10 90
Per dozen; finer hats. $40 TO $3.50 each:
Lancy hats, 80 TO 81 and more each
Inc principal markets for hats Re Cuba
and Central America, nearly all for the
nlted States being sent in transit for
Cuba
Peru has been taking a large quantity
OF the straw from which she manufaC-
lures hats. competing sharply with Ec-
uddoT and causing a decline in the in
dustrE; but the export duty imposed BIZ
the last Congress is reyiving the bust
ness. exports in 1899 being $50 800 more
than in 1888 Since the Germans. with
characteristic enterprise. have been run
niHg line of steamers from Hamburg TO
san Francisco some shipments are go
ing TO that city
The finest hats ever made were bv 2
native named Palma. and were exhibited
at the Paris Exposition when Napoleon
III was Emperor The two best were
bought by q French gentleman for Sl92
and presented 70 the Emperor and Mar
shall MacMahOu- Palma is now dead but
there are two or three others who pos
sesS equal skill
MonotoEy in shape has been perhaps
one Of the chief causes why the hats
have not been more popular but if deal
eTS would take up the matter the natives
could easily make any style desired La
dies hats may be worn number of sue
cessive seasons. cleaned and retrimmed
they appear perfectly new