The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-05
SEAL CAP IS KING
Old Boreas Comes to the Aid Of the
Stowaway.
DRAWN FROM THE MOTH BAG
It Is Vow In Demand-4Anciept Hut
Comfortable Styles Once
More ,theSVOgue. q

AT last the unprecedented SPELL Of cold
weather has forced return to the good.
old style of masculine, winter headgear.
The biting cold which has held the boards
for the last week has afforded study in
seal skin caps, the like of which has not
been seen in Minneapolis in more than
decade past. All the antiquated, moth
!. eaten caps which have not seen the clear
light of day in many years, not since they
were scornfully tossed aside for the styl-
ish standard style of hat equally adapti-
BILE to winter or summer, have been drawn
out of their hiding places and pressed into
service again. They're 'old-fashioned,
rough and dingy,," but they have gone up
several pegs in the estimation Of owners
who q few weeks ago would have been
ashamed to be seen on the streets with
them. At last, convention has given
away to comfort and people are beginning
to wear mittens on their heads as we'll
as on their hands. For the first time
IN years, 1t may be said, the people of
this city are actually beginning to dress
as belts the season.
1t recalls the days when the seal skin
cap occupied quite different place in So
ciety, when the proud possessors of these
expensive garments were, the envy of OBJ
servers and a sealskin "top-knot" was re-
garded as the certain concomitant of
bank account.
Those were the good old days Of real.
wintry weather, when blizzards were the
rule not the exception and St. Paul made
regular annual feature OF an ice-palace.
All the "real-things" and occasional ex-
travagant young men wore seal skin caps
and We'd with each other in elaborate de-
signs.
There was the nobby piece of fur with
the trim visor affected by drivers of fast
horses and prosperous business mem
Then there was the small round style
which fitted tightly to the head and was
just long enough to snugly encase the
ears. Occasionally you would encounter
Canadian with sky-piece for all the
world like bandmaster's y''bear- skin, %
and 1T was not an unusual sight to meet
queer individuals WHO by shaking out
few reefs had lengthe his cap so that
hitherto unsupported folds of fur fell
down over their necks and shoulders and
covered their faces with a furry mask
from which only eyes, nose and mouth
were visible. a
All of these quaint characters of an al
most forgotten age have been resusc1tated
by the bitter blasts which have been
blown through the town for several days.
None Of these caps or hoods look quite
as hobby as they did in the old toboggan
days. but they are Just as serviceable and
that's more to the point now.
1t may be remarked in passing that it
cost the man with the seal skin cap a
great deal more to dress his head then
than In these decadent days Of hats the
year around. It was mot an uncommon
thing to see cap which had cost its
owner $50, and sealskins ordinarily en-
| countered ranged in price all the way
from $40 to $780, -
And speaking of caps, any old ragged
remnant, whether it be wolf skin, dog skin
or all wool is regarded as pretty good
thing to tie to Just now -. -