Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-02-27

haps an inch in width. The cured
palm leaves, yard or more In length,
were split into different widths by be
ing drawn over very sharp knives.
Each width of straw was designated
| by a number Thus, a hat braided OF
No. leaf was of a medium grade OF
| fineness. 1t was usual for the mer-
| chants In country places to combine
the business of store keeping with
that of giving out" leaf, and to pay
| for the braided hats, after deducting
the value of the leaf. from the con-
tents of their stores, a convenience FOR
| the customers, and a source of profit
| to the storekeepers. Hat dealers
| employed men to go about the coun-
try from house to house putting OUT
| leaf. The advent of the hat man was
more exciting than that of the TN
| peddler in isolated places, for the
former paid cash for the hats that
| had been braided since his previous
visit. There was as great a differ.
| ence in the size of the hats, and in
the quality of the braiding, as in the
people. Blocks were not used to
shape the hats, but certain stand
ards were given by the hat men.
That is, mans hat must have a side
| of certain hight, and brim of a Ger.
| tain width. A dealer in leaf could
estimate accurately the number OF
hats that could be made from a given
| quantity of le2f of a certain grade
| Some braiders could make more hats
| from a pound of leaf than others, Sc
in order to lessen wastefulness the
leaf was sold to the braiders and its
cost deducted when the hats were
/ paid for.
The first step In the evolution of a
hat, after the leaf was in the hands OF
| the braiders, was to trim" it and
count 1t out" Many of the strands
would not be split their entire length
and these unsplit portions had to be
clipped off with scissors. Then the
two ends of the bunch of leaf would
be brought together and the shorter
J protruding strands pulled out and
! laid aside. The longest strands
would be reserved for the button
| the beginning of the hat. Every
braider knew the number of strands
required for every widening in a hat
and the necessary length of each sci
of strands. After these were counted
out and each set done up by itself
all were hung in some damp place;
usually by the side of the cellar
J stairs
| There was an ancient great-aunt OF
mine who had the reputation of be
ing one of the best braiders, and get
ting more hats out of a pound of leai
than any braider for miles around
She used to make my mother semi
annual visits. 1t was one OF the joyE
OF my earliest childhood to see Aunt
Sallys pumpkin hood" fingered de
lain" dress, gorgeous carpet bag, cal
box and bunch of palm leaf coming
down the road to the house. The
cap would soon be adjusted over the
false front" After the old lady naC
been duly installed In the Boston
rocker, and had refreshed hersel
with pinch of snuff she would begiI
a hat.
The making of the button" is toe
complicated to be explained without
the aid of Illustrations. After 1t is
completed it is a small plated square
ready for the first "jining," Aunt
Sally used to call 1t. This and two
more jennings with plain rows be
tween and after, constitutes the
crown which will have become round
and fiat from the additions o; the ex
! ira strands. A bowl of water con
| tanning sponge always stands 6y the
/ side of braider, and the strands are
often moistened as the work proceeds
When the crown is completed It is
fiattened on the knee, turned. and
the last row 'pinched down" to in
dictate the beginning of the side. The
side Is the cream of the work. Any
| skilled braider can read and braid al
the same time, and I am sure Aunt
Sally used to snooze while the nimble
old fingers worked automatically
When the side was the required hight
the last row was pinched down and
two or three more Jennings and rows
of plain braiding added to complete
the brim which was then bound off.
The hats were sometimes braided In
fanciful designs.
The finest variety was plated In
what was known as cover one and un
der one" and a double brim added to
the beauty and durability of many
Very small sums were paid for tht
braiding of the coarser grades, but
remember seeing hats in my father.
possession that had cost one dollar
apiece for the braiding, and the lea
furnished. have also often heart
the story of braider who braided
hats by the case and earned enough
to buy her wedding outfit. the old
fashioned outfit that included no
only the brides trousseau, but al
abundant supply of all that was neces
sary for housekeeping excepting tn,
r furniture. Those good old times
! for the groom-were about 1910.
: The few hat braiders now Twin,