The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-22

| its costliness has prevented il from bein:
universally worn.
Among the false notions regarding
! Panama hats, and there are a grea
many prevalent, is that of its origin. Tn.
name. in the first place. would lead on:
10 believe that the fabric is manufactur
ed in Panama, whereas. the fact is thai
Ecuador. Colombia. and Guayaqun pro,
duce two-thirds of ali the Panamas IL
the market
The city of Panama is merely a ship
ping port for these hats brought from
other places. It is the metropolis for tht
northern part Of South America.
The name was originally coined by
some French merchants who. brought
straw hats from the village of Monte
Cristo, Ecuador. and took them back &c
Paris They attracted attention on the
about them the Frenchmen CURLY replied
"Chappeaux de Panama
Another illusion that prevails is that
the natives weave these precious hats
under water. but this is clearly disprover
by the experience of visitors there. The
rumor probably started from the method
Of soaking the raw materials in water
prior to their being woven.
There is nothing extraordinary about
this, the object being merely to soften
the straw so that it viii be piiable and
easy TO handle
To call the Panama straw hat is, by
the way. an anomaly. for IT is not made
OF straw at all; the material used in its
manufacture is either the stem OF palm
leaves or a rare sort OF grass that grows
in South America.
The natives are very deft in curing and
weaving both Of these products. The
palm they tear in shreads with their teeth
until il spreads OUT like fan. After a
long soaking the palm stem is taken out
Of the water and nailed on a rough look
ing block, at which the workmen sit for
weeks at a time carefully putting in
place shred after shred.
1t is this length OF time and tedious
ness in labor that accounts for the high
price placed on Panama hats. An idea
of the real situation in Panama may be
had from the following communication
received by S. NJ. Jackson & Co.. of New
York. from their South American agent:
Replying to your valued inquiry OF
April % said this correspondent re
garding which we have had to make in
quiries. we find that the finest hat re-
quired by you would necessitate four
months to manufacture. and would cost
between $50 and 800 in gold.
When a hat costs 800 In it's unfinished
condition at the place Of manufacture it
is not to be wondered at that the same
hat. after going through the customs
house here, where IS per cent duty is ex-
acted. should retail at $500.
There is one distinction in Panamas Of
the utmost Importance, a distinction that
II noticed stamps the wearer as a real
swell or on the other hand a pretend
er Your genuine. high priced Panama is
made in one piece. and has no lining.
while the inferior style Of hat,made for
the vast part in Antioquia, Colombia, is
woven in two parts and has a lining.
The latter is regarded with contempt
by the South Americans, though it often
times passes in the United States for the
real thing" and is priced accordingly.
The perfect Panamas are woven by the
women of Ecuador and those that live in
the two provinces of Tolima and Suaex.
Colombia The men can rarely be Undue
ed to work. no matter how considera bic
the pay, and contractors have about
ceased trying TO galvanize them with en-
ergy. Bet the women are more industri-
Gus. and plod along week after week tear
ing the palm leaf with certain nicely.
and then weaving in the shreds, one at
a time.
The value Of a hat entirely depends
upon it's texture and pliabiIity. One that
costs $500, for example, should be so
closely woven as to appear practically
smooth to the naked eye. 1t is of course
made in one piece. and if the owner has
not been cheated he should be able to
squeeze his hat through a finger ring. a
hat capable of this treatment is about as
rare as a blue diamond.
There is no telling where the Panama
hat craze will end or the amount Of
money that viii be spent thereon this
season. The masculine population seems
to have gone quite mad over it. and deal
ers are taking advantage of the moment
to reap a harvest
In other years" said q fashionable
state fair halter recently. Il would sell
in the first part of the season.
but this season I have sold less than
hundred. Only Panamas are wanted.
Women. too. have caught the infec-
ton. and you viii find that before the
summer IS half over fashion viii decree
that 10 be up TO date a woman must own
a Panama hat"