The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-08-20
crare ihat u i..i.nec 10 aa rarl,
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hftMofha mas died ont there will be
Panama hats to burn in Chicago ac-
eording 70 the Tribune" and an end
less procession OF style promoters. ais
appointed and diseusted men VINO
pride themselves on the correctness
nd e1clusiveness OF their clothes, will
De looking for the fire.
Just now. perhaps IL would be dam
ferrous TO attempt to convince Panama
nat victims that the days Of the tropi-
cal creatioa so far as genuine popular
ity goes, are numbered and that the
numbers could be set down without
producing a cramp OF the thumb and
index finger. But Chicago is at present
bit feverish on the question In
deed. the city is Panama hat crazy.
The insidious germs of the enveloping
FAD have engulfed the male portion Of
Chicsgo's population so completely
that rational views from victims are
an absolute impossibility.
But those standing on the outsiue.
relegated as they are TO positions Of
| utter obscurity in the arena OF fashion
whose brains have stood out against
| the fever-breedng Panama germ. arc
| convinced that the fad is even more
| tickle than the majority of fads ihe
| clamor for Panamas at present Is more
( astonishing than any rush ever made
by women upon the tempting creations
| offered at a spring millinery sale and
| IL Is this fact that causes those who
see beyond to predict that II won't be
long before stablemen will be wearing
the hats their employers purchased at
the beginning Of the season at prices
that seemed to insure them against
/ promiscuous imitation.
There is not level OF society which
the Panama hat craze has not pene-
trated. IL started with well-dressed|
men who have money enough to set
the pace, and would no doubt have end
ed there If the imitators had not
succeeded in placing upon the market
| counterfeits which appear discourage
ingly genuine except TO an expert
/ judge Of the real thing. These imita
tions are in the main clever, pad It is
now possible for any man U own a
NEARLY Panama hat" for a price not
| materially in excess OF the amount
usually paid for ordinary straw Last
season the Panamas were worn only
by fashionable men OF wea th and It
was generally believed THAI this condh
tion would prevail, as Il was not
thought limitations could be produced
which would underrate the genuine.
There is scarcely a hat store in chi
cago that is not showing Panamns or
wonderfully correct limitations IN its
windows. and the attentions these d.I-
/ plays attract is astonishing. Gre vds
of men congregate in front Of the win
dows at all hours OF the day and night,
| pointing out the defects of one hat. ad-
miring the good qualities of another,
coveting. wishing and style gossiping'
with even more vanity and pride than
ever a crowd OF women shoppers dis
played. And<the result of all this win
dow gazing has been a surprisingly
great number OF sales. Those who can
AFFORD to do so naturally buy the best
grade of Panamas, paying all the way
from SS to $50 for their hats But
there is another class of victims, who,
not being able 20 plunge in so deeply,
are not averse 20 wearing the imita-
tions. which, at a distance. look fuzzy
as well and which can be bought for
great deal less money.
AS everyone knows. the real Panama
hats come from the tropical countries,
and the manufacture of them is a slow,
tedious process, requiring much time
and a good deal of patience. But ran
kee ingenuity has found a way OF dis
pensing with all this nonsense and is
this year making millions OF so-called
Panama hats out OF linoleum-tho
same sort Of stuff that covers the bath
room floor
ITS a little cruel on the poor Gus
toner" said the dealer but that's tle
penalty Americans must pay for chas-
ing fads When a si5-a- week clerk
sees the millionaire wearing 80
Panama hat he must have one, too, and
so we have to give II to him at price
within his reach. The result is that
this year the market is flooded with
Panama hats made in this country
The linoleum imitation is cieyer
one. and the counterfelts are sold as
low as $40 In appearance they re-
semble a second grade Panama so
closely that no one but an expert would
discover the deception. They age
lined with white silk Remove the linz
ing and It. is found that the inner sur
face of the hat is linoleum instead OF
straw. The dealer calls them Panama
but he does not guarantee them az
such. He crusbes them in his hands.
tells the customer that they are as
durable as a 500 hat and that they
will last a lifetime. But when tho pm
chaser gets out under blistering sun
next month he will discover that his
hat throws of an odor akin 20 the oi4-
cloth under a hot stove
~ taking advantage OF the remark
able steps that have been taken 10
make every man up-to-date in the mat-
ter OF dress, the coachmRn can, with
ont being extrayagant. wear hat that
looks exactly like his masters and no
one need so far as the actual gpDe r-
ances 60. be worse dressed than ary-
one else just so your hats looks io
q Panama That IS the only require
IL l. L l