The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-17

straw, but what we shall call the round
ing, for want of better names Is ac-
complished by the deft- fingered native,
aided by the natural tendency OF the
strip to curl The strip is rolled from
each of its two edges toward its middle
and thus Is formed, ready for plating
into hat body, that excellent straw
with no raw edges and which is decep-
lively like a cylinder. The French Pan
amas are made Of this same material
which is exported to Nancy, Saar Union
and other places in Europe where the
French Panama hats are made.
The statements that Panama hats are
woven under water, or that the very
fine ones are woven only by candle light
are characterized as incorrect by a man
who has all his life been engaged as a
first hand in the Panama hat trade, and
who has not only seen the hats made,
but has made Panama hats himself
1t is true that the hats are woven In
the early morning hours when the at
mosphere is damp, as the heat Of the
sun makes the fiber brittle and unfit for
manipulation. At night the hat is hung
out In the open air, where 1T abSorbS the
dew, and is the next day again in con-
dition to be worked. This accounts for
the great length of time required in
the hat making, one OF the very fine
grades requiring upward of three and
half months to produce.
The hat is woven on block which is
held between the knees of the operator,
although some of the very coarse hats
are woven on the knee of the native
too poor to own hat block. Men, wo-
men and children among the native In
dams are engaged in the weaving of the
hats. To the children is entrusted only
the making OF the coarser grades, and
the youngsters become more Skillful
from year to year, and in time some
of them become experts capable OF
making the exceedingly fine hats. Those
who have long been engaged in the
handling of Panama hats know from a
glance at the button from what locality
the hat comes. The button Is the little
central portion of the crown of the hat,
at which point the weaving begins and
extends outward toward the edge.
While q great deal has been written
membered that these are few in number.
When one takes into consideration that a
color the rest Of the hat, or a knot show
ing makes the hat defective, it will be re-
% ne hats produeed The sh
ing OF The hat is an operation On requiring
ping fbers ' has to be nicely turned back
into the edge of the crown and trimmed
trade are by this time aware that the
Panama hats are not made in Panama at
in Peru and Ecuador find their way to
Guayaquil, whence they are Shipped to
are shipped from Colon This is not true
of the hats made in Colombia, many OF
which are shipped from Cartaeena or sa-
vanilla.
The great market and distributing point
for Panama hats is Havana, and it is an
Interesting and curious fact that most Of
the Panama hats sold in New York go
from South America to Havana via the
United States in transit. This is because
of the fact that the steamers do not devi-
ate from their regular routes: Recently.
however, some shipments of hats have
been landed in the United States without
going to Havana and then back again.
The alpine shape, so popular in the Uni
ted States, is not seen in Havana nor
South American countries.