Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-21
ANOTHER PANAMA HATSTORY
Senator Millard'l Possession suggests One
More with Names Given.
HOW DAVE MERCER WORKED JOHN JENKINS
States Consul at San Salvador
Proves a Mark for the Nonresident
Member from the Second
Nebraska.

Friends Of Senator ]. H. Willard are
admiring the new Panama hat that he
brought home from Washington. 1t is SO
Panama headgear that It occasions remark
among those of the senator's friends, who,
have inspected II. The hat is of large
crown and wide brim. The texture Is as
fine as that of woven linen and quite as
pliable. 1t is Of light weight, yet holds its
The hat came as a present to Senator
Willard from a friend who resides in Porto
Rico. Prior TO It's receipt the senator
sSaped s sGnSsn' WHEN %lSe an the orq ne% hat lt0U %as
presented the donor stated that he had
gone out into the interior of Porto Rico to
said that one of his expert weavers, a
woman, worked two months upon It.. IT Is
a work of art. A silk loom could hardly
produce a more even, regular or beautiful
effect.
On the San Juan market this hat, it is
said, would bring not less than $50. In
New York any dealer could easily get 500
fer II, for down east II is impossible to
meet the demand for genuine Panama hats
this year.
The above good story which appeared
Sunday morning In the World Herald
brings to mind the story of another Pan
anna hat which has Hoated through the cor
ridors of the State department at Wash
ington for a year or more. At one time
when the mercury was soaring in the COS
at the national capital Congress-
man D. H. Mercer felt that his
wants would never be completely
satisfied until he could wear one
Of the lightweight head coverings
which have lately become so precious and
popular. A Nebraskan whose name need
not be suppressed, as was the name Of
the friend OF Senator Willard, was then, as
now. consul general OF the United States
at San Salvador. a country not far from
the Isthmus of Panama and famous for it's
Panama hats. Mr.. Mercer wrote to John
jenkins and asked him to buy him one OF
the fashionable headgear. Mr.. Jenkin
lived In the city Of Panama a matter Of
twenty-five years ago before coming to
Omaha, and is an expert in the matter Of
Panama hats, being able to distinguish be-
tween the spurious and the genuine at a
glance. Coming from a congressman and
a representative from the district in
which he 1.-THE consul. not the congressman
makes his home, the requisition was
promptly honored after some trouble and
the expenditure Of a considerable amount
OF money. The amount expended was per-
haps not as much as that paid by the
friend Of Senator Willard for his Porto
Rican Panama, but then the Job In Porto
Rico pays more than the Job at San SAL
vador. and the congressman had no part
In the appointment of the consul.
The San Salvador Panama was a beauty
and IL reached Washington in due time, but
while many OF his friends complimented
Congressman Mercer upon his headgear,
there vas no picture nor public notice
taken OF the Central American creation.
In fact, as the story is told In the State
department, there was not only no public
acknowledgment Of the new tile. but the
congressman did not seem TO really appre-
ciate the consular purchase and forgot to
acknowledge receipt to the Nebraskan who
had taken the trouble to please the rep
resentative. The congressman also forgot
TO remit to the representative Of the
United States the money which he had ex-
pended In United States gold Transmitted
into free silver OF the tropical republic.
The story whispered In Washington was
waited across the continent TO Nebraska
a short time after Consul jenkins arrived
at home to spend his vacation.
When asked as to the truth Of the re-