The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-23
MADE FAMOUS BY IT'S
MANY HAT FACTORIES

| had been trading hats for it so long that
he did not realize that he could pay
cash.
The hat shops Of today are mach
alike, though they differ in size. All are
well filled with modern machinery
which simpIiies the work OF manufac-
ture. Much Of the work. especially the
finishing, must be done by hand, even in
this day Of invention. Every sort Of
hat is made here, but the majority Of
the shops run to stiff and soft. or felt,
hats of medium grade.
4 tour of a hat factory rightly be
gins in the storeroarI- where the fur
from which the hats arr made is stored.
II comes In bundles, and the varieties
are many, ranging from the coon OF
the Southern States to the hare from
the wilds of Russia. It might have been
hare from the wiIds of Indiana If an
experiment tried several years ago had
been successful. The climatic condi-
tions of the Hooster State we're not
suitable The skin is closely shaven and
only the fur goes to the hatmaker-
The Forming Department.
Joining the storeroom is the blowing
department, where the hair is separated
from the fine inner fur. When several
varieties have been mixed together in a
machine called the devil the hair and
fur are put into a blowing machine.
This is in seven sections, and air cur
rents carry the material from one to the
other. In the process the hair drops
down, while the fur blows along in fluffy
clouds, to emerge finally from the end
OF the machine practically free from
hair and ready for rse. The blowing
machine looks like a covered wagon
with too many wheels. and It is one Of
the greatest machine improvements in
hat making.
The Bne fur is taken to the forming
department, where it is weighed by
girls and placed in q tray divided into
a dozen compartments. On each com
partment there is enough fur TO make
one hat and the tray is taken to the
forming machine a young woman with
deft fingers spreads 1t on a feeder,
from whi5h it is blown upon a cone
which revOIves inside a metal case. An
old and experienced workman stands in
front Of this case, and when the hat
is blown wraps the hair covered cone
in hot cloths and immerses It In a rub
Of boiling water, which gives It sub
stance and knits the fine particles of
fur together He places a fresh cone
in the case. and the blowing Of another
hat continues while he is bathing the
one just made, The drafts of the slow
er can be so regulated as to make the
brim heavier than the crown OF TO give
added weight TO the tip
The embryo hat comes from its bath
shaped like the old-time Ounce cap. and
is stripped easily from the cone e is
taken in hand, while still moist, by the
e'haTdener'' He presses out the water.
examines 1t carefully for defects, and
kReads the fur together in much the
same fashion q woman would work a
batch of bread dough The hats vary
in weight, from seven to nine ounces
being the average.
II the sizing department. a large,
steam-cIouded room. with many noisy
machines and much water dripping
about the cement floor, the stock is made
firm and heavy. The men work in teams
Of three, one for each OF the three
processes OF "wetting down, shrink
ing in" and knocking up" The ma
chine operation consists of running the
stock through q thTee-roIler machine
on which boiling water IS playing. There
is a deal Of manual labor connected with
this part Of the work, and some risk of
loss to the workmen. Each hat is care
fully inspected. aud. if faulty, must be
worked over without extra pay If the
hat is spoiled the loss is charged to the
workman responsible.
Ready for Coloring.
The hats are then ready for the color
ing tubs. but they are not coIored until
orders are received, for the carrying of
extensive stocks of finished hats is ex-
pensive. AS the orders come in the hats
are dumped into coIoriDg tubs and
stirred by hand until the color is thor
ioughly fixed. There are dozens of colors.
from gray and black and brown 10 the
bright reds and glazing blues used in
chtIdTen'5 hats
After the brim Of the hat has been
Istifened with shellac it is ready for the
blocking machine It is put in another
boiling water bath, hauled out when
thoroughly heated and pulled over a tip
stretching machine. The hot water is
hard on the hands Ct the workmen. and
beside each machine there is a cooling
box of cold water, into which the men dip
their steaminB hands every few minutes.
After the tip has been properly stretched.
the hat goes to d brim stretching ma
chine. and from that on begins 10 have
something like shape The workman
puts it, steauiug hot on a blocking