New-York tribune., 1903-01-18
FEATURES.


kneads the fur together in much the same fash
ion a woman would work batch of bread
dough The hats vary IN weight, from seven 10
nine ounces being the average.
In the sizing department. q large. steam
couded room. with many noisy machine anu
much water dripping about the cement floor the
stock is made firm and heavy. The men Wor"
in teams OF three. one for each OF the thrNs
nrocesses of .',vattiug down shrinking in and
"knocking M" The machine operation t'"-
sists Of running the stock through three roller
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 10
the workmen. Each hat is carefully hs2e''e"'
! and if faulty must be worked over without ezra
pay If the hat is spoiled the loss is charged 10
the workman responsible.
The hats arc then ready for the coioring TUBS
but they colored until orders are receiVe,
for the carrying of extensive stocks OF hnlshe"
hats is expensive AS the orders come in the
hats are dumped into .eolOring tubs and strfe"
/ by hand until the color is thoroughly fixed
There are dozens of co!ors. from gray and black
and brown to the bright reds and glaring blues
used in childrens hats
After the brn of the hat has been stifened
with shellac it is ready for the blocking ma
chine 1t is put in another boiling water bath'
hauled out when thoroughly heated and pulled
over tip stretching machine. The hot water is
hard on the hands of the workmen. and beSlde
each machine there is a cooling box OF coi'
water into which the men dip their steahhhs
hands every few minutes. After the UP mas
been properly stretched, the hat goes TO a brim
stretching machine and from that on begins 10
have something like shape. The workman puts
It. steaming hot, on a blocking machine; little
metal hands take hold of the bTim and pull II
out A dash of cold water hardens the hat into
the desired shape. The hat must then spend
twenty-four hours in drying room-a wilder
ness of pegs, with steamppes here and there
when 1t is ready for the ',pouncing" department
''Pouncing'' is a finishing process The round
hat is put on rapidly revolving spindle ana
sandpaper applied to the crown and rim Ine
hat is sandpapered on both sides, and so far IS
practically reversible
In the finishing department the hat is put
upon a block according to its size. and steamed
Automatic machines carry a gas-heated iron
from crown to brim and back again. The brim
il usually ironed by hand, but the trimming IS
done on an automatic machine operated by a
small boy.
The final finishing which IS the ticklish part
of the work is done with hand irons The pr1m
gets the desired roll and is finally trimmed by
grayhaired expert with hand shears Then the
hat is turned 10 the women, who put en-
the final touches, band, leather. size tags a3u''
perhaps lining of blue or red silk The nm
ished hat is then inspected and turned over to
the packers.
The stiff or derby. hat is made in much the
same fashion, and the machinery used is on
the same general principle. Instead OF 'pounc-
ing" the stiff hat is shaved with rotary knives
Then the stiff hat is stiffened in crown as well
as brim and heavier shellac used all the way
| through. 1t is pressed on an hydraulic press ana
] set on an automatic machine. SILK hats are
not made in Danbury to any extent to-day. and
| only few of the older men can remember wnen
! their making entered into their work