The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-08
STILL MAKES THE HATS
CoLoMBIANs YET ENGAGED IN
 THE BUsTNESs.
United States Consul at Bogota Be- ieves That the Polmich Could
 Be Grown With Profit in 5 Philippines.
Advertiser Bureau.
 Colorado Building,

Washington. March 6.
 Notwithstanding the secession of Pan- anna, Colombians continue to make the best of Panama hats. The fact ia most Panama hats are made in territory of Colombia other than that which late,y belonged to the Republic of Colombia. and which has now become recognized as the Republic of Panama.
 Something about the manufacture of Panama hats is told in report from the United States Consul at Bogota. Alban G. Snyder, which the Department of Commerce uses as a bulletin, as below:
 owing to the large demand for PaI- anna hats. Americans may be desirous of engaging in the business. see no reason why the ~palmfcha" palm would not grow readily in the Philippines. Any, one desiring to start this industry there can get an expert boiler and natter in Colombia at small cost to teach the art. These hats are made from the com mon fan-shaped palm. called 'palmicha,' which grows wild in abundance, ,gener- ally in moderate climate and fairly moist ground Young shoots. uniform in size. are cut from the plant and boiled to a certain stage, being softened thereby and | brought to light yellow color. '"rhc process of boiling appears to be an art in itself. and only a few people can turn out good straw. The boilers sell | the straw at so much a pound. accord ing to quality and the prevailing prices | of hats.
 "wnen the proper boiling point Is reached the shoots are put up to dry and | the leaves quickly separated. This is | dona indoors, where there IS current | of air but no sunshine. When the leaves | are nearly dry they arc split with a little Y-shaped instrument of wood, so | that every good leaf is the same size. When left alone to dry the leaves curl in at the edges and are then ready for | use, and at this point the straw Is care | fully wrapped in clean cloths. as the | light and dry atmosphere spoil it. When | finished the straw is carefully pared I with pocketknife and then battered all over with small hand maui, after whi.n 1t is washed with common yellow soap and a little lime juice and left to dry, | away from the sunlight.
 "In the Suaza district they make the hats on solid wooden blocks, two to four persons-generally women-sitting oppos- ite each other and working steadily. Four women can make an average quality hat in six or seven days. while a fine one re- quires three to six weeks
 s'The hats made in the Suaza district in Colombia are considered much supe- rior to those made in Ecuador. About a year ago an average Suaza hat cost about 45 cents first hand, good one S.5O. and a very fine one 8; but prices have varied according to the demand and during the
 last two years they have been rising
 steadily, and now, at times, as high ss S5 and S6 Is paid for them-and not the
 very finest at that.
 'aThe manufacture of these hats Is af- fected, to great degree, by climatic
 influences, an expert natter being un-
 able to make as good hat in the drs
 summer weather as during the rainy
 season; probably on this account hats
 in some parts of the Suaza district are
 superior to those made just a short dist
 ance away.
 Long training is necessary 10 become
 a good natter, and the girls are started
 at the work at the very early age of | years and must practice constantly. Hat
 ters work every day from early morn
 ing, wasting very little time In eating and often carrying on their work by can delight, so as to finish in time for mai ket day, for the loss of market da,
 and the corresponding inconyenienccI caused by the loss of the money whlSl
 would have been acquired from the sail l of the hat.
 'The women. while never ceasing the. . labor. will sing to and talk freely witt visitors R. H. Watkins.