The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-05-31
LIFE OF a SILK HAT
WIFE CASE ogs NAY BE MADE TO
LAST a HUNDRED YEARS.

Anu II Can DH Aadc over ana over
Again as Long MS the Frame Hold,
Together uou rs T,yenty-uins
Pieces Are Nodded Iato one.
ACTORS use up the old silk hats
said the halter. "ActorsT' asked tht
listener.
Actors said the halter pausing II
the act Of lifting chunk Of iron on;
Of the stove end dropping it in the hol
low natirou he carried. "Actors-l
mean variety actors, Of course. They
need them in their business. Haven't
you ever wondered where all tile Ole
silk hats come from when you've seer
the comedians kicking each others tile.
all over the stage: Well, such places
US mine supply them.
1T takes a good many years TO wear
out a silk hat. With proper care they'll.
last TO be a hundred years old. O..
course before thar time the silk vii
turn red on top, where It is exposed t.
The sun, but that redness can be over
come for a time. You can make over
silk hat SO long as the frame holds
together.
There are twenty-nine pieces in i
silk hat They are the brim, which Is
in four pieces: the silk lining, in two.
the foundation, IN two; the gossamcl
tips between there are two of these
also; the two coverings For the side
crown the two for the tips, the thret
pieces of plush, the three rubbers, the
uuderbrlm, one piece; the two pieces
Of the band and binding, the leather
one piece; the bow braid. one piece,
the label, one piece; the eyelets, two Of
them; the stickcr, or piece OF court
plaster, joining the swaziland together
In the back
Cotton cloth is the foundation Of the
silk hat. 1t is stiffened with shellac
cut with ammonia and hot water. The
cloth is cut up in strips, cut on the
bias, and then stretched on the block
In four thlclnesses, one thickness be.
Ing stretched and permitted to dry be.
fore another is put on The lining Is
put in first, the cloth being stretched
over that, aud then, after it has been
permitted to dry, 1t is ironed on the
block, powdered gum demar being
busted on TO prevent the iron from
sticking to the cloth soaked in shellac.
"The block is in five pieces, the cen
ter, the two sides and the two ends,
which are removed in this order whc1
the cloth body has dried in shape. The
leading makers get out their hats Oh
the block they adopt for the style o!
the season, and block makers then imf
tate this block until any halter may
buy from New York or Boston block
maker the seasons latest block at o
reasonable price.
"The block is then removed from the
vhcllac cloth shell, and a dofrer is in,
serted to stretch the hat to the required
size, the block being a trifc small.
This doGrcr Is Simply a felt shape,
which fits closely TO the block, and
thus puts a thickness of felt between
the hat and the block. The hat is iron.
ed as soon as the dofFer is inserted
this melting the shcllae and permitting
she cloth shell to adapt itself to tie
changed conditions. After the ironing
It IS covered with a coat of shellac
Varnisl, for which the halter now has
to pay s. & quart. When 1t Is dry
again the SILK plush is put on with 0
bot iron, steamed on, in fact.
"l'his plush comes in rolls like any
jther and is sold by the yard. 1t is
cut in strips seven inches vide for the
arowa ana two and one.halr inches fol
the brtm. The top piece having been
cut out it is sewsl to the crown piece
and is then put on the cloth shell. Once
On the plush nap is turned back at the
Joint, cut or AID stucl, on and then
brushed back, which makes a joining
so neat that it IS almost impossible T.
| detect.
The hat is put on a potancc bloch
and potanced, which means simply thui
II Is lung on a round block OF clon.
covered wood which rests on an 81
bow iron at the hatters bench and Is
finished over again, after having nj
ready been finished with hot iron anf
plenty of elbow. grease. The edge =
the brila is curlcd the hat is trimmed
oound, the leather swcatband is IL,
serted, and then it Is ironel again III,
i Il shines like glass. After that 1t Il
eeady 10 wear.
1T may be made over Whenever the
'hmsc in the modes is great enough
TO make this seem desirable, and wien
It gets too dirty it may be washed By
tue halter ana tius thoroughly cleans.
ed, When he makes It over lie strips
he plush from the frame and starts AT
sha beginning again, just as for a new
bat, with this exception, that he vas
the groundwork ana has simply to
shape II again, If amy piece Of the
silk looks worn he vii! replace It Sc
lefty that one may not be detected
from tie c4Aer, ana thus the silk tat
may be said never to weir OUT
&'royidence Journal.
Honey as a Food.
Honey ia an, CP rho r,pat pr+rItjo,,s