The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-04
NEW HATS AND STRONG DRINK.
The Puzzle OF Accounting for . Wen known
Phase OF Human Nature.

$50 YOU don't like it," said a man who
was wearing for the first time a newly
purchased hat. -No more do !. but in
time l shall love II. and when l have to part
with it il will be with the same sorrow with
which / would part with an old friend.
THAT is not a popularity of mine. 1t ia
a phase of human nature. Man admirrs
his new trousers, with their vertical creases.
as accurate as If made with the aid Of "A
plumb line. He Is glad to get rid of III"
familiar wrinkles OF the old garment and
to don the shapely new one; but In the matter
of hats the wrinkles are lea TO him and
the smoothness Of newness il an offence.
But that is a small matter the man
vent on, with a gesture Of dismissal. what
interests me now n has interested mo
ever since l have been buying hats for my
self, ia hats a. a sociological question.
-In these Northern States the di~ar-
pearance Of mems summer hats Ia regulated
by the dicta OF certain authorities other than
the almanac. Wall Street custom governR
New York-all but Coney Island, where H."
Mardi Gras puts the finishing touches a.
any lingering straw hat on the win swept
avenue.
the line between the fall hat and the
winter head gear Is drawn less distinctly;
but between the middle of September AMI
the midwinter holidays are two changes
OF hats. md in that period annually comes
up a question that has puzzled ph~ilosophcrs
land everybody else but s~ociologists-noth.
ing puzzles sociologists-since the ~inaugura-
ton OF the mems hat industry. Why dos
the average man after buying a new hat
go and take a drink? Says the poet:
Drink. and the world drinks with you.
Swear of. and you drink alone.
But whether a man Ia a drinker or 4
swearoffer makes no difference. II tho
former he vets his hat; II the latter. his has
N everybody but himself, so far as hs
has his say. remains dry. But he does urs
forget to remember himself.
The explanation has been offered tina the
average man In 80 pleased with his appeAr-
ance in his new hat that he feels like takiug
something in honor Of his improved al
p~earance. But it is surely not the custom
Of woman to take even a sip Of cordial n
that has been sent home to her. The ~
natured explanation that there ia not the
price OF a pony OF cordial in the house af,1u
the hat has been paid for is unworthy of
consideration
Another attempt to tell why a man tales
a drink after buying a new hat has Il that be-
at first feels so uncomfortable and fancie"
that he looks so odd in the new gear, as com
pareu win Lne ed+e ana nOmeIy apDropridt'-
ness OF the old. that he is impelled 10 SEEK
oblivion in strong drink.
But evidently this In not the true eN-
PLANTATION, for IL IL were the man who buys
a new hat would take two or moro drink-,
and statistics, II any there were. wouli
show that he o q not buy two or more
drinks unless he buys two or NOR bPHs
The deluging OF hats won on %r,"ctior
bets ~ one OF the phenomena of American
civilization, and IL need not be considered o.
a sober minded view 81 a phase ~ hufnar
nature. The days Of the election won bat.
unless Il be n sou'wester, arr brief and 80
career has no bearing upon tho question
under consideration
Il do not wish to offer for %acceptanr"
any OF the old solutions Of the problem.
much less TO venture new ones. but y 10
not improbable that an awakening ~ publ"
interert in the matter would spur romo
sociologist TO dig mp the root of th" matt"r'
II that has not already been done by roc'-
ology, and 20 point out n way OF avoiding
the extra outlay OF ten OF fifteen cents, ac-
cording 10 the location In which the purchase
is made, every time the man buys
Q new hat" q