New-York tribune., 1908-04-12
THE TASK OF ST. CLEMENT.

Its wonder good old ST. Clement patron saint
Of hatmakers. doesn't turn in his grave at the Of
fences committed in his name BY the way why
wouldn't it be good sc,renle 10 revive the celebra
tion Of 81. Clements Day on the old date Noya,,bor
| 2S an appropriate date for final showing of the
mats of the departing season? They could organ
ize a procession, the members of which could wear
all the freak styles that perhaps hadn't had a
! chance before 10 be seen outside a show window
Such a parade would discount in gaudiness any
thing in that line this little town has ever seen
Poor old St. Clement, He had more trouble
evolving the hat il took 70 make men out of
monkeys. He and his forerunners in the business
have been at it for two thousand years rails
| ing and lowering crowns, broadening. narrowing
and curling brims. He has used the hat to show
political and religious differences social caste race
color and former condition of servitude, even 10
distinguish men from women in the days when
there wasn't much difference in their other dress
He's doped out different styles for hunters sol
diers. kings priests, golf fends and automobile
maniacs.
Funny, by the way. how history repeats itself
reversed sometimes Now good many STYLES of
women's and mems hats are the same but it is be-
cause the ladies adopting the styles Of their
brothers. Well. back in the Middle Ages the same
similarity existed. only the men then were wearing
hoods and bonnets
1T wasn't till after Columbus dug up this half of
rhe terrestrial that England began TO get modern
ideas in hats. In the days of good Queen Bess
they began stick brims on their caps. believe
the idea was first introduced by those Crusader fe-
lows who got it from their dead converts. About
century later old Johnnie Bull got real gay. with
his cooked hat, his cockade and other head decora-
tions-' Then the pendulum swung back again, and
in the eighteenth century came the low. plain.
Quaker hat and the plain cooked hats, followed by
the round ones.
That old Hungarian. Kossuth I believe it was,
introduced Uncle Sam the felt hat and it's been
favoritc the South ever since. America got its
first straw hat in 1900 of the palm leaf Va
rety. Then, with the craze for outdoor sports they
invented the cloth hat, that could stand any kind
of weather.
After all. what bunch of vanity is shown in the
headpiecet That's all il comes TO. The early open
air races wouldn't tolerate crowns TO their hats.
In those good old days Of Rome they thought
mans health 10 the bad if he made practice
Of wearing hat in the street. They say you need
a hat in q very cold climate. Perhaps you do if
You are Esquimau. In any ordinary climate,
though. she top OF mans head ought 70 be as
tough his face. though thatd he going some
with a few Of US 7 suppose a Panama comes in
handy when goes out IN the merry sunshine
OF the tropics. but hang il. those chaps all sleep
through the middle day
The very fact that we pull off our covers as a
sign OF respect is an indication that instnctively
doubt the approval Of Providence of vain and al
together fool custom"
The Saunterer paused 10 roll another cigarette
and the listener looked anxiously his watch
Didn't mean 10 deliver you lecture hats.
old man." remarked the loquacious one. "Where'd
I get all the dope? Oh, I used TO be a drummer
for wholesale, hat concern and read il up I
could carry on polite conversation with my Gus
toners. Nope. I'm looking for another job now.
Got thinking about the idocy of the hat custom,
you see. and my tender conscience wouldn't let
stay in the business What's your hurry? Well,
50 long,
The Saunterer pushed his last seasons black
derby over his left eye and wended his way toward
the subway