The San Mateo item. (San Mateo City, Putnam County, Fla) 189?-19??, 1910-04-09
THE TOPPER
Decline and Fall of the
"StOve-Pipe" in
England.
te2;ft;a 3


pipe" topper or, as the French
slang calls Il. hut renets"--what-
ever the correct name may be, the
thing itself is unmistakable and
unique. There is nothing else in art
and still less, assuredly. is there
anything In nature--that Is In the
least like what it's adyersaries regard
as the abomnation OF civilization,
the hat which is stu the regulation
headgear OF a gentleman upon all
ceremonial occasions I'm every coun-
try I'm ChrIstendom. Upon all cere-
monial occasions, but not on others;
because In this country at least, dur
ing the past few years, the topper"
has practically ceased to be the
normally Indispensable attribute, not
only OF the elegant. OF the man about
town, OF every man who is or aspires
% he considered a gentleman, but
even OF those who are content with
the abbreviated patent of gentility
contained in the monosyllable
gent" Ten years ago or less the
platforms OF every London railway
station at the hours when the daily
bread trains bring business folk to
or from town were so many forests
OF tall hats. Today the topper is
the rare exception, the bowler" is
the rule. and even the cloth cap
seems TO be perfectly admissible.
II is true that in the days when
every selfrespecting man was con.
strained, willynilly, to keep that regu-
lation roof over his head there was
no more universally abused institu-
ton; we were all wont--calida iu.
venta-to fash the steel OF our beard
less wit upon 1t, especially in hot
weather when 1t did unquestionably
deserve the triple reproach of hard,
hot and heavy" Then came the re.
action, the popular protest against
the tyranny OF the mode, and there
with the decline and fall-a theme
which the pen OF Gibson might not
disdain TO elaborate-of the "topper's"
empire.
That epoch-making change was, in
point of fact, inevitable; II was
rendered so by the mentality OF our
age, by the very zeitgeist OF the new
century. Not that the downfall OF the
topper" IS a symptom or a symbol
OF the progress OF triumphant de-
mOcracy; the Question Is not one OF
politics. but OF personal comfort and
of protest against what is regarded
as Idle, expensive and unnecessary
pomp and circumstance. That is en-
inently characteristic of an age which
frequently forgets to be dignifed, but
never forgets to be comfortable. To
be sure, there was q brief, and rath-
or pathetic, attempt at a quaint com
bination of ease with dignity when |
the hatters evolved that most weird |
headdress ever put upon the market
the straw topper" But II would |
not do; the straw topper failed ut.
terly to catch on, and the few bold |
spirits who adopted that curious com
promise were speedily compelled TO
abandon a.
But, although Tchabod" should be /
inscribed within the crown OF all
high hats, though every one OF them
Is morally girdled with Grape band,
nevertheless there Is yet balm In Gil
cad. a quelque chose malheur est
Don," says the French proyerb, and
he case In question is 10 the point.
For, II the topper" has lost In
II has gained IN dignity.
On the heads OF an appreclatlye and
aithful minority II has become an
object OF respect; Il Is regarded as
ne assertion OF q certain social stat
~; Il inspires commercial confidence;
I exacta deferential-and even pre-
erential-treatmen from all sorts
nd conditions OF men, especially
rom shoDheepers. walters. railway