The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-24
TODAY I'M HISTORY
Introduction Of the Hat.
TUESDAY, MAY "a, 1910.

a covering for the head was custom
established from very early times, but
the hat, as VIC understand 1t today, was
Invented by Swiss manufacturer Of
Parls and the first were worn in that
city on May "a. li04. The Inhabitants
of the northern cllmcs many centuries
ago began wearing head covering, In
those days usually In the form of hood
made of fur 1t was not unti) the Phry-
glans had conquered Asia Minor that the
people OF warmer attitudes wore any head
covering. Tho Phryglans were the first
TO adopt the fashion, and they did IL in
order To distinguish themselves from the
conquered race with whom they lived
Their head dress was small close 1T
ting cap which was also soon adopted by
the Roman free citizen
Hats were first manufactured i'm Eng
land about 1910. and superseded caps, or
soft headgear. in the reign of Queen Ellz-
abcth. AS The process OF telling is as
Sctlbed by tradition TO Saint Clement. he
was early assumed as the patron saint of
the craft. and the annual festival OF the
trade was appointed for the 23d of No
vember. Wool WAS the material first en-
ployed in forming felt hats, but In time.
as European trade with America dcvel
oped. the fur OF the beaver, being finer
and softer. came Into use. hence. the
term beaver was long synonymous with
hat.
The growing scarcity Of beaver fur led
to attempts TO substitute a cloth formed
OF silk plush. drawn over q paSrebosrd
frame, about 1910. These were not very
successful, and hats of wool or beaver
le1 were common nutll ABOUT lblO, Inc
high cost OF beaver al length brought out
the Improvement of silk hats TO such an
extent that the beaver was entirely su-
perseded and the fabrication OF silk hats
brought TO great perfection.
With the course Of fashion hats have
undergone a great variety of changes OF
shape. The Puritan adopted the steeple
hat, the Cavalier lower and broader
crown; the Quaker hat, low in the crown
with a. broad brim dates from the origin
Of the sect at the middle Of the seven
teenth century.
The Hungarian patriot Kossuth intro
duced into the United States the soft felt
hat. straw hats began 10 be worn In
America about 1900 the first importa-
tions being OF the palm-leaf variety.
The history OF hat making in the
United States dates back 10 very carly
Colonial days. In 1862 the assembly Of
Virginia enacted a law offering ten pounds
OF tobacco for every good wool fur
hat made in the colony. Delaware, In
1883, offerel a prize OF forty shiliings for
In the lower counties. Soon after the
close of the revolution the manufacture
OF hats had become OF great Importance
In Pennsylvania. and from that lime the
Industry has continued to flourish.
The silk hat, now universally known
as an article Of dress. is of comparative
ly modern use. 1t was known in Florence
over century ago. but It's manufacture
was not introduced into France till about
1925. and It's development has taken
place entirely since that time.
On May "a, 1880. part OF the Baltimore
&: Ohio railroad was opened: Prof. Morse
sent his first telegrdphlc message, What
God hath wrought" In 1884, between Bal
timore and Washington; tho Grinnell ex
pedition started in search of Franklin
I'm 1850. tho New York and Brooklyn
bridge was opened in 1883 and the bat
tlcship oregon completed its remarka- =
bic trip around Cape Horn in 1898 II is
the birthday OF Stephen Girard. the phil
anthropist G75O); Queen Victoria GSl9)
Richard Mansfield. the actor dS5O, and
Maurice f. Egan. educator and author
C1S52). May "a Pope Gregory died in
1850; Nicholas Copernicus in 1ji3 and
Jane Porter, novelist in 1850