The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-01
"HIGH SIGN" Is GIVEN
FOR ALL STRAW LIDS
September 1 Unhappy Day for Average Richmond Business
Men, But a satunalia of Glee from Viewpoint of the
Haber dasher.

September / is invariably the sad
dest Of sad days in a majority OF
Richmond households. Hubby is up
early on this day. Usually he has 1t
timed down to the split second just
how long IL will take MIN to jump into
hts clothes. eat his breakfast. catch
his ear ana get TO the office moment
cr SO before opening time.
ON this particular morning, how
ever. ne IL up "a good half hour earlier
than usual Usually too, he sneaks
cut OF bed, puts on a pair OF slippers.
and Ineanaers not dining roomwards.
hut to the attic. There he russes
around. prylnw into boxes. and leaving
a trail of chaotic confusion, until
finally In despair. and-sad but true
usually in a rather tiendish temper he
returns to doorway OF his poudoir and
shouts at his better half
And In practically every instance
the queery SO raucously submitted is
as follows:
What in the name of name of
name did you do with that old felt
hat Of mine?"
Mayhap the query brings forth
sleepy question In response, asking as
to why. Then comes the explanation.
September ! is the day the gun
goes off on the straw hat brigade. The
low fiat crown with the wide brim.
which peryerseiy enough seems to be
favored by those who are short ana
fat and the high hoo-boo crown with
the little tiny hrlm which even more
perversety is affected by those long
and slim, are taboo, It's likewise adieu
to the Panama and the near
Panama. Ditto the high sign flags
ali freak straw hats They are all
passe, Oh decidedly passe, and well the
average Richmond business man
knows that he would be The butt of
Jokes possibly well intended but of
more or less personal and Irritating
nature should he dare venture to the
Office with a lid which looked fine in
mid-July.
All this is explained to the wife and
the noisy attic hunt is continued by
both Possibly ends successfully.
Proba bly, II doesn't.
WHEY remem bers putting that hat
away somewhere but she can't for the
life of her think Just where IL was
Yes she remembers hubby telling her
to be careful OF the hat, but that is
no reason why he should make in
sulting remarks about her careless
ness. She'd like to know what he
would do II Il were not for her. even
il she can't lay her hand on his old
hat
She doesn't see what makes him
so particular, anyhow. If she We're
man she'd he ashamed to he go vain
His straw hat looks very well indeed.
Why doesn't he wear 1t to-day. and
probably by the time he Is home from
work she will have found the old felt
| hat
And thus the discussion and the
search goes unmerrily on, until hubby
remembers that he must get To the
office. Probably ii is too late for
breakfast, and he dashes out of the
house grabbing up his straw lid with
muttered imprecation. as he runs.
But he doesn't wear that straw hat
to the Office. Not on ynur life.
Instead he stops at some haber-
dashery, where met by a smiling pro-
prietor--all haberdasnery proprleJors
/ smile on September /, ant. with reason
! he invests In a nice feodora, or
whatever style of fall hat most pleases
| his fancy.
And not infrequently it turns out
that he has acted wisely in making
his new purchase.
For ii is no uncommon thing for
hubby TO be greeted or arriving home
in the evening, with the tremulous
statement: "0h. John. about your old
hat. after you left this morning | re-
membered that / had given 1t to a
poor tramp. He looked so needy
And then John, II he Is wise. grins
for we'll he knows that words are
superfiuous