Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-19
DRESS SUITS ALSO WORN
Not Popular, But Tolerated, Even in
Rural Communities.
When Governor Appeared at Inau-
gural Ball in swallow-Tailsd Coat
Constituents Reared.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
special Correspondence Of TIE Star and tie
4 Chicago. Record Herald.

| BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Special Correspondeuee Of TIE Star and tae
| & Chicago. cord-HeraM.
BROWNSVILLE, April IL, 1911.
Northern people who come down here
for observation and experience often hear
1t said that ''rexas Is not q plug hat
state" The remark is a composite of ex-
PLANTATION, apology and defiance-explana-
ton, because the climate Is not conducive
| to such headgear; apology, because there
| is consciousness Of a lack OF refinement
and conformity to conventional habits
and customs, and defiance, because so
much has been said and written about
Texas manners that a sense Of injustice
and injury is felt by sensitive, patriotic
citizens.
| But the day of bowie knives and six
shooters has expired in Texas. There Is
law that prohibits people from carry
ing them under heavy penalty. Tot
ing pistol Is still the most common
crime on the dockets Of the criminal
courts. and more than half the inhab-
| 1tants OF the pcnitentiary are there Tor
! that reason.
Although the period of advanced refine
| ment represented by plug hats has not
yet heen reached in all parts Of the state,
it is no longer customary to shoot at the
man who wears one. Indeed. in the
larger cities they are becoming quite as
common as in places of similar population
in the north. You meet them on the way
to church Sunday mornings. You see
them at weddings and funerals. You will
find them hanging on the hat racks in
the Railways Of many residences.
Silk Hats in Audience.
When Col. Roosevelt was down here
not long ago I noticed that members OF
the committees appointed to receive and
entertain him invariably wore we'll
brushed silk tiles. Some Of them were
not quite up-to-date, but that can be
overlooked. Only the ultra-radical buy a
new silk hat every season-and at the
| Sunday noon meeting at the municipal
auditorium OF Houston. when the former
President preached on civic Righteousness
to HOOD people, at least 10 per cent of
the audience wore silk hats. The goods
| OF fashionable New York matters are adj
vertised In the local newspapers and can
be seen in the show windows and on the
shelves Of clothing stores OF Dallas. Cal
tonic and perhaps few other places;
but there Is no market for that class OF
merchandise in the small towns OF the in
terror any more than in places OF sim
England, New York and Illinois. There
are no plug hats on the Rio Grande, and
that mighty valley gets along without
many other things that are considered
necessary by those who dwell in the
| worlds great centers of population. This
includes knowledge as well as clothing.
Not on the Rio Grande.
Several years ago there was a civil
| service examination to select what is
called a range rider to prevent contra
band trading along the banks of the Rio
Grande. There are dozen or more such
officials in the customs service They are
necessary because when the river is low
1t can be crossed in q thousand places.
range riders are reinforced by several
companies OF cavalry from the regular
army TO prevent insurrectus and other
gun runners from sneaking arms and
she borGsr is n' Datseea bS rsr e OF 81
vergfnE.
In the list Of questions prepared by the
CHER examiner at Washington 10 test the
knowledge and efficiency OF candidates
for that dangerous and fatiEuing duty
was:
Where is the Bay Of F'undy?"
One OF the candidates answered in what
was considered profane and inpsrti-
wrote the words:
~ don't know. and don't care damn,
although It's nowhere near the Rio
Grande. Il am dead sure of that, and /
questions
Theodore Roosevelt was President Of
the United States at the time, and heard
OF this incident with other gossip that
was uttered around the White House. He
sent for the papers and to the astonisi,-
ment and chaSrin Of the civil service
commissioners ordered the appointment
Of the candidate who made that reply.
For the benefit of the commissioners he
expressed the opinion that It was a
proper and pertinent answer. and that the
criticism Implied was Just, because 1t GER
tainiy could ,S not increase ,s the efficiency
know about the Bay OF Frundy.
Influence Of Women.
There Is a moral in the story. The same
principle applies to plug hats and drese
suits, which are neither popular nor es-
sential to success on the Rio GrandA.
Among the populists in the interior of
Texas, among those gentlemen who Gull
tivate punches Of spinach upon their
chins, both have been regarded as evil
dences Of degeneracy; but the prejudice
is dying out and demagogues no longer
make votes by ridiculinE and condemn
ing people who dress according to the
fashion Of the day. The woman folks
have been influential in bringing about
this change OF sentiment. Their friendly
reception OF men who appear at social
gatherings in the conventional farb OF
civilization is such az to encourage every
one to wear It.
Senator Bailey endeavored to emphasize
his individuality and his contempt for
dudes by refusing to wear a dress suit
when he first came to Washington, but
he soon got over 1t. He realized that his
attitude did not commend him to the good
opinion Of intelligent people, and now he
dresses like everybody else.
Even the recent Governor Of Texas, who
was typical populist At the time Of his
election. appeared at his inaugural ball
in drASa shit Thu nou,o ~,ant Iii