Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1911-11-23
SILK HATS or THE oLDen DAYS

II Ter county, Pennsylvania, al the tim
when the big pulp milV dam brok
at Austin noticed among the group
OF cwellers Ia the backwoods district
sho had been gathered together b.
\ the news OF tho disaster. so man
mon. old and young. wearing higl
hats OF a peculiar fashion and al
alike save for varied degrees OF ef
feet Of wear and weather that h'
was puzzled Wheg be came 70 tbs
Z county seat he asked for Information
, that would satisfy his curiosity.
Every one OF those high hats tba
| you Jaw" said a citizen who knew
! their history, Isn't minute lesl
! than 90 years old. and not only do
they show how good a hat tho maker
iof them turned out and how hesi.
looms arc held In generation In this
part Of the hemlock belt but they
arc relics OF an event that holds
quito place 10 the history OF eco
nomic ventures.
'lr you had looked 10 one OF the
best preserved OF those hats you
would have been doubtless further
surprised. for you might have read
on the trademark label pasted In the
crown 'Gcnin, Halter. New York.
for Genin the halter. and bis fame
are certainly not forgotten Ia New
York, where be came first into wide
public notice aud laid the foundations
OF a large fortune In his business by
the worldwide advertising he OBJ
tained from buying the first ticket
for Jenny Lind's opening concert at
Castle Garden. for which he paid
s25e
denim retired from business many
years ago. and ! suppose is long since
dead. and II u not az all likely that
anywhere In the entire country out
aide a particular portion OF the hem
lock belt can one OF bis once celes
bratod and ultra fashionable hats
be found today. particularly one In
use. Their existnece In the heart OF
the backwoods OF northern Pennsyl-
YAniA. In the possession OF such pc
culiar wearers, is due 10 the coming
into the Kettle Greek wilderness so
years ago OF Ole Bun. the great vlo- |
linist and his colony OF Norwegians.
The purpose OF ole Bull was the !
hope OF establishing an ideal home |
for his countrymen. Several settle l
ments were made. among them Ole
ana, on Kettle creek, which was TO /
be tho capital OF the colony. The |
story OF the miserable failure OF |
this philanthropic attempt at coloni-
zation with the ruin OF Ole Bull as
sequence has been told often and
10 familiar history. But the story |
OF the Gsnin hats Is less known.
Among the Norwegians who came
into tho Potter county wilderness
with the Norwegian colony was a
young man named Henry Petersen.
fI0 was ole Bulls secretary and
acted as his personal representative
and agent In all transactions with
tho colony. A large general store
was built at Oleana The wilder
ness was unbroken for miles except
BY the small settlements OF the colo
nists. II was about this time that
Jenny Lind came 20 America,
"Ola Bull Was In New York. The
Comm ticket incident occurred and
the halter was sharing with the
swedish Nightingale the talk OF the
town and country. Ole Bulls under.
standing OF business was Illustrated
BY his becoming seized with the idea
hat the store In the Pennsylvania
wilderness at Oleana must have
supply OF the Genin high hats which
svery man OF fashion In the city was
wearing.
80 he purchased ~ dozen OF the
iats. the Wholesale price for which
saa SiS q dozen. and shipped them
o Oieana. by the time they arrived
II their destination Ia the wilderness
he arrylcng charges had Increased
he cost OF tho modish headgoar by
II least Si2 dozen.
Unfortunately for the investment,
he busy colonists could not see pro
irioty or consistency In their wear
ng Genin fashionable high silk hats
It their work OF chopping down great
orost trees and grubbing out stumps,
especially as the hats were worth
moro than the land they wore clear
ng had cost. so they purchased none
Il them. and the costly hats were
stored away BY Henry Peterson.
The colonization experiment prov
ne disastrous failure. the colo
lists after three years struggle
or existence IN the wilderness, sold Z
heir lands for what they could get I
md moved away but Henry Petersen
md a few others OF the leading spir-
Is IN the colony remained, The re-
zion was then covered with the fin
ct pine timber aud that. and subse-
laently the great hemlock forests,
attracted capital TO the Kettle Greek
COUNTRY. and Henry Petersen's store
nd tavern prospercd. as oleana be-
anne a profitable center OF supplies.
some time after this change In
he condition OF things IN the region
henry Petersen thought he might be
lhle 10 realize something on the
took az Geniu high hats aud be
made an auca ION sale OF them. The
ale was attended BY woodmen from
niles around. and by people az out
Tide towns aud villages. Tho hats
sero sold for an average price OF 10
outs each. and the unique sight OF
eamsters. choppers, swampers, log.
,ers and bark peclcrs wearing cloth.
ng OF tho toughest and coarsest ma.
eriai aud OF the most fantastic make
.nd yet adorned by glossy high
aat OF the famous Comm vogue. be-
l.a...x....... sAf.ttt ust1tar.