El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-14

, The BaliWag hats are double, T. e., two
separate hats Joined around the brim.
The last operation is to put the two to-
gether, a process requiring such special
skin that usually the hats are left un-
finished by the makers, corrective the
final touch from persons Of superior
aptitude in this branch of the work
Making Hats Double.
The object of making a hat double is
I 70 give 10 greater Stiffness and body"
Sometimes three hats are Joined to-
Bether TO make one. Doubtless we shall
see some Of these triple hats in this
country before long. During the pres
ent year 100000 hats have been i'm
ported from the Philippines into the
United States, but these are a very
small fraction Of the quantity we shall
soon buy.
Most Of the 200, 600 hats are bamboo
hats. These up to the present time
have been the chief export hats from
the Philippines, being sent in Increasing
numbers 70 Europe and the United
States, where they are known as lava.
hats or Manila hats. A great many are
worn by women in the United States
and by men also one disadvantage
they have is that hatpins damage them
but this IS sometimes obviated by using
patent fasteners, attached underneath
the crown. 1T is only very recently that
the superior grades Of bamboo hats
nave been brought to this country.
They are most delicate and beautiful.
Z
several months.
Finer even than the best of the BAN
boo hats, however and more expensive,
are the hats woven from the leaves OF
the burr palm, already mentioned
This is one Of the most valuable palms
grown In the Philippines, exceeding
even the cocOauut palm in the variety
OF IT'S useful products, which include
cloth, rope, tWlne, baskets, fans and
bark for the soles OF sandals. It's trunk
contains large quantities OF an edible
ana hlgnly nutritious starch and its
sap can be fermented into wine, boiled
down 70 a syrup. or further boiled and
crysIalllzed into palm sugar,
The Pototan Hats.
What are called -pototan" hats are
made from the midribs Of the unopened
leaves Of this palm, and are woven pref
eraoly by moonlight, the fiber being
seemingly best because dryest, under
such conditions. To complete one Of
them requires from six weeks to three
months, They are considered more sty-
lsh than the bamboo hats. Besides they
are tougher, bleach better and hold the
bleach longer. They closely resemble
most frequently seen in the streets Of
Manila.
'BuntaI" hats are made from the
leatstems Of the opened burr" leaves
They are Of q silky texture, Of a light
appearance on the head, and weigh al
most nothing They can be crumpled
Indefinitely without suffering any in
jury and last much longer tim a Pam
anna All that can be obtained are now
being shipped to Paris and New York
those that have reached this country
nave been much admired, anG demand
Tor them is rapidly growing. Some OF
the high class gentlemen's furnishing
shops are selling two "buntals for ev-
cry Panama. They are seldom sold,
however. with a name associating them
with the Philippines but usually as
''Bangkok" hats East Indian Panama
mats, or Italian straw" hats.
very recently the "buntaP raw ma
terial has been brought TO BaNWag, and
there woven into beautiful hats in the
Baliwag close" Weave--hithertO used
Duntal' nat OF BaliWaE weave is the
finest and most beautiful hat ever pro-
duced in the hihppines-exquisite in
texture. Of good color, and very dura-
Die Such hats are Obtaina BILE al pres
ent only In very small quantities, and
are extremely expensive.
Rattan Hats Beautiful
Likewise very beautiful are the rattan
hats which are the strongest made in
the Philippines The output of them is
small. because Of the difficulty and ex-
pense attending their manufacture AS
already stated, they run in price up to
$500 or more, but even the lowest
grades are beautiful and durable. Like
the bamboo hats they are light and
limp.
Our government expects that at no
very distant day the people of the PhiI-
ippines will mOnOpolize to a great eX-
tent the making Of hats for the entire
ready is in the Islands. II is as yet rela-
lively in it's infancy. 1t is dishnctively
a household handicraft. and the work is
particularly adapted to women, being