The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-24
ORIGIN OF THE SUMMER l0D
MODERN STRAW HAT DATES BACK TO 1865, WHEN FIRST
SHIP LOAD OF BRAID ARRIVED FROM CHINA.
philadelphia 1nquirer.)

philadelphia 1nquirer.)
Very few persons have any knowl-
edge as 10 what a straw hat is. where
the stock grows, how it is made. mar
keted and afterWard manufactured
ready for the head.
Mr.. c. S. Hawkins Of Philadelphia,
has given a little information about
this matter. His knowledge of the
subject extends over a period of thirty
Years. and in 1884 he was in Japan
and China, where nearly all Of the
straw braid for making mems hats
and a good deal for women's hats
comes from.
So far as China is concernd, the
plating Of straw braid. taken from
the wheat straw, has been an industry
for many years. but about 1857, short
ly after the opium war, the Chinese
government refused to allow the ex-
porting of this article, and then. after
a number of years, would only allow
it to be sent out of the country in the
form of a sewed hat. which. when re-
fceived here, was taken apart by the
nlilliners and w int shapes as de-
manded by the fashion of the day.
arrived in New York with a cargo of
straw braid, consigned to Charles
Miles, who was the pioneer hat manu-
%facturer of New England, which is the
birthplace of the straw hat in this
country. and he took the cargo and
sold it at profits that would have made
stephen Girard envious.
At~that time the women Of New
England and the people of canada
was also made in the upper part of
the states bordering on the Canadian
territory. and here is where the word
"MacklnaW" first came into use. This
braid was made from the straw on
which the grain was not allowed to
ripen, and was. so far as Canada was
concerned. dom very largely by the
Indian squaws. With the Chinese who
nave always been toe poor to allow
anything to go to waste, the making
of straw braid originally was a v pro-
duct.
The industry was first known in
Japan in about 1873. where the extra
heavy and fertile soil permitted, thus
giving a longer staple to the braid.
The idea was undoubtedly first
brought into Japan to get straw braid
to initiate our American mackinaw,
which Is scarcely ever heard of now.
The pieces of straw braid We're orig
inally sixty yards in length, plated en-
ttrely by hand at spare times and at
night by farmers and their families.
1t would take a good platter an entire
day to make a single piece. and for
this the laborer would receive in COM
p%ensation not more than 5 cents in the
money Of our country. In some dis
tr!cts it was even less.
Japan. however, demanded more for
her labor, and gradually the price of
straw braid rose until about 1885,
when the business Of plating became
better known and competition in the
line greater.
Europe produces many kinds of
straw braid, as we'll as the woven hats
of Switzerland and Italy, and in the
latter country is produced what is
known as the chip braid. This is
made from the wood Of the willow
split with knives in sizes to suit the
trade and plated in three strands.
Japan has, in the last three years,
production Of this braid and is crowd
ing the european product out of the
market, the difference in the cost of
labor being really the main reason for
this fact.
When straw braid comes to this
country, or to the manufacturing CEN
tiers Of England. France. Germany or
Italy, its treatment is about the same.
The braid is taken by the manufac-
turers of straw hats out Of the bales
or cases and strung up in a b~leachery
to be treated, either by the fumes Of
sulphur or by peroxide baths. many Sc
lcret processes. however, being known
only to the manufacturers themselves.
After bleaching, the braid is dried, put
on reels and sent to the sewing hall.
where girls sit at machines with a
wooden block at their elbaws on which
to shape the hat from time. to time al
they sew it.
From the sewing hall the hats go to
the sizing room. where they are dipped
into tubs containing as a rule glue Of
a high grade. They are then allowed
to the blockers' room, where as a rule
men are employed to shape them fin
ally for pressing, which Is done under
hydraulic pressure Of from 800 to 500
pounds.
From there they are hung in a dry
ing room, and then taken to the trim
ming room, where the bands are put
upon the hats, as well as the numer-
Gus other things. such as bows. leath-
ers. tips and any other fancy mark
that the trade might demand from
time to time to make the hat attrac-
tive to he eye.
IT is hard to believe hat the straw
hat for men. containing anywhere
woven o b BY hand. brought to this u a..
try. paying a duty Of Is per cent ad
lvalorem. the freight and charges
amounting to at least 10 per cent
more. and then to go through al the
processes. even more than described
above. to be put in cases and shipped
to far-oH points. could be sold at q
cost to the retailer Of anywhere from
ST. to $40 a dozen, the latter figure
meaning a fairly fine hat and above
which figure not q great many hats
are made excepting under special or
ders.
The making Of mems hats has been
brought to perfection in this country