Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 September 1880 — Panama Hats. [ARTICLE]

Panama Hats.

Panama hats are principally manufactured, in Veraquas and Western Panama. Not all, however, known to commence by that name are plaited in the isthmus, by far a greater portion being made in Manta, Monte Christi and other parts of Ecuador. The hats are worn in almost the whole American continent and the West Indies, and would probably be equally used in Europe did not their high price (varying from $2 to $150) prevent their importation. They are distinguished from all others by consisting only of a single piece, and by their lightness and flexibility. They may be rolled up and put into the pocket without injury. In the rainy season they are apt to get black, but by washing them with soap and water, besmearing them with lime juice, or any other kind of acid, and exposing them to the sun, their whiteness is easily restored. So little is known about these hats that it may not be out of place to give an account of tlieir manufacture. The “straw” (paja),previous to plaiting, has to undergo several processes. The leaves are gathered before they unfold, all their coarser veins removed and the rest, without being separated from the base of the leaves, is reduced to shreds. After having been exposed to tbe sun for a day, and tied into a knot, the straw is immersed in boiling water until it becomes white, It is then hung up in a shady place, and subsequently bleached for two or three days. The straw is now ready for use, and in state is sent to different places, especially to Peru, where the Indians manufacture from it those beautiful cigar cases which sometimes bring as high as S3O each. The plaiting of the hats is very troublesome. It commences at tlie crown and finishes at the brim. The hats are made on a block, which is placed on the knees, and required to be constantly pressed with the breast. According to their quality, more or less time is occupied in the completion—the coarser ones may be finished in two or three days, while the finest may take as many months. The best times for plaiting are the morning hours and the rainy season, when the air is moist. In the middle of the day and in dry, clear weather, the straw is apt to break, and this, when the hat is finished, is betrayed by knots, and much diminishes the value.—Journal of Botany.