Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1874 — Panama Hats. [ARTICLE]

Panama Hats.

The great business of Jffoyobamba and the surrounding villages is the manufacture of “straw” hats. These are made of the same material as the so-called Panama hats of Ecuador and New Grenada. It is the undeveloped leaf of the “bombonaje” (carludovica palmata of scL ence), which is a screw pine rather than a palm. The trunk of this plant is only a yard in bight, but the leaf stalks are two yards in length. The bark of these leaf stalks is woven into baskets, and the expanded leaves are used for thatching. It is the leaf before it has opened that is prepared for the manufacture of hats. It then consists of a bundle of plaits about two feet long and one inch in diameter. The green outside of this “cogollo” or bunch is stripped off; and then by an instrument called a “picadera,” resembling a pair of compasses, with legs set half an inch or less apart, according to the fineness ofthe straw required, the leaflets are made into strips of uniform size with parallel sides. The cogollo is then boiled to toughen the fiber, and hung up in the sun to dry and whiten, when the leaflets run up into cordlike strands, which are then ready for use. The straw which can be procured from the bombonaje is twenty-seven and a half inches. It takes sixteen cogollos for an ordinary hat, and twenty-four for the finest; and a single hat is plaited in from four days to as many months, according to texture. We saw a fragment of one begun which, if finished, would bring 8500 in Lima. Fortunes have been made in the hat trade; but a change-of fashion in Brazil, Europe, and the United States has reduced the number exported from 100,000 to 50,000, and the price from S4O a dozen to §ls. — Scientific American.

Professor Le Conte, at a recent meeting oftl A C ali so ri ua A cad emy of Sciences," st atecTThat Ili e great, overflow of lava in the West proceeded from the Cascade Mountains in Oregon, Washington Territory, all of northern California and vast sections of Nevada, Montana and Idaho. The lava floor covered an area of at least two j hundred thouaarid square miles, as far as explored, and it would probably be found to extend over a surface bf Three hundred thousand square miles, as its limit northwest had never - - been determined. The depth of the lava crust varied from upwards of three thousand feet in ■ the Cascade and Blue Mountains I region to one and two hundred feet i and less at remote points on the ■ outer edge of the overflow. Where : the tremendous gorge of the ; i Columbia river cut through the lava : bed, it had a depth of three thou- | sand five hundred feet. The erup- ■ tion was comparatively recent, I belonging to the latter part of the | miocene period, extending perhaps ( j into the post tertiary.— Scientific ■ American. It may not be generally known that Uncle Sam has erected an observatory about live miles north ofLaporte. Such however, is the I fact. The structure stands on the | farm of Mr. Ira Merchant. It is built of three long beams of timber parted widely at the base, but coming together in form of an apex at the top- —all framed stoutly together. Inside the main structure is a perfectly srmiliar but, of course, smaller one. The total elevation is 105 feet, the hight of the platform, on which the telescope is to be placed being ninety-five feet. The ; ascent is by means of ...steps ladder ■fashion. The concernas simply al triangular pyramid oftimbers with- ! out any siding—and on this account will be strong against all storms. The cost wa-s about §6OO. It will not be used until Spring, and is not intended for a permanent affair. We understand the government has put up a like observatory near Otis, also one in Porter and another over in* Berrien county. The object is to establish a line of signal towers on the higher points for many miles, for the purpose of taking accurate notes of the weather, and all kinds of meteor--ological phenomena.-Zqpor/e Herald. The Kentland Gazette remarks that one of the great benefits growing out of the organization of the farmers, and already being felt for good, is the gradual abolition of the credit system. The indiscriminate system of credit thtft has existed superinduced the extravagant purchase of machinery, beyond the actual needs. Now when men have determined to buy only , for cash, they not only get the article much cheaper, but are careful to buy only such as they absolutely need, thus saving a very large per cent more of their earnings annually. This is one of the excellent things the farmer’s movement is bringing. The Wolf Lake harbor enterprise Will undoubtedly prove a success. Hon. B. Woods, who, as is well kiiotfn, has long been a resident of the north part of the county, and is thoroughly posted as regards that region, declares that there is not a doubt but what a harbot can be built there, as proposed. We sincerely hope the grand scheme will be consumated as soon as possible. It will push Lake county a long stride forward.— Lowell Star. Mr. Thomas Sutton, th" photographer, states that, if calico is dipped for an instant in dilute sulphuric a«id, it is rendered, water-1 proof.— Scientific American. q

A Westville woman recently discovered th fit her husband was in the habit of spending a large share of his time at a saloon. So the other day she took her child, followed him, went in, sat down and engaged in a lively chat with the habitue* of the establishment. After ) a time “Hubby” intimated that perhaps it would be as w;ell for her to return home; but she didn’t think so and pleasantly directed his attention to the comforts of the place»they were then in. At length her husband said “Come, dear, let us go;” thereupon lhe spouse replied in the memorable language of ancient Ruth, “Where thou goest, I will go.” She followed him and at night the bar-keeper entered one less score upon his ledger. The New York Herald says of thegrangers: “as they grow in number and power they must become an important element, and, probably,, a controlling one, in the political affairs ofthe country. The best and most virtuous portion of the community » found-in. their ranks, and theyare conscious that the substantial interests of the country lie in agriculture.” The Logansport Journal thinks the canal will be abandoned, andthat that portion of it which runs through their city will be fillet# up and made into a good street. A bible society has been organ- '■ ized at Goodland.