Chapter III: Part 3

Until the year 1850, Paris fashions were those generally adopted in the leading American cities, after which English fashions in hats entirely superseded the former, becoming so popular that not only large importations of English hats were made, but American manufacturers invariably copied English styles, and indulged in the degrading habit of pirating English trade-marks, for the purpose of increasing their sales. Happily, the necessity for such pernicious practices is at an end, for during the past ten years the great strides made by American manufacturers in the improvements of hat making place them in the foremost rank of that industry; in fact, with those elements of manufacture necessary to perfection, such as fineness of texture, lightness in weight, and elegance in style, American hatters to-day hold supremacy in the whole world, and, favored by relief from the tariff tax upon raw materials from which hats are made, all of which is of foreign growth, America will be found sending to the countries which taught her the art, examples of this industry far superior to those her teachers ever furnished her.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS.

No. 13.

A strange fact is that the Civil War, so disastrous in its effect upon the industries of Baltimore, was followed at its close by the rise of a new enterprise, of manufacturing straw hats, which so increased and extended that in number of establishments and volume of production it soon outrivalled those of fur hats in their most prosperous time, thus securing to this city a kindred business, greater in extent and importance than the one which had, by force of circumstances, been wrested from her. The good reputation which the products of the new industry has acquired in every part of the country has contributed not only to the prosperity of the city, but has assisted by adding credit for the high standard of its manufactured goods.

In the year 1866 Mr. G. O. Wilson and Mr. Albert Sumner left their homes in Foxboro, Mass., in search of a promising field for establishing the business of renovating straw hats. Without any definite place in view, one city after another was visited, Baltimore being finally their chosen locality. Messrs. Wilson & Sumner associated with them Mr. W. C. Perry, who also came from Foxboro, and the firm was made Sumner & Perry, establishing themselves in the rear of No. 71, now 10 West Lexington street.

Mr. Sumner withdrawing from the firm the same year, the two remaining partners continued the business at the same place as the firm of Wilson & Perry. At that time the retail price of straw hats was such as to allow a profitable business to be done in renovating and altering styles, and in that branch these persons met with success.

Previous to this, however, others had been engaged in the business of bleaching and pressing straw hats. Among the first who entered into the business, as far as can be learned, was the firm of Rosenswig, Davidson & Ash, about the year 1848; they were cap manufacturers, and added the pressing of Leghorn hats as an auxiliary business. Mr. Samuel White, who learned his trade of the previously mentioned firm, afterwards carried on hat bleaching and pressing in connection with cap making, at No. 78 South Charles street (present No. 132). From 1850 to 1865 extensive importations of German straw hats came into the port of Baltimore, and Mr. White did a large business in finishing these goods. In 1857 Mr. White commenced the jobbing hat business, forming in 1861 the firm of White, Rosenburg & Co., and is now in business at No. 9 South Howard street, of the firm of S. White & Son.

Richard Hill, at present in the retail hat business at No. 5 South Liberty street, was formerly engaged in hat bleaching and pressing at the same locality.

Messrs. Wilson & Perry continued to prosper in their enterprise, and, increasing their facilities, gradually developed it into straw goods manufacturing, confining their business for several years almost exclusively with two prominent Baltimore jobbing houses, who supplied sufficient patronage for their constantly increasing production; one of their patrons being Cole, Brigham & Co., the other Armstrong, Cator & Co., one of the largest millinery firms in the country.

In 1877 Messrs. Wilson & Perry purchased the premises No. 101 West Lexington street, now 104, where they secured more commodious quarters, and, with an admirably equipped factory, continued to do a large and prosperous business. Mr. Perry died in 1880. In July, 1887, the firm title of Wilson & Perry was changed, Mr. Wilson associating with M. Frank, J. D. Horner and A. Levering, formed the firm of Wilson, Frank & Horner, and occupied the warehouse No. 204 West Baltimore street, in connection with the factory on Lexington street.

In January, 1875, Isaac H. Francis and James E. Sumner, who had been in the employ of Wilson & Perry, started the straw hat manufacturing business at the N. W. corner of Lexington and Liberty streets, and in the following year Wm. T. Brigham (then of the firm of Cole, Brigham & Co.) became associated with them, the firm being made Francis, Sumner & Co. In 1877 the firm of Cole, Brigham & Co. was dissolved, Mr. Brigham becoming connected with R. D. Hopkins, as the firm of Brigham & Hopkins, occupying the premises No. 128 West Fayette street (present No. 211). In 1880 Mr. Hopkins was admitted as a partner in the firm of Francis, Sumner & Co., and Messrs. Francis and Sumner became members of the firm of Brigham & Hopkins, the interests of the two firms having always, in fact, been identical since they were first established. The two firms were continued until July, 1887, when, by the withdrawal of Mr. Sumner, they were dissolved, and became consolidated as the firm of Brigham, Hopkins & Co., now occupying the large and spacious factory at the corner of German and Paca streets, erected in 1884.

In the year 1880 Messrs. Francis, Sumner & Co. placed their interest in their Lexington and Liberty street factory with Wm. Fales and Jas. M. Hopkins, transferring their own entire business to the enlarged premises at 128 W. Fayette street. Fales & Hopkins continued at the corner of Lexington and Liberty streets until the fall of 1883, when Mr. Hopkins, forced by declining health to give up business, sold his interest to Mr. Louis Oudesluys, the firm becoming Fales & Oudesluys. Mr. James M. Hopkins died of consumption at Colorado Springs, February, 1884.

In 1885 S. C. Townsend and John W. Grace became associated with Messrs. Fales & Oudesluys, and a new firm formed, as Fales, Oudesluys & Co., continuing for two years, when it was dissolved, Messrs. Townsend and Grace remaining as the firm of Townsend, Grace & Co., at 128 W. Fayette street, while Messrs. Fales and Oudesluys formed a new firm, as Fales, Oudesluys & Co., locating at 115 S. Eutaw street. Mr. Fales remained in the latter firm but a few months, when it was again changed to that of Oudesluys Bros., comprised of Louis, Adrian and Eugene Oudesluys, now doing business at 115 S. Eutaw street.

In 1878 Mr. M. S. Levy, who was then a cap maker, commenced the finishing of straw hats, having the hats sewed by others, while he did the finishing and trimming, his place of business being then at the N. E. corner of Sharp and German streets.

With increasing trade, Mr. Levy removed in 1881 to more spacious quarters at Nos. 318 and 320 W. Baltimore street (present numbers 216 and 218), where he commenced the general manufacture of straw hats. In 1883 he took his two sons into partnership, the firm being made M. S. Levy & Sons; their premises being destroyed by fire in October, 1886, they removed to 117 S. Sharp street. In September, 1888, being again the victims of fire, they occupied temporarily the premises N. E. cor. Paca and German streets, remaining there until taking possession of their present extensive factory located at the N. W. cor. of Paca and Lombard streets.

In 1880 Tomz, Richardson & Co. commenced in a small way to manufacture straw hats at No. 341 W. Baltimore street (now 317), but, from lack of business experience, soon abandoned the undertaking.

Messrs. Bateman & Richardson in 1882 embarked in the business, occupying a portion of the premises No. 5 S. Liberty street. In 1883 Mr. Scutch was admitted as a partner, the firm becoming Bateman, Richardson & Co., and, removing to No. 55 St. Paul street (now 313), continued until 1885; not meeting with anticipated success, they gave up the business.

Messrs. Francis O. Cole & Co. in 1882 commenced the manufacture of straw goods, erecting for the purpose a building at Nos. 7 and 9 Saratoga street (now 424 E. Saratoga), continuing business until 1885, when the firm was dissolved.

Mr R. Q. Taylor has long been engaged in the manufacture of Mackinaw straw hats as a specialty. His acquaintance with and interest in this product dates as far back as 1850, when he first used the Mackinaw for his retail trade, since which, every season the "Mackinaw" has been the prominent straw hat sent from his establishment, and for a period of fifteen years was the _only_ article of straw hat retailed by him. The successful control of a special style as an article of fashion for thirty-five consecutive years is a remarkable record, an accomplishment that plainly shows ability as a leader of fashion, for which Mr. Taylor's natural capacity so well fits him.

Mr. Taylor confined the use of the "Mackinaw" hat strictly to his retail demands until after the year 1868, since when he has manufactured the article for the trade, distributing his products over the entire country, and establishing for "Taylor's Mackinaws" a national fame.

In addition to the manufacture of men's and boys' straw hats, which class has heretofore comprised the larger proportion of such goods made in Baltimore, another branch, that of ladies' straw goods, has been developed, and is already assuming interesting proportions, promising to become a valuable addition to this industry.

Messrs. Wolford & Shilburg in 1883 commenced the manufacture of ladies' straw goods at No. 6 E. Pratt street, remaining at that place for one year, removing in 1883 to No. 205 Camden street, where they are now located.

In 1887, Messrs. L. W. Sumner, G. K. Thompson and D. Whitney, as the firm of Sumner, Thompson & Whitney, commenced the manufacture of ladies' and misses' straw goods, locating their factory at 317 N. Howard street.

At the present time there are in Baltimore, apparently in prosperous condition, eight straw hat establishments, giving employment to eleven hundred hands, male and female, and producing annually, manufactured goods to the value of upwards of a million dollars, in the distribution of which Baltimore is brought into close business contact with every State and Territory of the Union, and the city's importance as a manufacturing centre is enhanced by the character of articles sent forth by those engaged in this class of business.

GROWTH OF BUSINESS.

No. 14.

For many years the Mackinaw took precedence of all straw hats as the most desirable summer article for gentlemen's headwear, far out-rivalling in its success as a fashion any other straw product ever introduced to the American people. Having attained this prominent position mainly through its successful management by Baltimore manufacturers, it forms an important factor in the prosperity of the straw hat industry of Baltimore. In fact it is the actual foundation of the present large and increasing straw goods business of the city to-day.

While the Mackinaw hat had previously found favor with a few prominent retailers, it was not until the year 1868 that Mr. W. T. Brigham, then of the firm of Wm. R. Cole & Co., observing the merits of the article, concluded to undertake its introduction to the trade, to whom it was generally quite unknown. Among those who had used profitably the Mackinaw for their retail trade were R. Q. Taylor, of Baltimore, Charles Oakford, W. F. Warburton and Louis Blaylock, of Philadelphia. Though it was an article of domestic production, the beauty and commendable qualities of the Mackinaw were indeed a surprising revelation to the trade at large. Each year added to the popularity of the Mackinaw, until it became the acceptable American straw hat, without which no first-class retailer could consider his stock complete. While the great demand existed, Baltimore continued to supply the larger proportion of all the Mackinaw hats sold, and taking advantage of the reputation thus gained for such goods, her manufacturers produced other kinds of straw hats, and by the exercise of proper care and attention acquired such skill as to secure for the straw goods products of Baltimore the worthy reputation of being the best made in the United States, consequently and beyond contradiction the best in the world.

In the earliest days of straw hat making in Baltimore, at the time when the Mackinaw was being introduced, the sewing of straw hats by machine was a new invention, and practically a close monopoly controlled by a strong combination of wealthy straw goods manufacturers of the North, who, jointly as a stock company, prevented the sale of the straw sewing machines outside their own circle. Fortunately for the success of the new undertaking in Baltimore, the good qualities of the Mackinaw hat were more satisfactorily retained by hand sewing, rendering machines in their manufacture a useless requirement.

Thus an advantage was gained in supplying a hand-sewed hat, embodying such points of perfection in style and finish as to quite surprise those not familiar with the manufacture of such goods. The "Mackinaw" of Baltimore make continued to grow in popular favor until it had secured a greater distribution than was ever before attained by any other article of straw hat, making a remarkable record for tenacity, by holding for upwards of fifteen successive years, popularity as the leading article of summer headwear.

Baltimore continued to enlarge and increase her straw hat factories and improve their products, so that now in this industry she stands in the proud position of being the leading city in the United States in the production of the best class of straw hats.

This, in brief, is a history of another branch of the hat business, which attained large proportions, supplementing the one which, having gained a degree of importance in the manufacturing history of the city, was by force of circumstances reduced to comparative insignificance.

The growth of the straw hat business of Baltimore may be looked upon as somewhat phenomenal. The first introduction of the Mackinaw hat by William R. Cole & Co., in 1867, may be taken as the beginning of straw goods manufacturing, and with but a single manufacturing firm existing in 1875, its development and increase dates from that time. It is doubtful if in 1875 the total value of manufactured straw goods produced in Baltimore reached the sum of $75,000, while in the face of a steady and constant decline in values--the result of labor-saving machines, together with reduced cost of raw material--an increase in production of twenty-fold is an accomplishment of less than fifteen years. This success cannot be attributed to any local advantages, but is due entirely to the energy, enterprise and business qualifications of those engaged in the business, qualifications which have accomplished the result of giving valuable assistance in the city's advancement as an important manufacturing centre. It has also, by the recognized merits of its products, lent a worthy influence throughout the whole United States in sustaining the excellent reputation long enjoyed by Baltimore for the good quality and reliability of its manufactured goods.

HISTORY OF THE MACKINAW HAT.

No. 15.

A result of the remarkable popularity of the Mackinaw straw hat was, that Baltimore came rapidly forward as a straw goods manufacturing place, becoming important as a center in that particular branch of business; therefore a history of the article which contributed so largely to the development of this industry is likely to prove both interesting and instructive.

"Mackinaw," as a trade term or name, does not, as might be supposed, indicate the region from whence the articles comes, but undoubtedly received its christening from some one of the few retailers who early used these goods, in order to create a distinction from a similar, but much inferior article, then termed the "Canada" hat. While both the "Mackinaw" and the "Canada" are made of wheat straw, the difference between the two, as the product of one country and of nearly the same latitude, is a great surprise. The wheat of the eastern part of Canada produces a straw dark in color, harsh in texture, and of little use for making a hat, while that grown in the western part of the same country is clear and white in color, possessing a brilliant enamel which imparts the beauty that rendered the Mackinaw so famous as an article of fashion.

The Mackinaw must be considered a local rather than a national production, coming as it does from a region comprised within a small radius around the city of Detroit, part of which is Canadian territory and part within the borders of the United States; for while considerable straw from which the plait is made is raised and plaited within the limits of the State of Michigan, by far the largest proportion, as also the best quality, is the product of the Canadian territory. Nature seems to have provided a small community with unusual advantages, for within a limited territory has been produced all the large quantity of straw plait required to supply the popular demand that for many years existed for Mackinaw hats, and all efforts elsewhere to produce material combining the peculiarities of this straw, from which these hats were made, invariably failed.

The claim of the Mackinaw to antiquity and long use is perhaps as strong as that of other plaits with which the trade has become familiar, for no doubt the natives of the country made use of these hats as a head-covering long before they became an article of trade.

The Mackinaw was for many years after its first introduction sold under the designation of the "Canada" hat, the name given to a similar but comparatively degraded article produced in Lower, or Eastern Canada; and the title Mackinaw was first applied by the late Mr. Charles Oakford, of Philadelphia, or by Mr. R. Q. Taylor, of Baltimore, each of whom were among the first to make it a fashionable hat.

The makers of these goods are wholly the poor, ignorant half-breeds, who spring from the Canadian French and the Indian. Finding that hats, as well as the skins of the animals they trapped, could be traded for, the family talent was brought into use to produce something that might contribute to their meagre subsistence. So during the winter season, while the men hunted the muskrat, the Indian women and children plaited straw and made hats, which, on the opening of spring, were carried with the skins obtained by the hunters, to the towns, where they were exchanged for food, drink, clothing and ammunition.

To the advantages of soil and climate is attributed that purity of color, brilliancy of enamel, toughness of fibre and elasticity of texture which are recommendations of the Mackinaw. Added to these natural qualities was the advantage of a peculiar treatment given to the straw by the natives, who employed a whitening or bleaching process without the use of chemicals, giving increased beauty to the article.

During the prosperity of Mackinaw straw plaiting, a prominent character among the half-breeds was one Madame Lousseux, a sturdy, aged matron, with twelve hearty daughters, who, inheriting their mother's prolific nature, were in turn each the proprietress of a family of a dozen boys and girls. They all appeared to inherit the old lady's natural ability and wonderful expertness, and surpassed all competitors in the plaiting of the straw. The choicest products in braid and hats came from the Lousseux family.

In 1834, and for many years after, these goods were sold and used only as ordinary harvest hats. It now seems surprising that an article possessing such attractive merits should have occupied a secondary position and been so long in establishing the reputation it finally secured. The first person, as far as discovered, who used this article for retail purposes as a genteel and fashionable hat, was Henry Griswold in the year 1845, who did business in the then little and obscure town of Racine, Wisconsin. The Raciners must have been people of an appreciative and refined taste, as it appears that Mr. Griswold sold the hat for several seasons to his own advantage.

Prior to 1846 these goods were sold in New York by Leland, Mellen & Co., at that time the largest wholesale hat firm in the country. Mr. Mellen retired from business in 1851. In reply to a personal inquiry of the writer in the year 1874, Mr. Mellen wrote from Framingham, Mass., as follows:

"The Canada straw hat from the region of Detroit was sold by our firm as early as 1845. After being blocked and trimmed, they were sold as an ordinary staple hat. We sold a few to John H. Genin, W. H. Beebe & Co., and Charles Knox, then the leading retail hatters of Broadway. I think, however, they were sold by them only as a fishing or harvest hat. We continued to receive these goods from Detroit for several seasons, until an article from Lower Canada, of inferior quality and less price, made its appearance, and stopped the sale, as far as we were concerned."

The exact date of the appearance of the Mackinaw in Philadelphia cannot be accurately determined, but it must have been as early as 1847. Messrs. Beebe, Coster & Co., a prominent retail firm in Philadelphia, in 1849, sold the tapering crown, wide brim "Canada straw hat." From about 1855 to 1860 the Mackinaw became so very popular in the Quaker City that it was recognized as a leading article. The prominent retailers then using it were Charles Oakford, W. F. Warburton, Louis Blaylock, and Sullender & Pascall; each of these firms themselves finished the straw hats, taking them as they were sewed by the natives, which was with a taper crown and wide brim, making little pretence to any variety in style or proportion. Messrs. Sullender & Pascall made an advanced step and undertook one season to sell the Mackinaw to the exclusion of all other straw hats, preparing them in various shapes and for the first time adapting them to the requirements and tastes of a "nobby" trade.

In 1847 William Ketchem of Buffalo, E. B. Wickes of Syracuse, and John Heywood & Sons of Rochester sold these hats. In 1848 L. Benedict & Co., prominent retailers of Cleveland, handled the goods. This firm was followed next season by Messrs. R. & N. Dockstadter, then a very prominent concern in the same place. In 1849 they were sold in Sandusky by C. C. Keech.

The Mackinaw during these periods must have been introduced and sold in other places, but it had not secured its recognition as an article worthy of being placed on a level with foreign productions, which were then considered the desirable and suitable straw hat for genteel wear. It was probably not until after the year 1855 that the article received its title of "Mackinaw," and not until then did it secure its well merited, dignified position.

By far the largest retailer of the Mackinaw hat in this country, and the one to whom belongs the greatest credit in popularizing it, is Mr. R. Q. Taylor, of Baltimore. He introduced the hat to his customers as far back as 1850, and for _thirty_ consecutive seasons sold it without any apparent diminution of popularity. For many years Mr. Taylor sold the Mackinaw to the exclusion of all other straw hats. At one time so identified did the Mackinaw become with the people of this city, that it was said a Baltimorean might be recognized anywhere by the straw hat he wore. Mr. Taylor asserts that in the years 1872 and 1873 he retailed from his own counter, in the two seasons, upwards of 9000 hats. The reputation of the Mackinaw has been admirably sustained by Mr. Taylor, whose firm is still engaged in their manufacture, with a constant demand for them. Probably no other straw hat ever introduced to the American public can show such a continued and extended sale. In 1868 Messrs. Wm. R. Cole & Co., predecessors of the present firm of Brigham, Hopkins & Co., commenced to produce these goods for the general trade, and it is to their efforts that much of the widespread popularity of the Mackinaw is due. They first tried these hats with their own local trade, and finding them eminently successful, ventured to offer them in New York, meeting with much encouragement. From a small commencement their trade in these goods continued to increase until a large and well established business was secured, continuing to grow in volume and extent, and becoming the precursor of an industry that places Baltimore in a leading position as a manufacturing place for straw goods.

MODERN IMPROVEMENTS.

No. 16.

In the rank of those whose successful undertakings have contributed towards the restoration to Baltimore of a lost industry, and placing it upon such a foundation as to have it recognized as one of importance, no firm stands more prominent or has done more towards its accomplishment than that of Brigham, Hopkins & Co. The straw hat business inaugurated by this firm's immediate predecessors, and encouraged by their own efforts, has grown in volume and strength until Baltimore is now designated in trade parlance "the straw hat city," rightfully claiming the honor of surpassing in this class of her manufactured products the efforts of all rivals of this or of any other country.

Messrs. Brigham, Hopkins & Co., while possessing a large business, have the pleasure of conducting it in a spacious building, whose architectural design is one of the handsomest of its kind in the country, and whose conveniences for the successful prosecution of their business cannot be excelled. A business coming from one of its pioneers through a direct succession of firms gives to Brigham, Hopkins & Co. a natural pride in such an inheritance, and brings also a pleasure in being able to trace its progress from its origin, showing how this branch of manufacture was at an early day brought to an admirable condition of prosperity, afterwards to pass through a period of almost total decay, then again to attain a development that entitles it to rank with any of the successful and prominent industries of the city.

It is a pleasant reflection as well as a happy coincidence that the restoration of a forsaken industry, once a vital element in the city's life and activity, is greatly due to the labors of the firm who, in this branch, connect the past with the present, the old with the new.

The enterprising business traits manifested by Runyon Harris, in erecting, in the year 1814, a large hat factory in this city, seemed to have prompted his various successors to a spirit of emulation, enabling them to preserve the legacy bequeathed them, and to perpetuate that reputation for meritorious products that was so early earned in the factory of Mr. Harris.

Following the erection of the factory by Mr. Harris came the firm of Aaron Clap & Co., who purchased the property and commenced in 1817 the manufacture of hats, and a remarkable fact--one encouraging an innate pride in their successors--is that during three-quarters of a century all of the firms inheriting a title of descent from that of Aaron Clap & Co. have passed in safety through every financial convulsion of the country, and have promptly met every pecuniary obligation incurred.

Although during the former period of prosperity in the hat business of Baltimore, felt hats only were manufactured, which business was completely reduced by the unfortunate conditions existing at the time of the Civil War; its revival came through the establishing of a different branch, that of the manufacture of straw hats; and while Messrs. Brigham, Hopkins & Co. have lately entered extensively into the manufacture of silk and felt hats also, it is the purpose of this article to dwell more particularly upon facts relating to the straw hat branch that has contributed so largely in bringing Baltimore once again forward as a leading hat manufacturing city.

Prior to 1860 Messrs. Wm. P. Cole & Son, then manufacturers and jobbers, became especially interested in the straw goods branch of their business. Being at that time manufacturers of the best class of felt hats, the straw goods sold by them were all made in the factories of the North. Machines for sewing the straw braid were not then in use, and much of the straw products of foreign countries came ready sewed in shapes that were very irregular in proportions and sizes. The looseness of the stitches in sewing rendered the use of glue a necessity in the manufacture of the hats, producing an article of headwear that gave but little comfort. Suggestions for improvements were given the manufacturers, who adopted them with advantage to themselves. The first suggestion made by the Baltimore firm was an improvement in the appearance of the hat by trimming it with wider bands. At that time the use of bands about 14 lines wide was prevalent, and the adoption of 23-line bands was looked upon as a very radical departure. The substitution of leather sweats for those of oil muslin was also first undertaken by the Baltimore firm; following which, the most important improvement ever gained in the production of straw goods was conceived and executed in this city, which was the abandonment of the heavy glue-sizing and the manufacture of the comfortable "flexible finish" straw hat, an accomplishment secured by careful attention to the proper sewing of the goods aided by hand finish.

For several years Wm. P. Cole & Son and their successors had straw hats of their own designing made and finished at the North, continuing to suggest improvements which were made at their command, and the privilege of retaining which for their own trade was for the time extended to them by the manufacturers, from which they gained such advantages as would arise from having goods superior to and differing from the general class sold by others.

It was in the year 1875, upon the dissolution of the firm of Cole, Brigham & Co., that Mr. W. T. Brigham and Mr. R. D. Hopkins, uniting as the firm of Brigham & Hopkins, became straw hat manufacturers. The Mackinaw straw hat had at this time gained well in popularity; the natural firmness and flexibility of the Mackinaw were merits particularly acceptable to the trade, and the new firm made a careful study of embodying as far as possible in the manufacture of all their straw hats, those essential points possessed by the Mackinaw. So successful were their efforts that, by the exercise of thorough watchfulness, they continued to improve, until they secured for their products a celebrity that gave the firm the foremost position in the trade.

Following the onward movement of the straw hat business in Baltimore since its first introduction (less than twenty years ago), it is interesting to watch its constant and steady growth, and to observe the advance that has been accomplished. Even before Messrs. Brigham & Hopkins entered upon the business, a great improvement in the straw goods had already been made through the favorable impetus imparted by their predecessors. Straw hats which from a lack of style and comfort had heretofore played a secondary part in the conditions of man's costume, were so much improved in style and finish as to be accepted as a desirable article of dress, thus an increased demand was created for them.

To still further improve the straw hat, and as near as possible secure perfection, was the aim of the Baltimore manufacturers.

Entering the field with the commendable object of producing a class of goods that should be recognized as the best, Messrs. Brigham & Hopkins, abandoning traditional ways, commenced their work upon a thoroughly independent basis; copying after none, but relying upon their own ingenuity; striving to improve upon every last effort, observing and studying the wants and needs of their customers, they continued to put forth a class of goods bearing an undoubted stamp of originality, which, being supplemented by excellent workmanship and the use of good materials, resulted in securing a large patronage, and brought to them a constantly increasing trade. In this way did the firm secure a recognized position at the head of the straw hat industry of the country, and gained for their products a reputation for excellence in style and finish that is widespread over the whole country. American manufacturers had a long and tedious struggle in their efforts to overcome the prejudices of the people existing in favor of foreign productions, but steady endeavors to win the approval of Americans for American made hats have scored a genuine success, and the American gentleman of to-day may take a just pride in wearing a straw hat of Baltimore make--one not to be excelled.

A MODEL ESTABLISHMENT.

No. 17.

That part of the history of Baltimore which relates to the present position of its hat industry is especially interesting, as it records a business that has acquired large proportions, placing it prominently among the many important manufactures of this city.

A business identified with the very earliest days of the city's existence, growing and assuming in its movement a condition of vigor and prosperity that is encouraging for the future, has given to Baltimore a name and fame that places her in an enviable position at the very head of the hat-manufacturing cities of this country.

As an example, showing the growth and progress of the hat business, and giving evidence of its extent in Baltimore at the present time, no better illustration could be offered than a description of the complete establishment erected by Messrs. Brigham, Hopkins & Co. for the requirements of their extensive business.

While at the present time the hat business of Baltimore is largely confined to the special manufacture of straw goods, a revived movement made by one firm in the manufacture of silk and felt hats assures a development of that branch of the business also into such proportions that ere long it may restore to Baltimore the prestige and rank it once held as the manufacturing centre of high grades of that class of goods.

Going back to the early period of 1814, Runyon Harris, the predecessor of this firm, in advance of his time displayed evidence of progressive ideas by erecting what was then considered a large and spacious factory. His structure was one hundred and twenty-five feet in length, about twenty-five in width, and two and a half stories high; the area of space upon the two floors, which was alone suited for work-people, was 6200 square feet.

The line of successors to Runyon Harris have all been found proverbially enterprising and energetic, always noted as active and successful manufacturers of their day. Inheriting somewhat the spirit of activity so marked in their worthy predecessors, Messrs. Brigham, Hopkins & Co. are found in the advance, and make no idle boast of an establishment whose breadth of space, architectural beauty, and convenience of arrangement find few rivals in the whole catalogue of similar business places in this country. Their warehouse, prominently situated, rising six stories above ground, being one hundred and fifty feet deep by forty in width, gives a surface area of 42,000 square feet of work room, all of which is provided with unusual advantages for daylight and ventilation. Added to this is the detached "make-shop" of the firm, located at Relay Station, on the line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, nine miles from the city.[2] It is a high studded building, of one story, built in this manner to allow the condensing and evaporation of steam, which escapes from the "batteries" of boiling water, around which the men are constantly at work. This building is one hundred and thirty by sixty feet, giving in addition to the city warehouse 7800 square feet, or a total in round numbers of 50,000 square feet, upwards of an acre of working space, which is a good showing of growth and expansion when contrasted with one of the best establishments of the year 1814.

[2] This department has lately been removed to the city, and is located corner Paca and King streets.

The handsome structure at the corner of German and Paca streets was erected by Messrs. Brigham, Hopkins & Co., designed and arranged to suit the demands of their own manufacturing business. Ground was broken in the month of April, 1884, and the building completed and occupied in January, 1885. It has a frontage of forty-one feet six inches on German street, and extends back on Paca street one hundred and fifty feet to Cider Alley.

Located upon one of the broadest thoroughfares, at a point which is the water-shed of this part of the city, being at the level of one hundred feet above tide-water, it rises prominently among other fine warehouses surrounding it, showing its array of architectural beauty to advantage, for it is one of the most imposing of the mercantile structures of the city. The building is constructed of Baltimore pressed brick and the famous Potomac red sandstone, which together so harmonize in color as to render a very pleasing effect; the ornamentations surrounding the windows are in terra-cotta and moulded brick. The style of the building is Romanesque, or round arched. Very striking features are the immense arched openings upon the Paca street facade, being seventeen feet in width and twenty-five feet in height, which with their broad treatment of mullioned panels and heavy rough-hewn stonework, give strength and character to the building. These spacious windows are not simply for effect, but designate the location of the principal offices, and by their wide expanse afford abundance of light to the show-rooms, making these departments particularly attractive by the cheerful airiness and brightness that plenty of sunlight always brings.

Throughout the whole building is a generous treatment of spacious windows, flooding the interior with a bountiful supply of light, so necessary to the production of properly manufactured goods as well as to the health and comfort of the work-people.

The main entrance to this building is marked by its liberal dimension. A slight elevation is made from the sidewalk, and beyond a recess of several feet are framed two large French plate glass windows, which afford a view of the entire extent of the first floor with its offices and extensive storage room. Entrance doors are placed on either side of this recess.

Broad stairways connect every floor, providing easy and quick ingress and egress at both the front and the back part of the building, rendering in the greatest degree security to the lives of those employed within.

Adjoining, in the rear, is another structure three stories high, separated from the main building by fire-proof brick walls, and used as a boiler-room, as also for other departments of work desirable to be kept apart from the general work-rooms. This separate building was designed as an additional means of safety, in not having the large boilers within the limits of the main building.

From basement to roof this model factory is well equipped with all necessary modern plans for producing the best that is capable of being made in this manufacturing line.

WAYS AND MEANS OF THE PRESENT TIME.

No. 18.

Taking the start for a tour of inspection through the establishment of Brigham, Hopkins & Co., one is ushered directly into the first or main floor of the building, which is partly occupied by offices for the members of the firm and for the necessary clerical force, as well as the show-rooms for the exhibit of the products of this factory. These various apartments are partitioned off with handsomely beaded cherry, and a series of arched windows give beauty to the architecture and serve the practical purpose of ventilation.

The several rooms upon this floor are handsomely finished in solid cherry; this was done solely with the view of harmonizing the effect with that of the exterior of the building, rather than for an indulgence in luxury.

In the first office is a capacious fire-proof vault, having its counterpart in size in the basement, upon which the one in the office rests; it is built of yellow enameled-face brick, and with its handsomely finished iron door surmounted with a bold decoration in terra-cotta, adds greatly to the ornamentation of this room. The desks are all of cherry, large and capacious, designed expressly for the required accommodation of the bookkeepers.

Adjoining is the private office of the members of the firm; among the decorations of this room is a spacious open fire-place, ornamented with terra-cotta tile and a handsome mantelpiece in carved cherry. The carpeted floor and tasty furniture serve to give that comfort that is looked for in the modern office of the business man. Beyond and leading from this office are show-rooms for the exhibition of the firm's products. These show-rooms, two in number, are without doubt the best in finish, breadth of space and arrangement of any in this branch of business in the United States, affording the best conveniences for the display of the handsome goods they contain; the first in size, 25 x 18 feet, with an adjoining one 18 x 12 feet, is supplied with handsomely designed show-cases of solid cherry and of glass; the wall space is colored a light tint, while the ceilings are laid off in yellow and brown. A long table of cherry occupies the centre of the large room, while the hard-wood floors are partially covered with oriental rugs. When these rooms are filled with the choice products of the firm, embracing the finest qualities of straw, with their trimmings of various hues and colors, intermingled with the sombre black of the derbys and the brilliant lustre of the silk hat, upon which is thrown a bountiful supply of light that comes from the spacious windows, a striking melange of harmonious colors is produced. Here the customer is surrounded by all that is desired from which to make his selection.

Beyond these show-rooms is still another room devoted to the valuable collection of hat trimmings. While to the uninitiated the trimmings of a hat, consisting merely of its band and binding, may appear quite insignificant, yet to the manufacturer it is a part of great importance. Here in this room, stored in various quantities, are two hundred different designs of hat-bands, every one of which is the product of a French or German loom, mostly made from original designs furnished and sent abroad to be executed for this firm.

From this, the last of the series of departments on this floor, exit is gained to the remaining space, which is used for the packing and storing of goods ordered and received finished from the factory.

With an ascent to the second floor by a broad stairway, the "finishing" department of silk and fur hats is entered; this department occupies the entire space of this floor. Here the silk hat is made and finished complete, and the derby, whose process of manufacture belongs to several departments, receives its finishing touches, of curling and setting the brim, after which it is neatly nested in tissue paper and placed in paper boxes to be sent to the packer.

The third floor provides three departments: that of silk and felt hat trimming, straw hat trimming department, and that very valuable and necessary auxiliary to business, the printing department. Although two branches of the hat business are carried on under the same roof (that of straw and that of silk and felt hats), they are kept entirely separate and distinct in all their requirements and details, which affords a reason for the difference in aspect of the trimming departments on this floor. In one, the multitude of busy hands is at work upon hats of black, while in the adjoining department, the many nimble fingers are handling the light and delicate straw and the bright ribbons, making a contrast of the sombre with the gay.

Entering the next department, we find that element of development, that force of propulsion by means of which modern business plans are moved and executed--the printing press. This department is fitted and furnished complete with such requirements as are necessary to the advance of an enterprising business. A large Gordon press, propelled by steam power, is kept constantly in use to supply the vast amount of printing required in the details of this business. Tips, labels, size-marks, tickets for use in the various departments of "making," "sewing," "sizing," "finishing," and "blocking." Order tickets, coupons, boxes and box labels and mercantile printing are but a portion of the work done here. In addition, a patent gas-heating press is used for printing in gold and silver leaf. There also emanates from this department a monthly trade journal, conducted under the auspices of the firm.

Ascending to the fourth floor, the noisy sound of machinery is first heard. This is the department for sewing straw braid; here unquestionably centres the interest in a hat factory; the hum of a hundred machines quickens the pulse, and to the observer, the interest and astonishment increases as the wonderful machine with its lightning speed, guided by the magic touch of the young woman who rules it, draws towards itself yard after yard of the delicate strand of straw plait which it sews together by the finest stitch of the most slender thread, till suddenly a hat comes forth, complete in its full perfection of shape. One's surprise would not be more greatly heightened by a display of the magician's art. The marvel of this accomplishment may be effectively demonstrated by a simple statement. That bit of mechanism occupying a space of 10 x 12 inches, with its apparently simple arrangement of levers and cogs, merely carrying a needle to and fro, up and down, will do in a single minute the work an industrious woman with her unaided fingers could not do in less than an hour. That little machine is capable of doing within the working hours of a day the labor of sixty women; while a hundred machines in a factory are capable of producing the handwork of six thousand people; this shows the progress of the world, and the advance that has come to this branch of industry within the last thirty years.

Straw braid preparatory to being sewed is wound upon reels, from which it is easily fed to the sewing machine; this department of winding and reeling is also located upon this floor.

Adjoining is the machine room. This department is not only the hospital for invalid and incapacitated machines, where they receive the treatment required to put them in suitable working condition, but its field of usefulness is extended to the making of much of the required machinery, implements and various tools used throughout the establishment.

Another flight of stairs and the fifth floor is reached. This is the straw hat pressing department, occupied entirely by men. Here are the more weighty evidences of labor and work. Heavy and powerful hydraulic presses are used in shaping the ordinary kinds of straw hats, and the necessary metal moulds that form the "dies" for these machines represent tons of zinc. Also in this room is row after row of benches, equipped for that special branch of "hand-finish," which has so greatly assisted in the reputation of the straw hats sent from this establishment. These benches each accommodate six workmen, are supplied with a labor-saving appliance of great merit, the invention of one of the firm's employees and at present in use only in this factory, which is, that by means of rubber tubes a combination of gas and air is carried into the pressing irons, by which heat is regulated to any required degree. The advantage of this may be realized when it is known that heretofore these press-irons were heated by "slugs" or pieces of iron or steel, which, drawn from the furnaces of anthracite coal fires, were encased in the hollow irons. By this new invention a remarkable saving is made, by the abandonment of the furnace, in the coal necessarily used, also in the not insignificant matter of time consumed by the presser in the constant replenishing of "slugs." Its work is acceptable to the workman and desirable for securing an improvement to the goods.

The next, the sixth floor, has a department of both the straw and felt hat branches of the business. The finishing department of felt hats is a large room 150 by an average of 25 feet, closely studded on three sides with large windows, which at this height throw upon the workmen an unobstructed flood of light, affording unusual advantages for the most thorough perfection in the finish of these goods. This room has capacity for one hundred finishers, allowing generous space for each, giving the convenience and comfort that but few factories afford their work-people.

Adjoining is the department of bleaching and dyeing of straw plaits. This department is supplied with all the modern conveniences for securing the best results. Large wooden vats receive the straw plaits for a thorough cleansing before it is ready for manufacture. Bleaching tubs are near at hand, and large copper vats with all the required steam attachments for dyeing the many desired colors are here conveniently arranged.

Ascending still another flight of stairs, the drying department is reached; this is the most spacious of all the many divisions of this establishment, for it has the sky for a ceiling and unlimited space, being virtually upon the roof. Here, ninety feet from the ground, is carried on one of the important divisions of the straw hat business. Two large rooms, really houses in themselves, are built upon this roof; these are the bleach houses, which are provided with artificial stone floors, rendering them thoroughly secure from the chance of ignited brimstone coming in contact with any part of the woodwork of the building. The remaining space upon the roof, equal in its extent to two good-sized city building lots, is secured around and over by a substantial wire netting. Within this enclosure the hats and straw braids coming from the bleaching and dyeing departments are dried.

Ascent has been provided by stairways leading from the front part of this building; descent is also had by the rear, where broad stairs are partitioned off from the work-rooms, making a continuous spacious hallway from top to basement--a wise precaution, taken in consideration of the safety of the lives of those employed. This building, capable of accommodating six hundred work-people, is provided with the most convenient means of escape in case of fire by these broad stairways at each end of the building.

As additional precaution for safety, the boilers supplying the required steam for the various departments, as well as for the motive power and heat, are in a building adjoining the main one, but separated by a fire-proof brick wall, and is only accessible by entrance from the outside; here are located two boilers, with a combined capacity of one hundred horse power. Above this boiler-room are two departments desirable to be kept apart from the others; these are the moulding and casting departments, in one of which is made the vast number of plaster shapes and blocks required in the factory, and some idea may be gained of the quantity when it is here mentioned that this department converts annually two hundred barrels of plaster of Paris into hat blocks.

In the casting department are the necessary melting furnaces and other requisites for casting metal "dies," parts of machinery, and the various things needed in a large manufacturing business.

Two large freight elevators, reaching from basement to roof, each of one ton capacity and propelled by steam power, are placed in the building. These elevators are furnished with automatic attachments by which as they ascend and descend each of the floors open and close, thus avoiding permanent openings, the frequent cause of accidents and assistance in the spread of a conflagration; an additional small elevator gives the convenience of transmitting light packages to and from every floor.

Electric bells and tubes afford telephonic communication with every department. Steam heat radiates throughout the entire building, and a reel of hose attached to a water supply pipe is in readiness upon each floor in case of fire. The length of steam, gas, and water pipes throughout the building is estimated at five miles. The telegraph call-box signals for the messenger, and the telephone, aids in the execution of the advanced method of reducing the detailed requirements of a large business to a perfectly controllable system in its management.