OCR Text |
Show GOVERNOR HARRISON'S SILK HAT Former Representative Francis Burton Bur-ton Harrison, the newly appointed governor general of the Philippines, is already known in that part of the world as "the man with the hat," and has been made the object of a good deal of fun. It seems that while on his way to join his post he gave all sorts of elaborate directions, by means of wireless, about his official reception recep-tion on his arrival at Manila, and emphasized em-phasized in several of these communications communi-cations that he would wear for the occasion a cutaway coat, and "a high Bilk hat," thus indicating that he expected ex-pected American and native civilian dignitaries to be similarly garbed. Now high silk hats are virtually unknown un-known in the Philippines, being un-suited un-suited for the climate, the usual form of headgear being a pith helmet, such as is worn by white people in the tropics. In fact, the only use made of high silk hats in the Philippines is to present them to petty sultans and chieftains of the remote islands of the archipelago, in lieu of crowns. The governor general arrived in due course, and landed in his high silk hat, which created a great impression among his compatriots, as well as among the Filipinos. But there were only four hats of this style of architecture visible among the civilian officials and leading American citizens assembled to greet him, and these were of so ancient a vintage that they had the effect of giving a burlesque savor, rather than any solemnity to the occasion. The American and native newspapers of the Philippine islands are getting no end of amusement out of the new governor general's "topper." |