Hat Etiquette

Did you know hat etiquette was practiced mostly by cowboys? The practice dates back to the days of chivalry when knights would raise their helmet shields as a sign of respect. But it was the American cowboy who popularized the custom. According to the John B. Stetson Hat Company (founded in 1868) there are very specific rules to dictate when a man should tip his hat and when to remove it.

Tip your hat…

*If a lady thanks you

*After receiving directions from a stranger

*If you excuse yourself to a lady

*When walking with another man and he greets a woman you don’t know

Remove your hat…

*During the playing of the national anthem

*Upon entering a building

*During an introduction

*When attending a funeral

*When initiating a conversation.

This is a nice example of the manners in the Old West. 

As I embark in writing the last book of the Halsey Homecoming Trilogy, I've been brushing up on my western manners and etiquette as well as researching information I'll need for the new book. Here's what I need to research:

Chinese names and how they acted and were treated in 1900 in Oregon. 

The underground life of the Chinese in Pendleton, Oregon.

How the Chinese would doctor a man who has been beat up and can't remember who he is. 

Lots to research so I can get busy and write.