New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-08-04
THE ENHIBI TION
AT THE
CRYSTAL PALACE.
M.
LEATHER.

LEATHER.
The visitor, who takes general survey of the con.
tents of the Crystal Palace before proceeding to ins ec
them in detail as every person of sufficient leisure
ought TO do will be struck with the degree of substan
tia y and pracfical utility Of the American Department.
asa whole compared with the foreign departments Hl7
ing entered into tie why this the stae of the
case, in former articles we here simply refer 20 the
fact in order to express regret that there shod be
some remarkable exceptions to this statement Among
these there is deficiency the part Ct American
enterprise which is observable, while unexpected,
that We feel be duty to call special attention
it, in the hope that it may yet be remedied by those
more Immediately concerned
The reader will anticipate as referring to the ex
hblti0n OF American leather, and we say emphacaly
that the Tanners of the United States have fallen far
short OF their duty in suffering the show of therprO1ucs
to be So nexcusaby meagre AID deficient. In JdsthcI
ton Of complaint, state fact for which feel
sure the Leahermen of the land will not be- themselves,
prepared to say nothing of other classes Of readers
which is that only three OF the tblrOne States OF the
COnederacy are represented in this department
Of tie Fair Were the exhibition for the benefit OF
single State of even siug lie nation such circun
would not be excusable and it is still less here
Then again it would not be 50 bad this trio
O States represented seyeTay, or even collectively, TO
AN extent at all commensurate with the extent and spirit
OF their participation in this immense and important
branch of Industry.
he OF Idu6llg doubtless, very dnclcn, one
though the date of It's origin is not known In the POpl
lar accepatiOn of the phrase it includes two quite dis
tDct though relative branches Of m4uuacure of
the curryng as well as the tanning process proper
Tie last named is mainly chemical process, although
il requires more less Of manipulaOn IN order % IA
cate the chemical action on which reliance is primar
" placed The former is mechanical process alone
The nOdus OpeTdndi OF tanning is simply the bringing
OF the vegetable principle OF annm or tau INTO contact
gh the animal principle of GtlqtiHe whercupDn chem
al change TAKES place, in obedience to the laws OF an
y resulting in Il hardening and thlckening OF the skin
subjected the process The Infusion OF the lannn IN
the cellular coating ana inner substance OF the hide, Is
tie mechanical part of the operation, which necessarily
preccdes the chemical Geatine abOunds in greater
ess degree in the skins of all animals also in their
limbs from whchthe culinary article OF jel! IS common
" extracted by process quite familiar to all our lady
readers Ii also resident in the other parts OF animal
bodies including the horns and LOOfs which, read
els are aware largely supply the article OF commerce
known rs glue
Taunn is a principle found or less in the barks
of all trees but the Oah is mainly that from which is
derived in this country We say mainly because there
are portions Of the country where this class of trees are
20 scarce 70 render necessary substitution OF the
baik OF other trees. For instance, in New ilampshre
and other Of the more northern tier of States. HenOck
bark is USED by Tanners almost exclusively, many eu
blowing Oak bark very rarely If al ALL and then only 90
rive desired color 20 The leather after the actual process
of tanning is considered complete. Ii is the universal
abundance of Osk AID partr arly the White Oak and
and the other Middle States Ihrorgh which tle hills OF
the great AlePhauean Moua ala spurs are eXenled
that Las facilitated and Teude cd largely prof the
business Of manufacturing various kinds OF leather AMI
especially sole leather and the heavier upper leather
In those States the traveller will be- struck with the
number of wards which reveal themselves here AL
there in raynes along the highways and 5y-"ais lney
are almost as plenty the oidshloncd waterpfOpelrd
mist mills or the country tlyerls; and Il tnese hit urn
cut the immense quantities 81 leather Ahch hni ther
principal dCpots at Baltimore and Philadelphia The
leather and particularly the sole leather, manuis
ODg The Oak-clad hills to wllch We nave nade au1n
--thosc Of the more western portions CT he mlir ter
of Srtes- may be generally known from Northern leNh
er b, IFS peculiar hue This fact is probably what b. ~
uctJ the use Of oah tanAn n other regions for nnsh
H. purposes, amounting 10 species Of Imitation
II may be here stated incidentally, that he ucrc'ron
Oak QHfrcHS Gacf0TdO has become source OF extern
sv, profit ia tie portion OF e mon referred 3d. -re
70 is ground and packed II casks ir foreign Xg'riion
II commands very lich prices in Eurppe. nfy BE-
ioaud regularly quoted in comner al reports if T. fN
ported however mainly Tor dy Ing purposes, as tle NJ
tan al name it bears indicates. for which i indebted
to Dr EGaaId Bancroft Ii may also be s'4-ei tat
CattLu tar CNCtis AL other vegetable ptDdi' IN me
amount of Tanuiu II Yields This las been clearly d.
Dsu>Iaftd 10y careful experiments ln'uta'ed j. er
Humphrey Davey and others. whose analyses ey Che
Wy have done justice 20 our naive oaks But ,ts,lu
U.s. of course, entirely out oi tAe quest "a for ordinary
f.lnIC operations owing 10 The great price com iills
sS medical drug. Our NaAsGc siaLis. s)' We! hl-h 90
dear for employment on the c'a~ser aud more h-ge.,
,d binds %. leather aud hence it Is mostly employ clll
ileu.ruactUre Of TIE inyr s'.rso. morocco
We TOW proceed 10 catalogue, su.i.aIuy or con
rei.g ,ud remark. The specimens 9f lcrcau feather,
- f,r on Nho.tol AIRED Cr4Ff1ri. oi S-aHtI-
..e.rk Iarurry has lor ,. ve-n, All irn ..arl-
e., c.r boots aui shoes Edgari y >n,.I 90 il.s CIV,
,li,ss case OF NDroccps OF various 'ors al fai'a.
res cs 6,>.ne, f.. b'Ot..ops and bsDt.''-l-' lacy
,k VII flr.nsb he .la.s cs>e-a lritlllry tAe s3-
e,,rebs of Turkey morocco. Tie same r'ul'h ~A aq-
n, toacase of more varieties from Co'A ~ Ailn oi
5 Civ In this ease SIC noticed every conceivable
color OF skyeIs, and hne lad sleep-sAns a,o
some SUD, rior Amercau sheep-skins There is pack
age Of English colored calf and Russell calf (i'r aE-
Lcoks) slnouo the collection OF this firm. The Au-r-
can sheep skins are only superior article OF ther
class but are remarkable for being the Only thorough %
nestle product of the whole lot They were manIilc-
tured in Massachusetts, And it may not be generally
known that but small proportion of the sheepskns
manufactured hereabOuts for bO0kbnders use are iron
the backs Of American sheep The reason assigned for
this is that they too thin to spit to advantage The
part Of the book morocco, the Turkish mo-
AZ. from - fral Ia