New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-09-28
XXX.
BOOTS AND SHOES.

xxx.
BOOTS AND SHOES.
The manufacture of boots and shoes like that Of the
material from which they made, has yet derived
but little aid from the inventive faculties OF man The
tanner still adheres to the ancient process praciced IN
tie time of Simon of Joppa; and the ne sHor ultra
erepdam seems TO have formed an eternal barrier to i'm
proyement on tie mind Of the shoemaker. The Girls
pin of the present day take to be prett much the
same sort of Illuminating animal he that heel-tapped
the sandals of Herod, for he chews the cud OF his re-
Elections, without apparently growing wiser. How he
can sit hammering and peggng away from year end to
years end without either originating an idea, or Dor
rowing suggestion for the curtament OF his labor.
is a puzzle to those who have no faith in the metem-
psychosis For our own part we have always looked
upon him as the envelope of some condemned spirit
that once fretted the world with its activity. No
greater purgatoy could have been devised for the soul
of an ambitious warrior, or meddlug statesman
One would suppose from this deadlock on the pro-
gress of the art OF shoemakng since the time OF Moses
that it had reached perfection at that respectable era
There are plenty of equity brokers' and irritable dowa-
gers who are ready to testify that there is still room
for improvement If all the fortunes they have sui-
ered from pedal construction could be carried over 70
the credit side of the Great Ledger which contains
their last account expect that the balance against
them would be very small. ShOe-makers are IN iac'
the creates, scOurges OF humanity The Peae t0He e.
duTe to which they subject exceeds In arocity all
the refined inventions In cruelty resorted To IN the md
die ages The sweetness OF an angel, or the hrmness
Of stole must alike yield to the agones when they
infct. ,,
The art Of shoemaking may be said to be still in its
al
for the Jeau deal aud apply themselves to the study OF
nature we do not expect To see any great improve
mept i'm their works Ii they Will persist IN showing
club.footed Alderman like an AdOnls or dropsca
lady like Venus de Medlc the result must De iaiiufe
and unmitieated suffering. We cannot see why the
protuberances of the foot should be treated less ten
tery or scientifically than those OF the head. Ii
phrenoooists would only take the trouble To seek IN
The former the disturbing causes which they profess 10
ind in the BRAIN they would more frequently arrive
at the idOsyncrasy Of their subject. Compressed
bunous and fostering CONS have more to do with mems
humors than these theorists dream o IN their phiios-
ophy Were the bumps OF beneyolence ever 80 large
they are sure be cOunteracted by the bosses on the
feet Let them unite some little knowledge OF ped0logy
with tie study of the brain, and people will believe in
them Their iavorite pursuit will then have some
chance OF being classed among the exact sciences
From what we have stated, IL is evident that shoe
making is not progressive art some attempts nave
been made of ate years to effect improvements IN ~ nut
their authors having little knowledge OF the prac-
teal difficulties and requirements OF their SUBJECT their
efforts were directed rather TO the expedtng by ma
chinery of the process Of manufacture than To- me APP
pcaOn Of scientific principles Ia the perfection OF te
article produced. About five and twenty years ago
the English engineer Brunei took out patent for the
manufacture Of boots and shoes by machinery bat It
was abandoned almost soon AZ 1t was put n 0perd
ton the results proving that little or no economy could
be effected on the starvation prices at Which thr
Northampton and Nottingham goods could be brought
into the market la lci9, the winter oi the presch-
article attempted, in conjunction with others 70 WORK
a French patent which consisted Tor the most part OF
notifications of Brunels invention, with M addition OF
zone new machinery which it was hoped would meet
the difficulties that had caused the failure Of the latter
large mandatory established in the suburbs OF
Paris for the purpose Of submitting to lar CONNER
cia test bat like its predecessor II Jailed IN the con
ditions necessary to ensure successful competition
with the low priced productions Oi tie uhder-pad
rtizan By this process have seen PAIR OF boots
or shoes completed in less than 40 minutes the dlef-
ent operations sOng, heeg, and Peggng Deng per-
formed by q res Of simple machines when ID ta'se
details certainly effected a great economy oi iaDot.
But tIsre was wanting In this invention some NJ
c,uical coptsance TOR curtang the time and expense
bestowed ola tie preparation aud stitching IL the upper
leathsrs which lad 10 be- effected by hand, ana when
n reality constituted the most Important feature % Lhe
economical question that W65 sought 70 ne sOlf" Inc
sowing machine which had 70 long formed de- 'dera,
um ia tie mechanical arts. and which Bad occupied
tb, attention Oi 30 many ingenious ond pfactch
minds lad nor a. yet been perfected ana "lth0ht t'
aid n Sos clear that important coinmerch Fetn7
could be- occurred from the patent torid 4t hi'f eF
bsc,d this feature tisYe was Limit o. the e1tenfon
"a fc IL must haze attained the contracts o iAr army
and nav could have been easily secured ne ""os 'i
the coarser descriptions o. goods consumed 'ht uf
rarteuf. would have been supplied Dy 10 ana even I'D
lie lref class oi articles its productions would haze
glurecated Z not utterly ruined The trade 'i hr tf
zag 10 work these machines, little or no previous
know edge al .hoeuaking was required ta' A'f'.''
r,,-c. h.i.0 .ble In leH DAYS 70 acquire a The rf-
pef.erce necessary 70 produce a perfect article 10
su invading Amy involved ~ tue mlicac-es oi AD.-
tie country-to an in.ant colony a. iet iMPefscLy
suUlfd with nechancsOr 10 remote village dfPehl
emf upon distant for supphes tAe advantage. "i
90 simple and expeditions process arr 00'l0hf IAc
eeruactress and portability Of the maelines ana Iae
case with hich they could be worked, would r,rle'
fero invaluable in al such while Tor genera con
SUMPTION tue economy and durSD.At! " ~ tflei-'
vLiGh rley would produce. would soon enable them -
entirely slper.ede the products Of handaoor
AZ the present moment there are two houses =.
prs who sell what they cali machine mad bo'ts anu
sice. but I'D reality only portion Of IL p5ocs %
manu- actuls j. elected by that means lf.r''4s' o"
the Fsuboulr M0nimartre. has pate1i iol il4'li'
md. crews bv which the upper leather II attached
- the soles: and Housiaux & Co az pecuAaf sofl
ofb,s.s peg Tor tie purpose They poth a'ah ti
selres 81 Brunes original process FOR cutting ON lae
10 ard rivetuo the pegs, that there Dat sight
;srenca In their modes OF manufacture. Being OBJ
iced 10 have the upper feathers stitched D. hand the
seoremy effected ~ the partial employment Of ma
bire~ ia 20 frihing that it does not cOunferhalanee
sericus election made 70 their productonsnanely,
,he, thew ere gtier and less plabe 70 the foot than
lsr6usde boots OF this defect ourselves have had
experience, having worn for years manufactures OF
both houses They possess, however, recommends
81 l. L -