Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-11-28
LEATHER.

1t has now become u fixed fact that hence.
forth the public must reconcile themselves to pay
a greatly enhanced r,ice for foot gear or else
relapse into the good old fashion of Romulus and
the Sabines, and walk about in all the simplicity
of hickory sandals and thongs of hide. In Lon
don, not long since, the Shoemaker's Union held
a public meeting to take measures for the regula.
ton of future prices, and TO lay explicitly before
the public the reason why an advance was i'm
p~erative. There were not only numerous but plaus.
;ble. First was the fact that the cattle formerly
running wild over the vast pampas of South Amer
lea has been nearly exterminated by disease and
by indiscriminate slaughter. Second, that the
market had in a great measure been drained by
the immense quantities of manufactured leather
which had been sent to supply the allied forces
in tho Crimea. Third. that, the peasantry of
France and Germany who, for generations past,
had worn their characteristic wooden shoes, are
now describing them regardless of the higher cost
of calves skin and morocco. A fourth reason
was that the cost of man Lfacturing leather is
every year becoming greater. With the disap-
pearanc e of oak and hemlock forests, which the
constant demands of ship building and architect.
ure are gradually encroaching upon the only a.
valuable astrirgent used by the tanner is also
placed further and further beyond his reach.
The period when bark could be had for little more
than the mere expence of strippingi it has long
since passed. 1t is SOW an expensive article, and
frequently has to be transported very considerable
distances.
In common with this suject we may remark
that not many years hence the northern and north,
western tier of counties Of Pennsylvania must
form u nucleus Of the tanning business of this
country-that is, unless il shall be found cheaper
to transport bark than to transport leather. We
have above referred to the increasing scarcity oil
this indispensable article. 1t will be but a few
years before almost every other section will be
stripped of it's forests, and here among the hem
lock and oak. the former of which is apparently in
exhaustablc must the bulk Of the tanning business
be located. We believe the largest and most pro
ftable tannery in the State, if not in the country
is at Jersey shore. Contiguous to it is a vast mag
azine Of bark. In fact, the location is just upon
the borders of the lumber district. The machine.
ry is propelled by water power. The hides are ia.
ken direct to the tannery. and the leather thence
to the city by canal: while the bark is purchased
from rustics, who peel il upon shares" for the
owner of tho timber. Tanneries in this section
and there are many of them-conduct their bust
ness with great economy. and have a manifest ad.
vantage over others, who are compelled to pay ex.
travagant prices for the necessary as tringent, be.
sides having to transport it long distances to the
place of it's consumption.
The leather question is one that appeals to the
heels OF every man, woman and child. The pres
ent prices of tuot-gesr are too high, too high fol-
the pockets of the million; and yet the profits oil
the business are so small that many cord wainers
are on the eve of relipquishing the BUSINESS
North American.