Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-09-11
Cleveland lIunufactures

The BOOT AND SHOE BUsINEss.-Messrs. SEA
MAN SMITH, 81 SUPERIOR STREET. The pub
lie Of Cleveland are probably unaware of the ex-
/ tent to which the manufacture of Boots and
Shoes Is carried in this city, and will doubtless
be much surprised to Learn that it is really an
extensive branch Of business. Cleveland has
not made as grea. a display of her manufactures
through the press as her enterprise would justi-
| ly her in doing, and until the LEADER began the
publication of the names and business Of our
large manufacturing establishments, we much
doubt whether any citizens, however well in
formed as to our business resources, could have
made an approximate estimate either of their
number or importance. This remark applies
particularly and forcibly to the establishment of
Messrs. SEAvAN Il SMITH at No. 81 Superior st,
who occupy the large and fine three story build
ing extending from Superior to Long street
depth Of one hundred and fifty feet by twenty
feet front About seventy feet of the building,
fronting on Long street, has a width Of forty
fee.-three stories in hight; and a walk through
this part Of their establishment shows the ex-
tent and variety Of the goods they manufacture
The lower or ground story is divided into a
storage room, and cutting room. In the former
are stOredaway immense quantities ofeyery kind
of leather; while in the latter are machines for
cutting and pressing sole leather. 4 single man
can, by means Of one OF their cutting machines,
cut and fit up twelve hundred pairs of soles of
any size per day; thus doing the work of at
least ten men. The invention for pressing
sOles, thus avoiding the necessity OF hammering
them, Is a very powerful and efficient machine.
In the second story is the "eobbling shop" and
rooms in which men are employed in cutting
out and preparing "uppers," and a neatly and
costly fitted up little room occupied by sewing
machines superintended by females for binding
boot tops, "siding up" shoes, DC, &c In ad-
dition to these rooms is one about forty by six
teen feet, used for storing purposes; and ar
ranged with bins probably twenty feet in length
by eight in width and three in hight, divided off
into number of small apartments filed to over
flowing with every size of women's coarse shoes.
The third story is also divided off into apart
menls for the storage OF the various sizes and
styles Of mems and boys coarse boots-each al
fOrding capacity for the storage of about eight
thousand pairs. The work was arranged in piles
ofavariety Of styles and sizes, and presented an
appearance unique as pleasing.
That part Of the building fronting on Supe- |
rior street is occupied by the proprietors of the
establishment as a sales and store room and q |
portion of the rear is occupied by men engaged |
in cutting work for their hands MessIs. SEA
NAN d SMITH have in their employ at this time |
eighty hands. to whom they pay annually an
aggregate Of about twenty-six thousand dollars.
Their sales during the past year amounted to
between eighty thousand and ninety thousand |
is entirely independent of very
considerable business in the purchase and sale
of boot and shoe findings, leather, &c Their
trade is very large, and finds custom
ers in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio; who find
that purchasing in Cleveland makes a favorable
difference in their profits which is not to be
overlooked without loss
The men employed by this firm are usually
engaged during each winter in the manufacture
Of work for the ensuing fall and winter trade
and the goods manufactured are stored away in
order TINT they may become thoroughly sea
s0Hed Gf such an expression is aPPlicable) be
fore they are placed in market.
Messrs. SEAMAN & SyITH are enterPrising
and reliable men, and their great success in
business is attributable, in 6 large degree, to
their straightforward and honorable way of
dealing. Their work may in all eases be relied
upon as good and substantial, and exactly what
it is represented to be. Their establishment is
the most extensive of the kind in Northern
Ohio, and we have much pleasure in commend
ing it as well to the attention of citizens who
buy for their own wear as to country dealers
who purchase to sell again.