New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-08-04

In addition TO these prime recommendations,
they are light and easy to wear, being provided
with a small cushion on the upper eide at the
on that part OF the foot. When properly made,
they are not the clumsy, unsightly things they
are generally supposed ~ be. On the contrary,
they are neat and pleasant in appearances. some
times worn Of their natural color, sometimes
blackened aud vanished. They are large enough
tn admit OF wearing comfortable stockings. and
some are worn with leather straps. Females IN
the country wear them almost exclusively. No
better evidence of their value could be given
than the fact Of the authorities seeking IL render
them more generally used, by improving and
cheOpenng the manufactures. IL Will not d. to
say tnat Americans will not wear shoes with
wood about them; for the frauds detected in
some of the recent army contracts shsw that
our troops were, in some cases, supplied with
shoes having soles composed manly of shingles
sbavings. The trouble was that if wood were to
BIO substituted Tor leather, the substitution shoad
BIZ complste-all wood or oil leather. The
French army in the Crimesn war wore wooden
shoes, always when working in lhe trenches, ard
their health was better than those troops which
wore leather.
1t is probably not yet ascertsined what descrip-
ton Of shoes are best tor army use The French
use both wood and leather. For quick move
nents, the lexibty possessed by leather Is very
important. If the requisite 6exibility can be
given to different and better material, cheaper
and more durable, great point will 10 gained
The French Government sees ~ the manufacture
OF Its army shoes with more vigilance than most
men do to those of their children. Every por.
ton but the heart of the hide is rejected. Every
separate piece composing the shoe is repeatedly
inspected then the shoe itself, SO that beginning
with the best material, and ending with tue best
workmanship, the finished article may be pro-
nounced perfect No wooden shoes are made 10
this country, but we are getting into the bust
De.s. There is a manufsctory Of wOoden-sOIed
shoes ut Chcopee, Mass, but never having seen
them, cannot speak as to t6eir value. They are
said to be tight, dry. durable, aud made at less
cost than shoes Of leather only.
The great probability is that if American
| Ingenuity were turned to the production of shoes
|
duced Of which thousands OF pairs could be- sold.
There is everything to favor such an undertake
| ing. This ID q wooden country, where wood OF
oil the suitable kinds are abundant and cheap.
while throughout France aud Germany 1t IL
scarce and dear. In machinery we excel all the
world. 10 that for working wood We are espcc-
ally proficient Look at Blanchard's lathe for
| etp
| ter how irregular the shapes required we can
build machinery to produce them. Some months
ago supper was gwen BY the proprie;ors Ut .
char factory in Osweeo to their employees, the
chairs used ON tho occasion to seat the company,
800 in number, having Leen made that very day
by thirteen hands in exactly one hour and thirteen
minutes. This illustrates the surprising degree
Of perfection TO which machinery has been
brought. 1t is already applied to making
leather shoes, a process tar more intricate than
making them wholly OF wood. In Ne"-Engsnd.
Ia such establishments. all the hand labor used
| about a shoe 10 IN lasting on tue uppers. The
soles are cut, rolled, loyelled, aud shaped by
machinery. they are also bouud stitched,
punched, sand.papered, BACKED, poir!ied, aod
pegged ny machinery. The work turned out Is
far superior TO that made BY hand, while the
rapidly of production is such that an entire
revolution in the trade win Ultimately be the
result.
Wooden shoes would be so great novelty in
this country, that much prejudice would have to
be overcome before tn. public would adopt them.
As DOW made aud used in Europe they might be
sturdy rejected. Bat 1t must be the business
If American inventors to So improve the crude
| article as to remove objection aud insure popu-
larity. If small amount of feAibility could be
given to the sole, many objections would disappear.
An ingenious mind might 80 combine sole and
upper as To remove all others. Blanchard's last
machine, which 50 beautifully gives TO the un-
slightly block the Identical shape of the foot, is
ALREADY invented. 1t clears away the initial
difficulty. Starting from that point the subse-
qaent processes ought to be attainabe by our
proverb!al ingenuity. The facts aud the idea are
submitted together as food for thought. The
originator of cheaper and better army shoe
than the worthless toggery now in use. would
be likely to find that the war, though an Ill
wind to many Of us, would blow to hiIn world
Of good.