The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-09-24
AMERICAN K1O GLOVES.
How They are made-DescriptiOn of Pro-
eesses and Material.


In dressing kid or goatskins for gloves the
process varies considerably from that pactised
upon buck and sheepskins. The skins are first
soaked in water and "Heshed" and are then
thrown into the yats Of lime-lquor. From these
they are removed after period that varies from
three to six weeks, according to the season Of the
year, much longer time being required for most
Of the processes in winter than in summer. Here
they are lifted, and turned, and moved, and re-
placed until the hair is sufficiently loosened.
They are then taken from the yats and stretched
upon the "beam," and the hair is then removed
with the blunt drawing-kniie, but not the grain,
as In the conrser skins; and great care is taken
not to deface or iniure the surface.
They are next put into a "drench" Of bran and
water, or more properly moistened bran, where
they remain for a considerable time. This softens
and renders the skin very pliaOle. On being
removed from this the tanning process takes
place. The skins are covered by mixture Of
salt and alum which soon makes leather Of them.
After being thoroughly Cleansed and dried they
are ready for the nnishing processes. They are
suspended and "staked, that is, eYened by
blunt knife drawn over the surface. Afterwards
they are spread ont upon fiat surface and
rubbed with sponge dipped in the beaten yolk
of eggs. This preparation is absorbed by the
leather and serves to make It elastic
THE coLoRGNG PROCESS.
dyes are used for this purpose, and they are ap-
piled to the surface or grain Of the leather with
brush. 1t is said that we have now no native
workmen who understand this process thor
Oughly and the skilled factories are by no
means willing 20 impaTt their knowledge. Thus
far they have succeeded in maintaining the
secret of the rare dyes, and the methods that
give both brliancy and permanency Of color
TO the better styles of glove leather. Even the
employers are not permitted to gain this know
Having the matter so entirely in their own
hands, these men have been able hitherto TO
sustain this attempt at secresy. But the constant
introduction Of wOrkingmen from Europe, and
the preparations which the manufacturers are
now making, some of which are already com
peted, will soon unyeil the mystery, and Yankee
skill will doubtless, achieve results equal to that
of Europeans.
SUPERIORITY OF FRENCH woRKMEN.
1t is a noticeable fact, that of the foreign work.
men now in this country the French still maintain
the supremacy. Engishmen make good leather
and good gloves but in elasticity, durability, and
finish, as well as in the beauty and brilliancy of
the coloring, the French far surpass them. In
the cutting and making up of gloves 1t is still the
same. better fit is obtained by a French work
man, and the sewing is superior. Besides,
FTonchman will cut one or two more pairs of
gloves out of skin than an Engshman, and
still have no inferior ones. yankees are in too
great a hurry TO perform such work well, re-
marked manufacturer; "they pride themselves
rather upon the amount of labor performed in a
given time, than upon the skill displayed ;" which
is doubtless true. So that until our cOuntrymen
learn the lesson Of patience, they will not be likely
to rival their foreign competitors in glove making.
GLovE-oUTTING.
After all the processes of trimming, finishing,
and dyeing are completed the skin is stretched
upon marble table and rubbed with a blunt
knife. 1t is then cut through tue middle,
and a strip for the palm and back of the glove
cut, just wide enough for the purpose, from one
end of each piece. Being cut in this way the
pairs are alike, of similar finish, thickness and
tint In France, $4,000 dozens of skins are thus
cut annually. In time, with protection and native
industry, there is no reason why as large a number
should not be manufactured here.
French glove-cutter cuts nearly all his
''sized gloves" by eye. By sized gloves is meant
those whose size is indicated by numbers, which
includes all ladies' kid gloves and all the finer
mems gloves. In securing an accurate and easy
fit, great care is necessary in placing the thumb
hole. M. Jouvin has invented a mode of cutting
the thumb with the hand.
In some factories these gloves are cut in part
by punches, steel instruments similar to the
"gouges" used in cutting buck gloves, and de-
scribed in former article. These punches have
toothed apparatus that pricks the holes for the
stitches. The seams are then sewed with perfect
regularity, by laying the edges evenly together
and placing them in a vice provided with teeth
one-twelfth of an inch apart between which teeth
the needle passes in sewing. After the seams arc
sewed the embroidery is put upon the back, the
wrist bound or otherwise finished, and the fasten-
| placed in linen cloth slightly dampened, and
beaten TO make IL more flexible II is then pressed
and is ready for the market.
THE MATERIAL.
The skins used in making fine gloves are usually
those of the kid and goat, but many are m lde of
Cape sheep, and other fine and flexible leather.
1t has been repeatedly and confidently asserted
| that many of the most celebrated styles of French
! gloves were made from the skins of rats, and we
have even seen the statistics of the rat catching
! trade, fOsered, as il was asserted, by the de-
mand created by gloves, set forth in startling
| array of figures, which went to show that this
most prolific of the rodents was destined to speedy
! annibilation. The catacombs of Paris were said
to be the great hunting ground of the raLcatchers,
and the business oftrappng the animals, and dress
ing the skins, to be one of growing Importance.
! But these statements do not appear to b. borne
| out by facts. Very few, if any, ratskiIs have
been used for gloves. The skins are no. large
enough to cut any but smal-sze glove, which
alone disproyes the assertion that they are lTgely
| used.
IMPORTED SKINS.
Many dressed kidskins are imported into his
! country at present. Most of them come frm
| France and Germany. 1t is probable that the h-
| mand for gloves for importation has considerably
decreased, aud the surplus skins are sent to thh
country instead. A fine lot, of the hest finish
and choicest colors, recently sold in this city
as low as eight dollars in gold, and this, though
the duty on dressed skins is ono hundred per
cent From these skins and they are such as
have never before been offered in this market, we
may expect TO see our American manufacturers
produce gloves that rival the best French ones
A very good article of genuine kid, as well as
of Cape sheep gloves, both for ladies and gentle
men, is now made in Gloyersyille, in Philadel-
phia, in Watertown MASSACHUSETTS, and possibly
elsewhere in the country, but those are the prin-
cipal seats of the manufacture. large number
of skilled woTkmeu in this branch of business
have already been brought 10 this country, and
several enteTprisng manufacturers are now in
Europe purchasing machinery and securing ope-
ratives The present tariff protects efforts of this
kind, and the result will be TO increase largely
ALL or nearly all, manufacturing interests.
THREAD GLOVES.
Thread gloves are made in this country TO n
considerable extent, and manufacturers are
entering quite largely into the business. The
thread gloves made in Boston are fully equal 20
those of German or English manufacture, and
are likely TO drive them from the market. Lsle
thread gloves are not made here yet, but doubt
less, will be soon. There is no reason why
foreigners should excel us in the manufacture
of cotton goods Of any description. Thread
gloves are manufactured by the same machinery
used in making hosiery, and usually in the samt