Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-10-13

By THE "FAr CONTRIBUTOR"

~e~
The Shoemaker.
By THE "FAT CONTRIBUTION"
THERE is no more promising mechanic
than the shoemaker. You may not al
ways rely upon the quality OF his material
or his work, but You may depend upon
his promise. When did q shoemaker ever
promise to have your boots done at Ger
tain day that they were not done with
promptness, with the 'r.ding and unim-
pertant exception of "treeing outf" You
can't tree q shoemaker on his promise,
we can tell you.
In the early days when people went
barefoot shoemakers had very little TO do.
A strike among the Knights of st. Crispin
was almost unknown. Then sandals were
introduced, which consisted simply Of Q
6at sole, worn under the foot and secured
by thongs. The great objection to the
sandals was, they leaked badly In wet
weather, but waterproof backing had
not then been introduced.
1t may be said for sandals that during
their prevalence nobody ever heard of in
growing toe-nails or corns.
For long time uppers were only
known to the upper classes, and men
down at the heel dispensed with foot
covering altogether. Finally, shoes were
generally introduced, and in short time
It appeared singular, and remarks were
excited, If man came to full-drcss
party oarefooted.
Then 1t was that the shoemakers began
to thrive and acquire an importance in
community. Instead Of being called q
"sandal making son of gum" he was al
lowed to style himself a"purveyor tn the
pedal extremities" and q merchant
bootist"
The history of the changing fashion in
boots and shoes would fill q volume.
Sometimes they were made open at the
toe 80 that this part Of the foot was ex-
posed, and we may add that q class Of
people known as "seedy" still cling to
that peculiar fashion. Then they were
made with high tops, composed OF the
skins of wild animals, lacing up In front
and ornamented at the upper EXTREMITY
with the paws and heads, arranged in u
flap that turned over. Long pointed
shoes, twisted like rams horn, were
worn In the reign of William Rufus. The
style became fashionable, and the points
soon increased to such an extent that
they reached the knee, to which they
were secured by chains of silver and gold.
A gentleman promenading in that rig
must have resembled an old. fashioned
goose-neck cutter.
Following the long pointed shoes came
the shoes with wide toes, till at last an
English Queen was compelled to restrict
the width, by proclamation, to six inches.
In the 10th century boot.tops reached
enormous dimensions. The Puritans
came over in these great boottops, which
had the effect to alarm the Indians en-
gagged in the leather business, with the
prospect of panic in the leather mar
ket.
Wooden shoes, worn very considerably
in some parts Of Europe, possess the ad-
vantage of wearing long time without
tapping. in which they resemble sandals.
In kicking man downstairs they are in.
valuable. There is not much more skill
required in making wooden shoe than
in making a pig .trough, freeing out being
the chief difficulty, though that depends
good deal on what kind of q tree you
get it out Of Any wooden head can make
Q wooden shoe.
The Chinese are adopts at shoemaking,
and are warmly welcomed by the Knights
of St Crispin whenever they come TO this
country. They made it red hot for lot
of them in Massachusetts the other day.
Complaint is made OF Chinese shoemakers
because they work 30 cheap, but this is
owing to Misunderstanding that will
soon correct itself. Learning their trade
in China, where ladies' feet are only two
or three inches long, according TO the
fashionable standard, and where 1t don't
take much of shoe to cover
the female foot divine, they
unquestionably gauge their wages
at too low q figure, but when they
have had little more experience in
making No. 12's and las for our Ameri-
can bellies, they will discover their error
and demand raise, sure. Johnny China
man Il no fool, not even when
"Johnny lie shoe-ma-ke r."
Shoemakers rs Q class are as industrious
as they have become Indispensable, Bar.
ring disposition to tell you, when you
come Saturday night for your boots, sol.
EMMY promised, that they "wi!l be done
on Wednesday, sure" the shoemaker is TO
be relied on, but how can you expect q
man to keep his word when he gives 1t 70
readilyi
In speaking OF the shoemaker, we hope
our readers will excuse as for emitting
the customary illusions 10 his sticking TO
his last, improving the understanding, and
asoI that. We know 1t is expected, and Is
done, but we beg TO appear sin.
gulsr in that regard just this once.-Csn-
cinnGti 1insss.
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