The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-03-21
MAKING LEATHER IN KANSAS. /.
..I-rEl III i
TIE New Dise0Yery-TanHin-Why Net
Use it in Kansas?

4 OF I'll q mag if4EtftftS OF AffS~ teatf4ef
inte4 ests of this country, nor of
the area OF land that is annually
| Invested of timber to supply the
tannin consumed in the manufac-
ture OF leather. Last year the
tanneries located within forty
miles of Boston consamed $50, 06Q
cords of bark orlfts Equivalent m
tanning extracts. 1t is a liberal
estimate to allow ten cords of bark
to the acre, but even with this es-
innate there were $4,000 acres Of
hcmlock lands stripped of their
bark to supply these tanneriessfor
a single year. This fearful inroad
has been made upon the forests of
the eastern states so long that they
are becoming nearly dcnuded Of
/ bark save il those localities where
as means of self protection 'sbush
tanners" have purchased or other
wise secured control of the hem
lock forests. To the general trade
of Boston and New York these
forests are practically denuded of
tanning material. Serious inEoads
have been made upon The forests
! of this State, New York and New
Jersey. Extensive tanneries have
been built to utilize the bark, and
so rapidly do theYexhaust it nd
jaccnt to their factories that nrrny
of them are now looking 10 the
future with serious apprchcnsions.
Still there are untold millions Of
cords of bark left in the hemlock
forests of Pennsylvania, and now
that the lumber men Of our val
leys are turning their attention to
1 the manufacture OF hemlock lum-
her which tor many purposes is as
valuable as pine, any means which
vii! enable them to utilize the en-
tire tree Will be gladly hailed by
them as an innovation ofiRcaicul-
able benefit.
The great sole leather tannerie@
Of the country have been driven
into the forests. The light stock
trade is seated around the great
cities OF the Atlantic seaboard
and there it must remain, surroun-
ded by a varied industry depend
ant on it for support. Untold
millions are invested in the pro-
duction of leather and the indus
tries which have grown up around
those immense tanneries of Boston,
New York and Philadelphia, and Il
few other cities. The leather trade
must b. supplied with its tanning
material from distant forests, or
depend on the base extracts inn
| ported from the Indies which fail
to impart to the tanned skin those
| qualities desirable alike TO proda-
Ger and consumer. The transpor-
| tation OF bark is too expensive.
| The only alternative is its CONVEX
sion into extracts. The best in
ventivo genius of the country has
been devoted to the accomplish
ing Of this object for nearly 4
| quarter of q century. \ measure
of success was attained years ago
but none secured results satisfac-
tory 20 themselves, but compelled
TO accept what they had already
obtained, few individuals engag
ed in the manufacture of tanning
extracts, Investing $4,000 to $780,
eco in the construction of n single
factory and still realizing q fair
return on the investment. One
more strong of will than the rest.
possessed of more indomitabIe
courage, rejecting upon q fortune
squandered in unrequited expeli-
meat, years of toll devoted TO q
thankless task, perscvered against
all opposition and has inallYover-
come every obstacle to the success
full Inauguration of this enterprise.
He has done what no other man
has been enabled to accomplish.
He has supplied q means whereby
the tanning properties of bark
may be obtained and cheaply con
ycrted into an imperishable ex-
tract. He has gone farther, and
by his developments has DEMON
strated the fact that the worthless
tops of hemlocl1 trees contain
more tanning than the bark from
the same trees, and by his process
he is enabled to convert this tan.
ming into an extract more valuable
than the best brands of hemiock
bark extracts, giving to leather 8
color and properties equal to tho
r best chestnut oak tanned skins
The expense of constructing one
; of these factories with q capacity
e Of twenty hands per day, usine
either bark or boughs, viii not ex
coed $4,000, even with the pres
ent high price OF metals. Tn,
2 process is the same that has beef
| creating so much excitement il
Michigan. where it has been sue
: cessfully introduced, largely
n through the efforts of Mr.. Bart
e ram, who, as the agent of Messrs
= Johnson, Goodell Il Co., and whc
!, has taken rooms ut sthe Herdi
J. house, where he may be cen at al
times, and where he will be pleas
- ed to give interested parties an,
information they may desire. TIL
= Importance OF this enterprise t
Is this locality cannot be fully aE
:, preciated. Its value to thos
:. lumbermen who are largely inter
{. ested in hemlock tracts can onl
70 be known by receiving from Mr. /
:. the figures he has in his possessio
!, and wdichsan hours conversatio
ar will give, while to the eXtensiy
e. bush tanners ofthe State it ofel
attractions greater than to an
other class. enabling them to uti
lie Ehat they now waste, and frol
b. its utilization realize profits thu
are sufficiently large to satisfy IL
II most exactDg. We shall fro
= time to time present this subje
!. to our readers, and we invite the
st careful attention to 1t. -..
The absence Of hemlock or 0;
= bark, heretofore supposed to
absolute necessities in the laakiI
sii of leather, has prevented Kans
,s, from even trying to establish ia
a neries. And yet this is the hi
!. producing section. Three Emp
n ria houses, Epstein & Co., LIE
!" nhard, and Howard & zimmeFma
1 S purchase and ship each week
ay. average OF two car loads of hid
paying therefor the follow
rates, clipped from our regu
- home market report of last wee
MI I7EE - a. uHIDES. ETEEa&
Beef, dry flint :. -.-.,-. s. p 49,.
cst eAiled --a-~.-s-t-I $50
airs 81 {. damaged .s......~r
nE. q green. ......
ure Z. 9 ssited -
Of, - = damaged. $500.
Aid. Ruf1lo I.30x.
H' And very large wholesale trs
- !