The Grange advance., 1874-02-14
The Boot. and Shoe Psc Business.
g.. R. STERLING L co.

Few people are aware of the extensive
branches Of msnufactory that are building
up in our STATE. We propose, from time 10
time, to infolm our readers Of the different
manufactori1s Of this State and Wisconsin.
It was withsa view of carrying out this
plan that we recently called on the firms Of
Foot & Sterling and O. B. Dodge, who are
largely engaged in the boot and shoe busi-
ness and .iR|the manufactory of boot and
shoe pacs inythis city. We must confess,
that we were somewhat Surprised at the
extent of thebusiness that is carried on by
them. +
Messrs. Fopt & Sterling, the older of the
two firms, blve added about twenty-five
per cent. to the capacity of their building
during the past season by enlarging under
the sidewalksand fitting up their basement,
adding, virtually, for their business, one
story to their building and making it equal
to four stories. The new arrangement is
also more convenient, enabling them to
drop the new hide through the sidewalk
where they APE salted and corded up into
piles from four to six feet in height. They
have also putin, the present sea Ion, new
furnace for warming the building. This
firm manufactured four hun& &red d6zeh boot
and shoe pace during tho m9apth of October,
and one hundred and twenty-five dozen
during the past week, and expect to reach
the round number Of thirty-6ve hundred
dozen for thespresent seasons work, this
being the largest amount of this class of
goods ever manufactured by one firm in the
West in one SEASON.
In connection with their business the
firm also own and operate q tannery. at
which they tan ten thousand hides wear.
tanning only Sthe heavier hides weighing
ffty-fve pounds or upwards; they, howev-
er, buy all siz4s, and select such as thew
can use in their business, and ship the rest.
They have bought, during the past season.
largely at st. Paul and other points in the
State. y
At the commencement Of trade this fall.
this firm had oa hand twenty five thousand
dollars worth # pacs by the first of De-
cember their stock will be cleaned out.
Their business in this one branch alone
amounts to ab&p seventy five, thousand dol
lars year. qhey have made arrangements
to greatly incrsase theamount of manufac-
ture the coming season, expecting to manu.
facture four thousand dozen at least, and if
times improveIsfve thousand dozen. The
firm also manufacture and deal in, at whole
sale and retaiL boots, shoes, harness and
saddles. They have employed during the
season fifty haeds in their various branches
Of manufacture.
20. B. DODGE
The firm of @. B. Dodge of this citv COM
menced the nsnufacture of Spacs On the
18th of last Juhe, and since that time up to
Jan. 1st, 1871 they manufactured two
Thousand dozAp they are now making
about. one hulaerd dozen per week. SIX
different natiInalities are represented
among their employees, namely, American,
Irish, EnglishN 8wede, Norwegian, French
and German, apd among the rest is Ger.
man boy who Escaped from the steamship
Atlantic Thapay roll Of the firm amounts
to four hundied dollars per week. This
trm occupies ole of the very finest business
blocks Of the city; oufthe first 4oor is their
fine stock Of hAots ,ahd .fhoes. The other
stories are ussd foa III manufacture Of
custom made koots a6dl sho1e tie frm
making speci{lity Of Gus tom made boots
and for the cattisgsut of, their boot and
shoe pacs andass storing. their stock. The
making Of the pacs is mostly done at the
houses Of the oreratives or ora workmen. the
work being cut Int and furnished them all
fitted ready fof sewing and making up..4
This |s' shop manu- z, fctures largely the Alaska
boot, which 1sh preaI Iously had e. only been made
z The firm has st made arrangements for
doubling the'amd pnt Of their manufactures. =
New machinery g. 3asssbeent put in of the
iatest snd 3most proved kinds. The firm
deals only at alesale in their pac busi-
ness, and their business transactions eI-
tend into y the Worth Western States: