The Grange advance., 1874-02-14
The Boot and Shoe Pac Business.
G. r. STERLING 4 co.

Few people are aware Of the extensive
branches Of mandatory that are building
up in our State. We propose, from time TO
time, to inform our readers Of the different
manufactures Of this State and Wisconsin.
1t was with 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 in the mandatory of boot and
shoe pacs in this city. We must confess.
| that we were somewhat surprised at the
extent of the business that is carried on by
them.
Messrs. Foot 4 Sterling, the older of the
two firms, have added about twenty-five
per cent. to the capacity of their building
| during the past season by enlarging under
the sidewalk and 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 are salted and corded up into
piles from four to six feet in height They
have also put in, the present season, new
furnace for warming the building. { This
firm manufactured four hundred d6ztn boot
and one hundred and twenty-five dozen
during the past week, and expect to reach
the round number Of thirty-fve hundred
dozen for the present 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 tan1tery, at
yuh h1oh TO, hon nd
tanning only the heavier hides weighing
fifty-fve pounds or upwards: they, howev-
er, buy all sizes, 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.
this firm had on hand twenty-five thousand
dollars worth Of pacs by the first of De-
cember their stock will be cleaned out.
Their business in this one branch alone
amounts to about seventy-five thousand dol
lars year. They have made arrangements
to greatly increase the amount of manufac-
ture the coming season, expecting to manu-
facture four thousand dozen at least, and if
times improve five 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 hands in their various branches
Of manufacture.
Q. B. DODGE
The firm of 0. B. Dodge Of this citv CON-
menced the manufacture of pacs on the
10th Of last June, and since that time up to
Jan lst, 1874, they manufactured two
thousand dozen; they are now making
about one hunderd dozen per week. Six
different nationalities are represented
among their employees, namely, American,
Irish, English, Swede, Norwegian, French
and German, apd among the rest is Ger
man boy who escaped from the steamship
Atlantic The pay roll Of the firm amounts
to four hundred dollars per week. This
firm occupies one of the very finest business
blocks Of the city; onthe first 4oor is their
fine stock Of boots a pd I. Shoes The other
stories are used for tht mad ufacture of
custom made boots Md shoe ds-the firm
making speciality Of custom made boots
and for the cuttiseersut Of their boot and
shoe pacs and storing their stock. The
making of the pacs is mostly done at the
houses of the operatives or workmen. the
work being cut out and furnished them all
fitted ready for sewing and making up.
This shop manufactures largely the Alaska
boot, which 11h previously had only been made
The firm has just made arrangements for
doubling the amount of their manufactures.
New machinery has been put in of the
latest and most Improved kinds The firm
deals only at wholesale in their pac busi-
ness, and their business transactions ex-
tend into all the North Western States