Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-01-14
wEIrTES roR THE VERMONT PnGSI1.
THEN AND .NOU'.
When, where, How and who Began
the Manufacture OF Sale Boots
in America.

In noting the advanced stage our man
ufacturing interests, we are surprised at
the progress of the present century. In
deed, as we behold goods, Of almost every
fabric and form, made by machinery, we
can scarce realize that from The beginning
of mans existence on the globe up 10 the
| commencement Of this century, nearly all
his wants were supplied by handmade
| goods. The language of the worlds his
| tory, both written and unwr,ten, would
seem TO say, that mans life, from the far
of, unknown beginning, was but the
school Of experience necessary TO ripen and
| develop his genius, ard this century is but
harvesting the first fruits Of The vintage.
| 1t is one hundred and eight years since
Wait contracted TO build the first steam
engine Then, water had only been har-
messed TO the ponderous undershot wheel,
to drive the stones of the ,runlling mill,
or tilt old Vulcan's laundering hammers.
Thus began the century of our national life
that is. now about to close with grand ma
tional and international exhibition of the
worlds machines and machine-nadc goods.
And yet, how few Of Us know the history
of our manufacturing interests, or even Of
any one branch of themi Many expert
mechanics aud machinists are to-day max
ing or running wonderfully complicated
machines, inventions of the century, the
history of whose origin 20 them is as blank
as that of Troy or Thebes. There are many
| interesting facts connected with the history
OF the business of our country which might
be collected now, that in another generation
will be lost in the sea of oblivion; facts
| that, when collected and put in order, will
be more instructive and valuable reading
| for future generations than a national life
made up of war and bloodshed. In pur-
suance Of this view, propose to note few
facts upon the history of boot manufIctur-
ing in the United States OF America.
IN rye olden time" pegged boots were
thing unknown, nor had the crimping
board shown itself to the mind of man.
Sewed tongue boots were the height of the
art and for a nice pair, made in u work
man-like manner, the shoemaker received
about 81, when he found stock, but In
many localities it was the habit of the far
mer 70 get his own leather tanned, aud
| hire a shoemaker to come to his house and
.
THIS was called "cat whipping"
The first known venture in The manu-
facture of sale boots was made by Charles
Watson of Spencer, Mass, in 1909, when
he made eighty-lour pairs, and sent them
to a Southern trader at $3.50 pair. The
Southerner repudiating, he lost the entire
| debt. He thought the cost Of his wit too
! dear, aud, for the time, at least, quit the
| speculation. In 1910, John Hubbard of
Leicester, Mass, repeated Watson's eA-
| pertinent by sending Il box of boots to Sa-
vannah, Ga. II was during this year that
the good shoemaker Of the town first learn
cd, even, of the idea Of shoe pegs, through
Yankee vender ofthe new tangled notion.
Leicester, then as now, was a card manu-
featuring town, and ii was in this memora-
BILE year OF new ideas that John Woodcock
invented and brought out his machine for
splitting a card feather the size of hand
card. Tho next year, 1911, he enlarged his
machine 10 split stip Of leather eighteen
inches wide.
At this time there was residing about
two miles north Of the town, one Jabez
Green, the poor but happy father OF seven
teen children. Many of these children had
10 be put out some never living at home
after they were six years old. One, Ma
thanlel, had early been apprenticed TO the
shoemakers trade with an uncle, In Hard
wick. Upon his return home, he worked
at his trade for John Hubbard through the
summer Of 1871, and earned SS5 while a
younger brother, Josiah, worked out on
farm until he had earned 50. Daring the
season their father died, leaving the family
in Strengthened circumstances. Thus the
winter of lSll-'l2 came upon the family,
and these two boys, with their combined
capital of S9l, bravely met their future by
setting up the boot business in their moth
er's garret. In town they could buy the
card splits at such a price that, when made
into boots, they cost them about Sl.25 a
pair, in cash. Afler making up a one
horse load, Josiah, the younger, then in
his 10Th year, being the better Yankee,
took them TO Boston and sold them at an
auction store. His first propositions for
trade were met by the auetioneer with rid
icule and laughter, bat he soon saw that
the boy meant business, and was seriously
in earnest, and finally agreed to take one
half dozen pairs at S2.30 pair, and II they
sold TO his satisfaction he was TO have the