The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-07-04

which gives it exact uniformity of thick.
ness. In this condition it is passed ov-
er to the cutters. The upper leather
is assorted as to weight and quality and
then handed over to the cutters. Every
part of the shoe or boot is cut out by
dies, which must necessarily give them
exact uniformity of size and shape, diff
ferent dies being used for the different
sizes and shapes desired. The small
dies are used by being struck with
mallet. A good sharp blow being sufi-
cient to cut out the piece desired. The
larger dies, however, are operated by
means OF steam press, which never
misses cutting the leather clearly and
perfectly.
After being cut out, the parts of the
shoe or boot are passed to the making
rooms. Here one set of hands stitches
them together, using steam sewing ma
chimes, some of which make a double
seam at once; that is, the machine
sews two parallel seams at the same
time. After being Joined together they
60 into the lasting room, then to the
men who fit and tack on the soles, then
to the pegging machine, next to the
heller and lastly to the fnisher. The
sewed shoes and boots take another d.
rection, of course; to be solel, but they,
too, come back to the finishing room;
and thence every thing goes into the
packing room where it is put into case
and marked, ready for sale.
Messrs. Sterling & Co. occupy, be-
sides the building named, a warehouse
on the leyee. They make all sorts of
mems and women's wear, except the
finer fancy varieties, for which the de-
mand is hardly large enough to justify
the expense of putting in the extra ma
chiaery that would be required. They
do make, however, a calf-skin boot or
shoe fine enough for any ordinary use,
and while we were in their establish
ment they were making a pair Of mems
walking shoes, for which they had 1e-
ceived an order about two hours earlier
from Winona. They intended to have
them finished ready for shipment in a
little while, from one to two hours, say.
A specially with them at this time is a
coarse sewed shoe for harvesting, of
which they have manufactured large
number. They also make speciality
ofboot and shoe packs, and annually sell
an enormous quantity. In their retail
store they keep for sale, besides their
own work, full variety Of Eastern
made mems women and children boots
and shoes of every description.
Being right here upon the ground and
knowing exactly what kind of foot-gear
is needed by the people Of this region,
Messrs. G. r. Sterling & Co., have had
the advantage over Eastern manufactu-
rers; and then, again, they have been
careful to turn out only the best kind of
work of each description made by them,
and use nothing but good stock. The
consequence is that their work is in de-
! mand throughout the northwest, and
their business is constantly increasing
and compelling them to add to their
room and facilities for manufacturing
To accommodate this trade they propose
closing out their harness business this
fall and devoting the room that now oc-
cupies to the boot and shoe trade.
They calculate on making from $780,
900 to 200, 900 pairs of boots and shoes
this year, and from the orders they now
have on hand will, no doubt, find sale
for this enormous quantity without diff
Guilty. This does not include the bust
ness they do in the productions of East
ern manufacturers, which is very consid-
cradle and enters largely into both their
jobbing and retail departments.
The Messrs. Sterling g. Co. are both
accomplished business men and their
chief clerk or salesman, Mr.. Wheelock,
who has been long time in their en-
ploy, is just the man for the place. The
establishment employs in different ca
racities upwards of a hundred men, and
is an important factor in contributing to
the prosperity of Red Wing and for
this reason we hope that its patronage
may increase and that it may serve as
an inducement to other enterprislng cap.