The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-01-11
Every Boy His own shoe Member.


I have word to say to farmers boys
which may or may not be of any benefit
to them. / wish to show you in this
article how you may pass some of your
long winter evenings in a manner which
may afford you some pleasure and may
be of some little profit. My idea is that
you learn to repair your own boots and
shoes. Perhaps to many this idea would
not be agreeable. Well, all I have to
say to such is read this article through
and then judge. If one-half of nay boy
readers think favorably of it, my object
is accomplished. These are hard times.
{ Moneyis scarce and hard to get, and, as
boys wear out their boots and shoes
very fast. it is quite an item in the ex-
pense of the family. In many instances
you are obliged to carry your boots five
or six miles to shoemaker. and it often
happens that he cannot do them at once,
so you are obliged to go again. Besides
you have to call on father for money,
and, as money is hard with him, you
don't like to do it. Now then, if you
think you would like to learn to do such
a job yourself, so as to be little more
independent of both father and shoe
maker, / will offer some helpful sug-
gestions.
Of course you have no tools and will
have to buy; but you will only want a
few to start with. will give you list
of about what you will need A shoe
hammer, half dozen avis of various
sizes, with an anvil handle, a few pegs of
different sizes and lengths, pair of No.
3 shoe pincers, small bottle of edge
backing, a cake of heel ball, pair Of
Lasts to fit your boots, and two shoe
knives, one for trimming and one with a
longer blade called 'skiver" for bevel-
ing the soles. No doubt you will find
an old pair of shoe lasts at almost any
shoe-shop that will fit your boots, which
you can purchase cheap. 1t is better
way to buy old ones, as your feet are
growing. You will need strap to hold
the boot on your knee, hook to pull
the last out, and peg-cutter. The
strap you will find at the barn, and per-
haps the last two things you will find
about the house Now, when you grind
your trimming knife, the blade of which
should not be over three inches long, do
not grind it down to the handle, but
only one and half inches from the
point. The trimming knife is an i'm
portant thing. Your sisters must not
take it to pare apples, nor must you use
it to cut pegs. It must be kept for
trimming alone. You will find that
much depends on the condition your
knife is in. If it is dull it will make
your work look rough, and is apt to
glance out and go through the upper
leather.
But let us go to work and fix your
boots. You will not need shoe bench:
spread the tools on the table before the
kitchen fire. IF the boots are hard and
dry, soak them a while in water and the
tap will peg on much easier. Now, mark
around and cut it so that the tap will
be quite large. Then put the leather
into water and soak it well. You will
find it good plan, as you take the
leather from the water, to work it in
your hands and hammer it gently on 9
flat stone or iron (; it makes the leather
more firm. Now look at the bottom Of
your boot. If one side is 1yorn more
than the other, you must peg on piece
tram it even with the sole, and then TAX,
your long knife and bevel the insid,
edge and the ends so as to make tn
surface of the sole even. Bowel the hee
of the tap on the inside of the leathe