The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-12-07
WOOden-ShOe Makers.

Letus describe party of wooden-shoe
makers, or as they are termed, SabOtierS,
at work near clear stream. The whole
family is together; the father with his
son and son-in-law, the apprentices, the
mother and children running about in
the beds of cress. Under the trees
rises hut of planks, where all sleep;
not far off, the two mules which carry
the belongings of the encampment are
tethered. They are birds of passage,
traversing the forest, and sojourning
where the wood is cheap. In this green
combe several fine beech-trees are
marked for the AK; they are fifty feet
high, and three feet in girth. Each will
probably give six dozen pairs of wood
en- shoes. Other kinds of wood are
spongy and soon penetrated with damp;
but the beech sGbotS are light, of close
grain, and keep the feet dry in spite of
snow and mud; and in this respect are
greatly superior to leather. All is ami
nation. The men cut down the tree;
the trunk is sawn into lengths, and if
the pieces prove too large, they are di-
vided into quarters. The first workman
fashions the Sabot roughly with a
Ratchet, taking care to give the bend
for right and left; the second takes it in
hand, pierces the holes for the interior,
and scoops the wood out with an instru-
ment called the cutler. The third is
the artist of the company; it is his work
to finish and polish it; carving a reese
or primrose upon the top, if it be for
the fair sex. Sometimes he cuts an
open border round the edge, so that the
blue or white stocking may be shown
by a coquetish girl. AS they are finished,
they are placed in rows under the white
shavings; twice week the apprentice
exposes them to a fire, which smokes
and hardens the wood, giving it warm,
golden-brown hue. The largest sizes
are cut from the lowest part of the
bole, to cover the workman's feet who
is out in the rain from morning to night
The middle part is for the busy house
wife who is treading the wash-house,
the dairy, or stands beside the village
fountain. Next come those of the little
shepherd who wanders all day long
with his flock, and still smaller ones for
the school-boy. Those for the babies
have the happiest lot; they are seldom
worn out. AS the foot grows, the moth
er keeps the little sabots in a corner of
her cupboard beside the baptismal robe.
Long after, when the child has become
man, and his chair is vacant by the
hearth, they are drawn out to be looked
at, sometimes with smile, too often
with tears. During all his toll the
workman talks and sings; he is not tact
turn, like the charcoal-burner; his mus
cles continually in action, his work in
the open air, keep him in good temper,
and give him refreshing sleep and APP
petite. He sings like linnet, while the
women chatter and mend the family
garments. When the trees have been
all cut up, the campis raised, the mules
are loaded, adieu to the green hollow,
and another place is sought for. Thus
all the year long, whether the forest be
tinted with pale spring verdure or COW
cred with the yellow Autumn leaves, in
some corner will be heard the workers,
busy as bees in hive, gayly carrying
on their simple, healthy forest-life.-
ChdmberS'S Journal.
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