New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-12-11
WOoden-Shoe Make.

Let US describe party of wooden ST .e
makers, or as they are termed, sa6otSers,
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.
a hut Of planks, where all sleep; not far
OF, the two mules which carry tho be-
longlngs OF the encampment are tethered.
Taey are birds of passage, traverslng the
forest, ana sejourning where the wood is
cheap, In this green forest several fine
beech rees are marked for the axe;
theya fifty feet high, and three feet in
girth. Each will probably give six dozen
pairs of wooden shoes. Other kinds of
woods are pongy and soon penetrated with
damp; but the beech sabets are light, of Z
close grain, and keep the feet dry in spite
OF snow and mud; and in this respect are
greatly superior to leather. All is ali
nation. The men cut down the trees.
the trunk is sawn into lengths, and if the
pieces prove too large, they are divided
into quarters. The first workman fashions
the sadot roughly with Ratchet,
taking care to give the
benz Tor right and left: the second takes
it in hand, pierces the holes for the in
terror, and scoops the wood out with an
instrument called the cutler. The third
is the artist of the company: it is his
work to finish and polish it; carving a
rose or primrose upon the top, if it be
for the fair sex. Sometimes he cuts an
open border round the the edge, so that
the blue or white stocking may be shown
by a coquettish girl. As they are finish
ed, they are placed in rows under the
white shavings; twice week the ap-
prentice exposes them to fire, which
smokes and hardens the wood, giving it 3
warm: golden brown hue. The largest
sizes arc cut from the lowest part Of the
hole, to cover the workmans feet who is
out IN rain from morning to night. The
middle part is for the busy housewife
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 schoolboy.
Those for the babies have the
happiest lot; they are seldom worn
out. AS the foot grows, the mother keeps
the little sd60ts IN corner Of her cup
board beside the b,ptismal robe. Long
after, when the child has become a man.
and his chair is vacant by the hearth, they
are drawn out to be looked at, sometimes
with a smile, too often with tears. Dur
ing all his toll the workman talks and
sings; he is not taciturn, like the char
coal burner; his muscles continually in
action, his work in the open air keeps
him in good temper, and gives him re-
freshing sleep and appetite. He sings
like a llnner while the women chatter
and mend tae family garments. When
the trees have been all cut up, the camp
is raised, the mules are loaded, adieu to
the green hollow, and another place is
sought for. Thus all the year 10 e,
whether the forest be tinted with pale
spring yerdure or covered with the vel
low autumn eaves, in some corner viii.
be heard the workers, busy as bees in a
hive, gayly carrying on their simple,
healthy forest life Chambers Journuz.