The new North-west., 1881-10-07

"How does 1t happen," asked New York
World reporter of a prominent leather mer-
chant of that city, " that this country is con-
ctanGly sending live cattle TO England and
receiving back their hides?"
Briefly" was the reply, "because we can
English can, and we are rapidly driving them
out of The markets of the world. The price
of bark, the great essential in tanning, Is
about ten times greater in England than
here, aud this fact has probably move TO do
with the question than anything else"
ado you mean that American sole leather
Is practically monopolizIng The markets of
the world?"
"Not exactly that, but it has taken the
foremost place. Our house has bought S45,-
900 worth of leather in the past few days for
English and Russian customers, and The
exports in this line run up to $4,000, 900 a
year or more"
ado all the hides of American cattle sent
abroad come back here TO be tanned?"
"Yes, all of them. For many years baik,
which is very impol tant in tanning, although
many other articles are used, has been grad
ually growing more scarce and dear through
out Europe, especially in England, where
tanners have half century been in the habil
of obtaining foreign supplies, chiefly from
Belgium and Australia. The bark from
Australia Is called mimosa, and Is q very
heavy and powerful oak, but it costs $50 to
$40 per ton in England. Belgian and Eng
lish bark costs $50 TO S45 per ton. Valonia,
which is large acorn, comes ftom the
islands and the eastern coasts of the Mediter-
ranean, and is shipped mostly from the port
of Valini This is a very powerful tannery
supply, and, when finely ground and mixed
with bark, gives TO English sole leather that
firmDess aud solidity which makes it famous.
valonia is, however, of much higher cost
than bark. Myrabolam is a sort of nutgali,
resembling in appearance an olive, but it
consists mostly of pit, which, when dried
and ground, is powerful tanning agent, but
only useful in making upper leather. This
is different from sole leather, which requires
to be tenacious rather than solid. English
tanners also use gambler largely, which is
the extract of the root of tree which comes
from the East Indias and the Islands Of
southern Asia. Its commercial name is
terra Japonica, because it was fo' merry sup
posed to be an earth from Japan. This costs
I about f25 per ton, and is an excellent tan
ming material. English tanners use 1t in
connection with various chemicals, such as
salts of potash and soda, alum, and other
astringents. The high cost of bark and the
necessity of economizing have caused great
| falling off in the quality of most English
sole leather, so that to-day an English shoe
except a high-priced one, has very loose
poor sole, which, when wet, is little better
than an untanned one. This is the case with
all leather made without the use vf bark
| When wet the chemicals soak out, leaving
only the natural hide, a poor protection
against wet feet. Hemlock bark, which In
America costs only So to $5 per ton, combines
with the hide, and makes as solid leather
as any tanning material known. The great
hemlock tanneries of western Pennsylvania
produce enormous quantities of hemlocl
sole leather. They say it costs cents pei
pound to tan and send to market hemlock
sides, and that from 100 pounds of dried
South American hides, they eau produce 175
pounds of sole leather. The resinous sub.
stance of the bark, combining with the
fbrine of the hide, adds to the weight the
additional 70 pounds, so that, while dry
hides are worth to-day % cents per pound
the sole leather can be sold at 20 cents and
leave q fair, though not large, profit. Com
petition In any other country In making
entirely sole leather is unavailing. Then
material Is too high in cost, and, from want
of improved machinery, they are behind
America in making sole leather. Fancy ant
light upper they still can excel in, especially
In France. For ten years England, Germany
Norway, Sweden, Russia and Italy have
been using largely American hemlock sole
leather Not far from $40, 900 worth oi
sole leather Is yearly exported to these coun.
tries, aud there is steady increase. This
will account for the fact that the cattle 90
alive to England to be. fayei and eaten for
beef, and that the hides are purchased by
the agents Of American tanners. Formerly
England purchased and tanned most of the
wet.salt hides taken of In Buenos Ayre'
and the Argentine Republic, while now /
large proportion Of the hides come to ths
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