The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-09-11
A POPULAR ESSAY ON BOOTS.

what was the best thing in the
World?" grsvely replied there WaE
nothing Like leather" and the al
sWer wss commemorate, showing thai
the man felt a proper pride 10 biz
calling and was aware of its import
anos. Shoemsking is an honorable
and ancient trade. Two Roman
Catholic saints st. Crispiu and s.
Otlsplanus-were not only saints bat
Shoemakers to boot. This was abou;
the year 3O8 Il. D. They were be-
headed at SoiesOns, and have ever
since been cons dered the tuteIar
saints OF che craft. Who invented
boots? AMI that is indeed a question.
Ine name OF the unknown benefactor
of bis species l. ehrouded in antiquity.
Inc poet truly says: The world
knows nothing OF its greatest men.
We know that George ". started
Curacao punch, but the name of the
inventor OF boots is unknown 10 fame.
Homer mentions boots in the year
907 B. @. The earliest attempts q:
leather shoes were made by the Egyp-
tIans; specimens may be seen in the
British Museum. The sandals of the
Greeks and Romans we're very simi
lar Cato and Socrates went about
bareioOted, considering covering the
feet to be eff9mlnste. The Greek and
Roman "buskin" was probably the
fret boot. 1t reached up to the calf
o! the leg. and was richly orna-
mented. 1t had tremendously nigh
heels. distinguishing it from the
"saccus" or low-heeled shoe. The
"baekin" was worn by the tragic
actors, and ''succus" by the come
dams.
The shoe of the Chinese is si0ply
hideous; it Is not unlike an elabor-
ately ernamentec d0nkey's hoof, only
it Is OF 30 use for kicking, as the sole
Is composed of thick layers OF COM
pressed paper and flannel. The lower
orders in the Celestial EN- ire also
wear wooden shoe, very like the
French "sabot" Our Saxon anoest Jrs
wore shoes and laced overslis reach
r,g nearly to the knee. l. was the
Nurmsns Who introduced boots into
Eugland; they were formed of soft
leather. and wsre higher behind than
before; the Clarence" boot is a
modern bad copy OF them. Ne are,
therefore, indebted to France for the
admirable institution Of boots, and
sac maintains to this day her we'll
earned reputation for superiority IN
their manufacture. About the time
OF Henry l. pointed toes came into
fashIon; six inches was a common
length. the boots appearing to ter
inmate In q monstrous carrot-like ex-
cresence.
10 the reign OF Richard II the
boot sCes of noblemeu and princes had
sttsine sd the port entious length oft1oI
feet, and were fastened to the knee
by golden chains. We believe it was
Edward w. who abolished loDg-tosd
boots. Fashion, in revenge, insti-
tated "duck bills" square-'oed boots,
the toes soon grew to breadth OF SIX
iDches, and in some cases the toe
measured = good foot across, SO that a
man looked like > human duck.
This odiCus fsshion abolished itself.
We had forgotten to mention that
about the reign of Henry VIII. shoes
"slashed" over the upper LEATHER
we're fashionable, suggesting that the
wedrels were suffering from cerns,
and hsd hlit the leather to obtain
relief.
This absurd custom prevailed up to
the time OF the SIuarte then real, big,
tall boots made their appearance
Toe boots et the Cavaliers and rouud-
heads soon assumed the pc, ulisr
character Of the classes who Wors
them. The boots of the Cavaliers
We're jol y. rollicking, devil-may-care,
boots. TLs boots O! the Puritans
we're as stern, rigid, and unyielding
as their wearers. The partizans OF
Charles II. initiated the fashion of the
Court of Louis XIV.-luxurious. wide
topped boots, richly ornamented with
lace, loose as thsir morals; indeed,
were We to place the boets OF the
"merry" monarch on q table, and
beside them the terrible, uncomprem-
ising boots of grim old Oliver, No dis
passionate judge would feel much
hesitation in deciding as to the result
of battle between them. divers
boots would have kicked the leg
castings of he merry" opponent
clean out of Court.
King William III. and his friend
5chombelg wore uEmistaksble jack
boots. So did Marlborough and his
friend Eugene, in fact, nearly ell the
big modern battles seem to have
been won by big booted men-Crom.
we'll, George Monk, Turenne, Viii
liam OF Orange, Sohomberg. Mari
Borough. Eugene, George l., Nspo
lion, Butcher (for be did not wear
Butcher boois]. Wellington (for the
Wellington va, not invented till after
WAterloo), al affected big boots.
A famous, or rather Infamous, his-
terical boot existed in Scotland az
late az the year 1890. 1t was made
of wood and iron. It has been tried
on many legs, but fitted none. ard
was called literally sun qne," for it
was q single boot, and was called the
torture boot" The leg of the vic