The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-04-01
Curious Industries.

The work of the staff of officers APP
pointed by the Superintendent of the
Census to collect statistics relating 10 the
industries and manufactures of New
York city is now approaching completion
and will show, in the opinion of Mr..
Charles f. Hill, the gentlemen in charge
of it, very satisfactory growth since
| 1870. In the course of the investigation
by Mr.. Hills deputies some singular in
dustries were brought to light. 1t was
found, for instance, that some use was
made of old shoes, but exactly what use
was hard to find out. Large numbers of
old shoes were sold byrag pickors to GER
tain men,who disposed of them at good
price. 1t is we'll known that bits of old
| leather make the commercial article
known as Prussian blue, but only few
| firms manufacture it, and the new call
for old shoes was evidently for some 9TH
er purpose In New York city and Brook
lyn about three million pairs of old shoes
| are thrown away every year. Formerly
old shoes were plentiful in the neighbor-
hood; now it appears that they are sought
after as choice prizes in the ragpickers
line. BY dint of persvering inquiry it
was discovered that the old shoes were
used for three purposes. First, all shoes
not completely worn out are patched,
CREASED, and after being otherwise re-
generated, sold to men who deal in such
wares. Some persons wear one shoe
much more than the other; these dealers
| find mates for shoes whose original
mates are past hope. Secondly, the shoes
not worth patching up are cut into pieces
the good bits are used for patching 9th
| er shoes, and the worthless bits, the soles
and cracked uppers are converted into
Jamaica rum by a process known only
to the manufacturers. 1t is said that
they are boiled in pure spirits and allowed
to stand for few weeks, the product far
surprising the Jamaica rum made with
essences, burnt sugar and spirits. A
gentleman who doubted the truth of this
story stopped recently at a low grog shop
in the neighborhood of the factory spok-
en- of and inquired if they had any rum
from old shoes "No,' said the barkeep-
er, ''we don't keep it much now; the
druggists, who want pure article, all
sell it, and the price has gone up. But
we have had it, and we can get you some
if you want it. How many old shoes
90 to gallon of rum could not be as
certained.
1t had been noticed by some deputies
that while manufacturers are quite will
ing to put valuation upon their manu-
factured product, they hesitate about
stating the value of the raw material, and
even return the schedules with the space
for the value of raw material left blank.
In one instance manufacturer of toma-
10 catsup returned a report giving the
value of his manufactured product at
$4,000 and the value of his raw mater
ial as nothing His explanation was as
follows: Every year in the canning sea
son he sends to the wholesale houses
which make business OF canning to-
matoes clean tubs, with the understand.
ing that the women who trim and peel
shall throw the skins and parings into
these tubs; every day the tubs are re-
moved, the stuff IN them gronnd up, fer
mented, favored and sold as tomato cat
sup to the extent of $4,000. Another
singular and decidedly pernicious bust
ness is the manufacture on large scale
of cheap candies from white earth or ter
ra alba, mixed with little sugar and
glucose. The deputy who investigated
the confectionery business reports that
twenty-five per centum of some candies
is composed of these substances, land such
candy, notably gum drops, contain still
less sugar. The effect of white earth up
on the stomachs of the unfortunate chill
dren who buy these candies is yet TO be
determined by future autopsies. What
is called a fine brand of CASTLE soap has
been found to be composed chiefly of
, this white earth and grease, but the evil
, effects of such an imposture are tritling
compared to the results of turning chill
| dren's stomachs into miniature pottery
works. Among the new industries which
, have sprung into existence during the
last few years is the system of finishing
in this city foreign goods imported in an
y unfinished condition. Foreign articles
composed of several parts are now large
ly finished in that city, the parts calling
r for hand labor being imported while
! those calling for machine work are made
+ here. In this way heavy duties are saved
although the articles are sold as imported
, goods.