Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-08-17
ALLIGATOR LEATHER.

rirst Tanned as Curiosity But Now
Used to Make q Multitude Of Ar
ticies.
From the New York Sun.
A large variety of pocket-books, card,
cases, hand bags and.other articles made
Of peculiar notified leather was seen
in Chambers-street showcase. A long
narrow piece of the same kind Of leather
hung over them. It was rounded at one
end and tapered away to a point at the
other. The fippers projected from each
side of it.
1.-THE use for alligator skins seems tc
be increasing" the reporter said to the
proprietor Of the show case.
'SThe increase is astonishing. Twelve
Or fifteen years ago alligator leather was
tanned as a curiosity. Few articles were
made of it. About four years ago, how
ever, the manufacture of alligator leath-
er began in earnest. First few shoes
were made Of it, and the manufacturers
of such goods saw there was something
in it. It is peculiarly beautiful! leather.
There are no two skins marked just alike
and it follows that no two articles made
of the leather can be alike The natural
color of the leather is attractive, sci
aside from the beauty of the mark
ings. It finishes soft and flexible. 1t is
conceded that Americans tan and finish
it in manner superior to the best
workmanship of the old country. Here
is a pocketbook; American alligator skin
forms the outside; American calfskin
the lining, Any judge Of such goods
will say that it is by all odds the hand.
soonest as we'll as the best leather of the
kind in existance. Sixty dollars dozaE
for such goods. small as they are is low
price.
"While the beauty of alligator leather
is it's chief characteristic, its durability
is of hardly less Importance. These
grip-sacks Of alligator leather will out
wear their owners, no matter how
youthful. With these two things IL
favor, it is no wonder that the sale O
alligator leather is increasing"
''How many alligators were slaugh'
tered to satisfy the demand las
year.
mot less than half million"
How do you get the skins and where
did they come fro1n?''
"Most of them from Florida and the
other Gulf States. The alligators are
shot with rifles, and the negroes have
almost a monopoly of the business
When an alligator crawls out or
the sand for his after-dinner sleer
e he fSs v ce 1st{n o one d G6i
for alligators. The hunt is carried on sc
vigorously that the reptiles are begin
ming to grow scarce. Laws will have tC
be enacted to protect them during thu
breeding season and when young.
f'All sizes from two to eighteen feet ir
length are now killed. The choice Skin
is six feet long. There is as much diff
ference between the six~foot skin anc
the eighteen-foot skin as there is be
tween calf skin and an OK hide. The
skins are packed in lime for two month,
to remove the horny scales. The re-
naming process is much like that tol
any leather. It takes four months tt
prepare skin. There is tannery fol
alligator ski in Brooklyn"
HAS any one developed an imitation
Of alligator leather"
skins. No lime will soften the horns
that have stood the attrition of red-ho
sand for half a century. Those skins dc
not wear we'll between the scales. There
are other inpertection in the skins. The
demand for colored goods help us out
however, as the coloring matter cover:
a multitude of imperfections. When
you want an alligator leather article o.
any kind choose the uncolored goods
pay fair price, and you will get the
cheapest as we'll as the handsomest anC
best"