Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-06-26


II might just as well give up,r an old
English cobbler said. .sorrowfully ....there's
no use in fighting American machinery
Things get worse every day. and all the
cobblers are getting into other trades
"How long have you been at it ?"
"Almost 80 years l Was apDrenticed
when was boy, for seven years. and
learned my trade under good master |
became a journeymsn, and did fairly.
When was about "a came to this coun-
try and opened a small shop. Business
was good for 10 or IL years. and put by
little money. Then they began to invent.
don't believe there is single thing about
boot or shoe but what it is covered by
dozen patents
..Th ere are machines that cut pegs, and
m achines that drive them. sewing ma
chimes that sew with cord. or gut, or wire
and finishing machines. They were bad
enough until manufaci urers began to di-
vide up the trade. Instead of one man,
who started with the leather and worked
until he turned out pair of boots, they'd
have two dozen men, eaci. one Of them to
do one thing and DO more. Then the
Massachusetts men made contracts with
the persons and penitentiaries. and so got
their labor for almost nothing.
You see how it is yourself. There is
that shoe store across the way. The store
keeper never handled an awl in his life.
but he makes money. Those shoes hang
ing on the left. marked ~, were made
down near Boston BY machinery in great
factory. They sell 'em to the jobbers for
about 81. The jobber sells them again to
the retailer for sl.25, and be makes 75cts.
on them. And they're not bad shoes
either. couldn't. to tell the truth. make
'em for less than $3. The shoes alongside
marked 81 and $l.50 are what make
me disguised. They come from some State
prison. and usually wear two or three
months. In the old days a mechanic or
clerk would buy a good pair of shoes for
"a or $5, and by being careful they'd last
for five or six months. He'd then have
'em half-soled. and then they'd he good
for couple of months more. For half
soing and heeling we cobblers would get
from 81 to $2.. Nowadays the mechanic
buys these Jail shoes, and when they wear
out he gets a new pair. / don't blame
him, though. He keeps his feet in better
condition and it costs less than it used to.
suppose 1t used to cost a wOrkingman
about Sl2 for his shoes; now it costs him
S5 orS6. But it's rough on us old cob
blers. Business is just about one quarter
of what it was, and before long there'll be
no cobblers left. You may have noticed
how many of them are Germans. The
English. American and Irish are nearly
all gone. and even the Dutchmen get dis
couraged, and give up the lapstone and
open a small beer saloon,"
doesn't machinery do honest work ?''
at depends on the concern. Take these
evening shoes. OF course, they're only
worn IN parlors. and so they never need
half soling. You'd suppose that sole solid
leather. Well, it isn't. One machine
slices leather as fine as writing paper,
They take two of these sheets and sand
wich them with paste-board and some
patent glue. and another machine rolls it
into what looks like handsome sole leather
1t costs one quarter as much, and for par
lers it's all right. But if the owner has to
walk home in a heavy rain, all of sudden
the whole thing may drop out. They use
it. too, for shoes for babies and nurses.
Here's another sample-a thin sheet of
leather veneered on to canvas. This isn't
altogether fraud. because you can use it
for baby-carriages and for covering furni-
ture but for shoes it is worse than worth
less. It wouldn't last more than three
days. ."-NesU York Sum-