The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-02-26
"sLAck YOUR eooTsr

fne Mixture Used Id Fliny's Day-Ineredi.
ents of Modern Blacking-The Time
When the Old-Fashioned Boot-Blacit
Disappeared.
1t appears to have been customary to
imbue shoes with an oily mixture of
SOME kind before the time of Pliny, that
is to say, before the commencement of
the Christian era. In the fifteenth book
of his "Natural History the great Ro-
man book-maker states that Cato re-
commended the dregs of the olive, after
the expression of the oil. to be used for
amounting bride reins, leather thongs
and shoes to render them supple. The
same author, in the thirty-fifth book of
this same series of his, describes mix
ture which appears to be the very foun-
dation of our modern blacking. This
mixture he defines as compound of
lampblack, gum and vinegar, which
could be used for cleaning shoes and
for ink to write with as well, and he
makes much of the double utility of the
invention. That very compound, with
the addition of oil and molasses, would
make the blacking we use nowadays.
That such mixture was in use in
Pliny's day is shown by the discovery,
among the old Roman remains in Eng
land, of leather which had been covered
with backing, and some fragments of
which still preserve dull polish. The
first blacking was doubtless rubbed on
the leather with the fingers OF cloth;
for, at the time it originated, the stiff
brush of the present day was unknown.
Brushes made of vegetable fiber and
hair are mentioned by Homer, but from
the designs which have come down to
us, these could not have been used for
polishing.
The stiff bristle brush was invented
several centuries ago, but it was not fit
for a polishing tool, either. 1t was only
in the present century that the backing
brush was brought into use. In 1901 a
whalebone fiber backing brush was
patented. but it seems to have been a
failure. Split quill brushes have also
been tried and forr.d wanting. This
about in 1912.
originally composed chiefly of tallow,
wax and probably lalnp-black, and was,
therefore, somewhat similar to harness
backing. 1t was European invention,
and was first used in rance and Italy.
A Mr.. Richard Martin got hold of the
recipe for it while OF his travels, and
when he returned to England he made
partnership for its nlanufacture with
Mr.. Charles Day. in 1901. This firm
has since acquired worldwide celebrity.
under the title of Day & Martin. Another
important blacking manufactory was
afterward established by Mr.. Robert
Warren. Another was subsequently
| founded by Mr.. Everett, who com
menced business in Kings Head Court
Holborn. All the parties connected il
| establishing these three firms acquired
large fortunes.
Each maker had, Of course, proper
tions and methods of mixing peculiar tc
| himself; but the chief materials, namely
a black coloring matter and certain sub
stances which acquire gloss by fric
ton, were the same in most cases. 1r
England they generally consist of bone
black, sugar or molasses, sperm oil, sui
phuric acid, and strong vinegar. Tht
bone-black, in the state of very thin
powder, and the sperm oil, are frs
thoroughly Incorporated; the sugar Of
molasses. mixed with small proportion
of vinegar, is now added, and wei
stirred into the mass: strong sulphuri'
acid is then gradually poured in th'
vessel. The mixture is then diluted
with an additional quantity of vinegar
Paste backing is now made in precisel.
the same way as liquid blacking, excep
that the last portion of vinegar is no
added. 1t can be understood from thes
ingredients how boy who recently un
dertook to eat three boxes of blackin.
on wager, could die in terrible con
vulsions. Baron Lieb'g states that il
Germany blacking is made in the fol
lowing manner: Powdered bone-blacl
is mixed with half its weight of molasses
and one-eighth of its weight of olive oil
to which are afterward added one
eighth of its weight of muriate acid au'
one-fourth its weight of strong sulphur
acid. The whole is then mixed up wit
water to sort of unctuous paste.
In the days of Sim Tappertit, Londol
and all other great cities were dirty an
badly paved, and bootblacks weresa
abundant as they are at the present day
They haunted the corners of the busies
streets of London and Paris, and som
few, like Mr.. Tappertit, were installed il
shops and little booths. They hailed tn
pedestrians with: ''Shoeblack, you
honor?'' 'Black your shoes, sir?' an
never had change any more than the
have it to-day. They used an oleaginou
and lusterless blacking, smearing it OF
with their hands and rubbing it smoot
with brush OF rough cloth. In tn
polishing shops old shoes were some
times loaned the customer to wear whil
his good ones were being blacked.
curious old police court case in Londo
concerns the arrest of man for runnin
OFF in pair of the bootblack's shoe'
which were better than his own.
II is an odd fact that when the pater
improved blackings We're Introduce
the old-fashioned public bootblack, VIII
used to mix his blacking up for himse
each day, disappeared. Everyone too
to having his boots blacked at home, no
that the tools and polish were SO hand,
and for score of years the public boo
black was unknown. Then he began
crop up again and grow toward tt
army he forms to-day. In Paris mo
of the public bootblacks are old womel
and in Germany they are young one
There are no bootblacks in Spain, fc
the men there wear patent leather sho
entirely. The manufacture of the
shoes is vast industry in Franc
whence the Spanish market is supplies
Cincinnati Enquirer.
| A $4,000 Fence in Virginia.