Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-03-12
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RUBBER BOOTS AND SHOES.

| y
of all these, the best is known as Para, a
South American product. obtained in Brazil
about 1900 miles above the mouth of the
Amazon. 1t is called Para from the city OF
that name from which it is shipped to for.
eign parts. The gum is gathered by tap
ping the rubber trees, AS we tap maple trees
for sap tor maple sugar. The sap is gather.
ed into large pot into which the native
dips q fiat wooden paddle to which the gum
adheres. He withdraws the paddle and
holds it in 4 smoke made by burning palm
nuts, which dries and cures this film OF rub,
ber on the paddle. He then dips again and
smokes again, repeating the process until ne
has on the paddle bunch of gum weigh:
ing several pounds. Then he splits the ball
or roll to get the paddle out, and it is ready
for market.
These natives are not models of honesty,
as these chunks of gum frequently contain
palm nuts, rubber nuts, pieces ofiron, or are
freely mixed with sand to add to the weight
which often causes the manufacturer great
trouble. The public, or a large share OF the
public, have an idea that the crude rub
ber gum comes something like tamarac, and
that it is melted and cast into whatever
form isdesired, but this is not true. \ rub
Der shoe factory is not foundry; it comes
nearer being printing office.
These chunks of rubber are sliced into
steaks, you might say, by sharp knives re-
volving rapidly and kept constantly Whet-
| ted. When one of these knives strikes an
iron spike there is apt to be emusic in the
air." The operators are on the lookout,
however, and accidents are 50 thoroughly
guarded against that they are very rare.
These steaks are then put into chopping
machine, when they, are made into an ar
ticle closely resembling boarding house
hash, only that this hash is the straight
goods except that it needs cleaning. The
Small pieces thus formed are then put
through amachne which makes mince meat
of them and at the same time washes out
all the dirt and sand. This (not the dirt
and sand) is now shoveed into rolling ma
chine which compresses the mass into rough
sheets. This is the first process. These
sheets are then taken to another building
and put into a steam drying room, where
they remain about three months to free
them from all moisture.
BY the drying process they lose from ID
to 80 per cent. of their weight. If the least
moisture remains in the rubber when made
up into shoes, the heat of vulcanization
causes its expansion, and consequently caus-
es blisters I'M the stock. The dry gum is then
run between heavy iron rollers heated by
steam, and called grinders, by which it is
softened to peri. the admiXture of the
vulcaniZing material.
Rubber in it's natural state is unfit for
use, and Goodyear's process of vulcaniza-
tion by the aid of sulphur is necessary to
utilize it. This process is done by running
the ground rubber through still another Sc.
ries of rollers which press the rubber and
sulphur together in one soft, fine body,
which is finally run through calendar be-
tween great steel cylinders; the mass is pass
ed out into long smooth sheets of any de-
sired width or thickness. Then comes the
printing process. These sheets are fed
| through steel cylinders on the face Of which
is engraved the pattern of sole, heel, and
upper desired to be produced, and these
| impressions are as clearly printed on the
rubber as this type impression is on this
paper.
Then the sheets 60 to the cutters, who cut
out the different parts and send them To
their respective departments. The lasting
is done similarly to that of other shoes, ex-
cept that the parts are all put together by
rubber cement, and, before removal from
the last, they are placed in the vulcanizing
ovens, where they are subjected to degree
of heat that transforms the various parts in
a homogeneous mass in the shape OF boot
or shoe without seam, nail, or peg. Then,
| if dull finish is desired, the last is removed,
and the goods are ready for market. Other
wise they are vanished to give the bright
| finish, and dried, when they are ready
Chicago Shoe and Leather Reciec.
RARE AND CURIOUS PENNIEs.-Warren
Gee, of Spring Lake, Michigan, is the pos.
SCISSOR of one of the most complete and finest
collections of United States money in the
country. The collection of cents embraces
specimens of every coinage from the first to
| the last, in good condition. The first United
States cents bears the date Of 1893, and cents
have been coined in every year since then
with the sole exception of the year 1915
The first cents had on the diverse side te-
male head with loose, flowing hair. The
head faced the right not the left, as do the
what is called 1.-The fillet head" was adopted,
the hair being loosely tied. This "tillet
head" appeared on all the cents until 1908,
when head known among collectors as the
'turban head" ,"appeared. The turban head
! faces the left. The word "Liberty" appears
upon the cents of this class, but what is dis
tinctively termed "the Liberty head" with
the hair bound with band bearing the
word Liberty, is first seen upon the cent OF
1916, running through all the rest of the Sc
ries of large copper cents, the last of which
was issued in 1857. In 1856 the coinage OF
what is known as "the Eagle cent? COM
menced. This is a small nickel cent bearing
upon the diverse the figure of flying eagle:
Eagle cents were coined in 1856, 1851 and
1858. The eagle in 1859 gave place to fe-
male head wearing an Indian head dress OF
feathers.
In 1864 the material Of the cent was chan
ged from nickel to copper. This was the
last alteration. The rarest of the cents are
those of 1779 and 1904. The former is valued
at S. to $25, according to conditions, and the
latter at So to sl5 Mr.. Gee remarked:
81 saw an unusually fine 1904 cent sold in
New York month ago for $500. 1t was an
uncrculated cent, which had been kept in
box of cotton and was perfectly, bright.
There was competition at the SALE"
The cent of 1909 is another rare cent, or
dnarily we'll preserved specimens of which
are worth $50 to So An uncirculated spec
linen would bring $40 to Sl5. Any of the
cents prior to 1900 is worth, in good condi-
ton, from 81 80 to s.. The large coppers of
dates from 1916 to 1857 range in value from
10 cents toSl apiece. The eagle cents OF 1857
and 1853 are common and command no pre-
MUM, but that of 1856 is rare. In uncircu-
lation or proof condition tits worth from 81
to 50.
THE FOLLY OF THE DAY.-There is a
dreadful ambition abroad for being "gen-
tee." We keep up appearances too often
at the expense of honesty and though we
may not berich, yetwe must seem to be re
spectable," though only in the meanest
sense-in mere vulgar show. We have not
the courage to 60 patiently onward in the
condition of life in which it has pleased
God to call us; but we must needs live in
some fashionable state to which we ridicu-
lously please to call ourselves; and al! to
crafty the vanity of that unsubstantial,
genteel world, of which we form part.