The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1885-02-26
RUBBER BOOTS AND SHOES


The Crude NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Drying Process-Prlntlng.
lshoe and Leather Review.l
There arc twenty or thirty varieties Of
crude rubber, varying greatly IN quality,
and of all these tho best is known =
Para, q South American product, OBJ
tanned 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 foreign
parts. The gum is gathered ~
tapping the rubber trees, as We tap
maple trees for sap for maple sugar.
The sap is gathered into large pot into
which the native dips nat wooden
paddle. to which gum adhcrcs. He
withdraws the paddle and holds it III y
smoke made by burning palm nuts,
which dries and cures the Aim Of rubber
on the paddle. He then dips again and
smokes again, repeating the process un.
til he has on the paddle bunch OF gum
weighing several pounds. Then he
splits the ball or roll to get tho paddle
out, and it is ready for market. These
natives are not models of honesty,
however, as these chunks Of gum frO-
quently contain palm nuts, rubber nuts,
pieces of iron, or are freely mixed with
sand to add weight, which often causes
the manufacturer great trouble. The
public, or large share Of the public,
have an idea that crude rubber gum
comes from something like tamarac, and
that it il melted and cast into whatever
form is desired, but this net truO, 4
rubber shoe factory is not foundry; y
comes nearer bcing = printing Office.
These chunks of rubber are sliced
into steaks, you might say, BY sharp
knives re, diving rapidly and kept con-
stantly wetted. When one Of these
knives strikes an iron spike, there Is
apt to be Emusic in tho air. The
operators arc on the lookout, however,
and accidents arc 50 thoroughly guarded
against that they are very rar0. These
steaks are then put into chOpping
machine, where they are made into m
article closely resembling boarding
house hash, only that this hash u tho
straight goods, except that it needs
cleaning. Tho small pieces thus formed
arc then put through machine which
makes minco meat Of them, and at tho
same time washes out all the dirt and
sand. This (not tho dirt and sandl IL
now shoycled into rolling machine
which congresses the mass into rough
sheets. This is the first process. These
sheets are then taken to another build
ing and put into Il steaM drying room,
where they remain about tllrea months
to free them from all moisture.
: by the drying process they lose from
u to 30 pcr cent. Of thcir weight. u
the least moisture remains in tho rub
Der when made up into shoes, tho heat
Of vulcanization causes its expansion,
and consequently causes hlistcrs in thu
stock. The dry gum is then run between
heavy iron rolls, heated BY steam, and
called grinders, by which it is sQftcned
to permit tho admixture OF the vuicanlz
ing material. Rubber in it's natural
state is unfit for uso, aud Goodyear
process Of vulcanization by the aid 01
sulphur is necessary to utilize it. Their
comes the printing process. Thcss
sheets are fed through steel cylindorl
on the face of which is engraved tn
pattern for sole, heel, and upper desired
to bo produced, aud these impression
are AZ clearly printed on tho vQbber q
this type impression is on this paper.
Then the sheets 60 to the cutters, who
cut ont the different parts aud send
them to their respective departments
The lasting is done similarly to that o
other shoes, except that the parts ar'
al put together by rubber cement, and
before removal from the last, they ar
placed in tho yulcanizing ovens, wher,
they arc subjected to q degree OF hea
that transforms the various parts into ,
homogeneous mass in the shape OF boo
or shoe without q scam, nail, or peg
Then, if a dull finish is desired. the las
IS removed, and the goods are ready fol
market. Otherwise they ass vapniahot
to give the bright finish, and dried
when they arc ready.