The Penn's Grove record., 1886-09-18
ID o
How They Arc Made Over ana Solu
in OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of the Trade.

In a dingy and ilI-ventilated cob
bler's shop in one Of the most denseiy
populated streets of South Brooklyn
sits. from sunrise to sunset, an old n
dried-up shoemaker. He always ap-
pears TO be busy, but the boots ana
shoes that are exhibited in a showcase
at the front door have a worn n di-
lapidated appearance. The shoemaker,
who is a character in his way, makes
a living by repairing and selling second
hand shoes. There is not fortune IN
the business, to be sure, but the aged
cobbler informed a reporter recently
that by working from sixteen TO elgh-
teen hours a day he was able to sup
port his wife and little ones. me IN
dustry of r~enovating secondhand shoes
is not a new one, by any means Inc
idea originated in London and Is car
ried on largely in all European cities IN
the quarters of the poor.
Said the shoemaker: ''lOu would
be surprised to see the class or meI
who purchase secondhand shoes. l
have among my customers an elderly
gentleman who comes here regularly
every three months and buys a pair OF
shoes for ST.. 50. He is wealthy, but q
miser, Many men whom | might
name, and who are well abe 10 Dny
new shoes, prefer secondhand ones icr
economy's sake. When a pair of shoes
is cast off they are worthless to the
original purchaser and can be bought
for a song. When business III dull L
sometimes go out on a collecting tour,
and in a couple OF hours will obtain
enough shoes and boots to keep Inc en-
ployed for a month. Boots are much
more valuable than shoes because they
contain more leather. | lind that they
are not worn much nowadays, and
those l occasionally come across ale
made of the finest leather"
What means are taken to burnlsh
up old shoesP" was asked.
''The uppers of secondhand shoes
are always good, whether the lowers
are worn or not. If the body OF the
shoe is not in a patchable condition, l
must put on an entirely new instep.
Usually the upper part of the heel 10
the curve of the foot remains IN good
condition. Sometimes it becomes neces-
sary to entirely r%enoyate old shoes, so
that when finished they are like new
ones. with this difference, that the
leather used is not so good as the origi-
nal. Soles and heels always have to be
rebuilt and the toes capped. In all
these repairs the cheapest of sole
leather is used. When finished the
shoes can he sold from s~eventy-tiye
cents to $3.50. A shoe must be Of the
finest leather and be but little wor1t9
bring 81"
"WhO are your cuStomerst"
"Poor people, who can afford to pay
but little for their shoes. l supply whole
families with shoes, from the father
and mother to the baby. do but lit
tie business in women's shoes. Women
usually wear their shoes in the street
until they become shabby, when they
are cut down and used II the house as
slippers. And then, besides, women's
shoes are now so cheap that 1t would
not pay to make them over"
While the reporter was listening TO
the cobbler's chatter there entered the
store a laborlDg man who, after much
dIckering, bought a pair of brogans
three sizes too large for him tor ninety
cents.
Those shoes which 1 have just
Sold" continued the shoemaker, will
the man nearly a year. You
know what he paid for them, and can
estimate what shoe leather costs poor
people who know where to purchase"
Half a dozen or more cobblers make
a living in Brooklyn by mending and
making ove old shoes.