The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-03-26
LAsr-MAk,No.
An shapes, Sizes and Styles Turned Out BY
q Machine.

LAST-MAkIN0.
An shapes, Sizes and Styles Turned Out BY
| . Machine.
LASTS for pegged work are made
from rock maple. and for sewed work
from persimmon wood" said North
Side last-maker to reporter. "All
experience has demonstrated that maple
is the best adapted to the purpose.
rather hard, tough wood being re-
quired, which. when properly dried.
will neither shrink nor swell, that fin
ishes smoothly, and does not easily
splinter. Maple fulfills all the require
ments, and no other wood which is as
plenty and no more expensive will fill
| the bill as well. Lasts are sometimes
made from beech when maple can not
be had. and applewood. if it was plenty
and cheap, could be used to excellent
advantage. This firm owns timber in
Michigan, where the last-blOcks are
got out and aired for two years, after
which they are kiln-dried at the factory
for two or three weeks. in order to re-
move every suspicion of moisture, and
when the timber is seasoned in this
manner the lasts will hold their shape.
1--WE turn out about one hundred
thousand pairs of lasts in year, which
are made to order for manufacturers.
of which we have about one hundred
and fifty on our books. One Chicago
boot and shoe house takes over one
tenth Of our total product. We have a
capacity of five hundred pairs of lasts
per day, but average about three hun
bred and fifty pairs. We have eight
lathes, but they are not all running con-
stantly. Another factory here turns
out One-half or twO-thirds the amount
of our product, and there is little other
manufacturing done in the West. A
! factory mt DAYTON, o., about as large as
this, turns out regulated sizes to sell to
wholesalers for small shoe-makers
through the country. Our work is all
done on order. and we have twenty
six hundred pairs of models, of which
no two are alike.
! "Iron-sOled lasts are used for ma
chine-sewed work. They cost from IS
cents to Sl.2j per pair. Plain lasts
cost from 40 to 75 cents. according to
the number made from one model.
Some parties sell lasts made from half
green stuff at % cents. In MasSachu-
sets, the first State in the Union in the
boot and shoe making industry, there
are about thirty factories. and others
are scattered through the East.
Eyes. lasts are made to last. and the
iron-soled ones are hard to wear out.
! N,,@ l,c Lon in
way and another, and have to be re-
placed, while the great point in our
favor is the fact that new styles in foot
gear are periodically introduced re-
quiring entirely new sets of lasts. But
the most interesting part of the whole
business is the machine which does the
main work." and the Eastman led the
way to where NEST ingenious device
was in operation.
The first thing to strike the behOlder
was that last was being turned out
automatically of the same form as the
pattern, which was revolving on an
axis having the rough maple block at
the other end. 1t required little re-
Election to grasp the principle. while
the detail would bear the close analysis
J
! came in contact with wheel with a
rounded surface pressing close against
it, and bringing the block at the oppo-
site end in exactly the same varying
position with reference to the six knives
on a cuttcr-head. which were arranged
! i'm graduated distances from common
center.
The last-maker explained that from
| the same model nine:v-One different
sizes of lasts could be made: that is to
saw, thirteen lengths, each with six
different widths. Another man took
the lasts from the lathe and sawed out
the "block.' or the piece ut the top.
/ which is removable. Then some men
shaved or trimmed the heels and toes.
the only hand labor necessary. Next
the lasts were sand-papered. then pol
ished with beeswaX. and a number had
iron heels. toes or solcs attached.
Skilled labor is required to operate
this machinery. and the men make
from $3.50 to $3.50 per day.
The foreman of another factory on
South Canal street took great pride in
showing an attachment to the lathe
an improvement which fourteen years
thought and experience had produced
and which, by securing reverse ac-
ton of the rough block to that of the
model, turned left last from a right
raodel. In little box which he has
introduced in waste space on the
lathe is located a gearing and auto
matte clutch, which. with the aid of a
crossed belt. produces the reverse ac-
ton. The lathe itself has been in use
some twenty years. and is conceded to
he the result of a high order of genius.
The inventor of the. Improvement on it
remarked that there was a '.headfull'
in each of its ingenious features.-
Chicago Meas.
IN NEWGATE.