The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-06-12

of the store and soaked in a vat con-
tanning the yelks of eggs, in the pro-
portion OF ten dozen skins to one gal
Ion Of yelks. In order to secure that
every part Of the skins shall be thor
oughly soaked, they are trodden by
mems feet. This is done, it is said, ito
feed or hourish them or, in other
words to make them still softer and
more elastic. The soaking over, the
skins are next taken to the dye-house,
and laid face uppermost on a slightly
convex, lead-covered board. Here
they are rapidly and frequently
brushed over with dye-stutf until they
have absorbed q sufficient quantity to
give them the desired color, when they
are again brushed with what is called
"a striker''-that is, a liquid prepara-
ton that will fix and render perms-
nent the dye already put on them.
The skim is next hung up in a stove
or heated room. where it rapidly dries.
When dry, it is handed over to a man
whose business it is to examine it; and
if, as is almost always the case, it is
too thick for the purpose for which it
is intended, or is CT unequal thickness,
to pare it down until it is of the re-
CURED thickness aud of II uniform
thickness all over. In some places
this process is carried on in the
factory, but more commonly in
an outbuilding attached to the work
mans home. 1t is done by means
OF a peculiar knife, shaped like a
quot, the outer edge of which is kept
very sharp. Fixing the skin, by a dex-
ferrous movement of the hand, to a
horizontal bar in front of him, he lays
hold of it with the left hand to keep it
stretched. and with the right hand
scrapes off so much of the tleshv mat
ter at the back of it as may be needed.
Considerable skill is required to pare
the skin without cutting it, and should
the workman be awkward he may not
only injure his work but seriously cut
himself.
The skins are next passed under the
eye of an experienced workman. who
asserts them into their various quail
tiles. After this, they are passed on to
another room, where they are first
rolled up in damp cloths, very much
after the manner in which a laundress
rolls up clothes preparatory to wiring
ing the water out of them; and, when
SO rolled up, they are vigorously pulled.
so as to develop their utmost stretch
ing capacity from head to tail. Then
they are spread out on a broad flat
table, and carefully, though verS
quickly, for the workman's eye gets
exceedingly sharp, examined for flaws
or defects of any kind, such as the seal
left by a wound or thorn-scratcIs or a
thin place, which when found is in
stantly made into a hole. The exami-
nation over, the cutter has made up his
mind how this particular skin before
him can be cut up to the best advant-
%age-that is, in such a manner as to
leave as little waste as possible. His
mind made up, he lay, on a paper.
pattern. taking care to place it so that
it shall be the right way If the grain
and not across it; then, with 4 pair of
shears, resembling shcep-ShcarS, he
cuts it into as many oblong squares
each Of which is just large enough for
one gIove-as the material will admit
of. Out Of the parts left he cuts
pieces for the thumbs and fOurchpttes |
or sides of the tingors-usually pro-
nounced 'fQrgcts and for the binding
the top and the opening lust
above the palm Of the hand, which are
"weltS.' Having cut a number
SKINS, he proceeds to pair the pieces,
.endrayoring to match them exactly in
color and quality, and to make up lit
Il" bundles containing all the pieces
necessary for each parrot gloves. This
i one Of the most important Of
mos" through which the leather
passes. \ clumsy or careless work
man VIII r1t it to waste, getting sever
al pairs Of gloves les, out of a dozen
skins than a clever and careful one. As
watch the process, we are struck
with the rapidity with which the work
is done, and with the skill shown in
dealing with flaws in the leather. Here,
example, is . skin with u hole in
best part Of it about the size of a
with seeming rashncss, the
man cuts the leather 50 that that very
hole comes into one Of the oblonu
We call attention to the fact.
when, with a smile. he points out that
that precise point a hole will be re-
CURED for the thumb-picce.
The pieces of leather, called in the
trade "trancs'-for they are no longer
skins-are now passed on to another
room, where they are cut into their
final shape. Hitherto, we have been
with the preparation of the
material for gloves, and a stranger
have followed all the processes
50 far without gathering from what he
saw any indication of the use to be
made of these pieces of leather. But
low they begin to assume a shape
which can not be mistaken. The read
er, especially the fair reader, has
doubtless often seen IL not ucnd tbo