Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-02-23
NOTHING LIKE LEATHER.
WHAT A REPORTER SAW IN A SHOE.
SHOP IN LYNN.
The Process of Making Shoes from the
Raw MISUNDERSTANDING Called
In to Aid Labor-Triumph
of Human Skill

Having given general outline Of the ma
terial used and where it is obtained the
proprietor invited the reporter TO accompany
him to the basement, where the several
dozen men were turning big yellow sheets
OF leather into leather soles for ladies' shoes
One man cut the leather up into strips as
wide as tine shoes is to be long. and these
strips were taken by another man and run
into machine that rose and fell in response
to the wor1man's viii, and each blow cut
out perfect sole The knife that did this
was sharp, and worked up ard down like q
doughnut cutter in the lands OF pastry
cook.
The soles were passed from here TO the
''dinier,'' whose duty it is to place them in
q metal mould, shaped and curved with
shoe like symmetry, and press them When
they come out the instep is arched, and the
edges of the sole turned up the way they ap-
pear in the shoes offered for sale
Fromthe dinking machine the now we'll
formed sole goes TO the bench where it is
"channell.d," process which consists in
turning up slice OF leather on the bottom
and near the edges of the sole, SO the stitches
that hold it to the ''uppers' will not be ex-
posed to the wear of walking The sewing
is done along these channels and after that
the leather that has been raised up is turned
back and cemented, covering up every trace
Of stitching.
PUTTING on VENEER SOLE
AT other benches were men with big
metal mallets and steel dies, cutting out the
heels by hand The heel Of lady's shoe is
small, and can be cut from sole leather
shreds that can not be used for any other
purpose. Nest all the heels are worked up
out of this kind of leather, and though the
cutting could be done easily by machinery,
1t is found TO be cheaper to do it by hand
You see that sole, do your asked a
workman, holding up one all ready to be
attached to the upperS 'Weli, that is
what We call veneer sole, because it is
not what it seems to lie. 1t is all leather
every bit of it-ani the outside or bottom
is good stock cut out Of a side, but the top,
or part that comes next to the foot, is
veneer. See, there is where it is joined to
the leather
The reporter looked and saw faint streak
or line of junction, looking like a piece Of
ham between Two slices OF bread in a res
taurant sandwich. The under part was
genuine leather, all of color AMI all OF 4
texture; the upper was slightly darker and
had a marbled appearance, suggestive Of
CASTLE soap or Roxbury pudding stone.
The uppers are cut by hand. This is to
ensure having good stock, free from flaws
and iinperfections. If they were cut by
many pieces of leather having
holes and rough places would be used Now
the skilled worknlen can cut around these
by hand and economics =
great deal of stock that would otherwise be
wasted. They stand at benches knife in
hand and cut out the different parts by zinc
patterns placed on the leather.
From the cutters the soft dark uppers are
taken to the sewins-roo where long rows
Of girls sit by their humming machines,
sewing up seams, binding, lining, working
buttonholes and performing all the work
to complete the uppers Every
girl has part assigned to her, ana when
she has performed her part the piece is
passed TO another and another until it is done
The limp Eat strips OF leather are brought
in at one end of the sewing-roonls, and
when they go out at the other they are all
sewed, stitched and lined, the holes are
worked, the buttons are put on and the uI-
psrs are ready to be solsd
WITH MOUTH FULL OF TACKs.
Fifteen or twenty young men stood in q
long, well-hghted room beside benches,
busily engaged over shoes in the process of
completion In front of each one was al.
upright shaft of iron about eighteen inches
high On top Of this was a horizontal at
tachment hung on hinges, so as to be turned
up or down and held in place by springs
working in slots that could he adjusted to
place the top piece at any angle required.
On these horizontal pieces wooden lasts were
placed and the uppers hauled on over the
lasts. Then, with pair OF steel pincers,
having curved, fiat points, the ''uppers'
were hauled tightly over the lasts, making
mooth and perfect fit" This done, the
workman took a tin can containing small
lacks and emptied portion of its contents
into his mouth Having filled his mouth
With tacks, the workman proceeded to take
them out one by one and drive them into
The leather, holding it firmly in place.
The sewing on of the soles is very simple
process The shoe is placed sole up in "a biz
a stout man puts his foot on a
brake and turns his shoe and the stout
needle goes Gathering through the thick
leather as easily as a lady can hem a cam
brio handkerchief. When be takes the shoe
but the black ''bights" Of the thread can be
;een cleaning down in the channels made
BY that man in the basement, and following
On the dizzy edge of the delicately-curved
sole as if it dared not go in any other
place. When the sewing machine has done
with the shoes they are passed over to a man
who moistens the channels with cement and
then passes the soles through a machine
that turns the raised burrows of leather
Town into the channel and presses it upon
The cement solid
GIVING THE FINISHING TOUCHES
When the shoe is made up to this point
the trimming Of the sole comes in, job
which is done by a machine operated by
man. The sharp knife follows along within
\ third of an inch of the sewing, never get
ting nearer and never going further. When
lone the whole line as smooth and regular.
The putting on of the heels is done by
hand A majority Of the heels are maize OF
he leather "shoddy." with only one layer
Of the genuine leather on the outside
When the heels are in place and nailed
hey are pared by machinery. After this
liquid black dye is rubbed over tine yellow
,dges As soon as thus is done the edges are
polished by a machine that holds them I'D
against revolving discs of cast iron that
IRE kept heated to certain degree by gas
jets burning inside. A boot heel that has
been polished in this manner viii stand
great deal Of weiting and rough usage he
lore losing its lustre. Sandpapering the
soles so they will be smooth is another beau
dying process that is applied This is done
BY revolving face of emery. that can be
turned so as to fit all parts Of the surface
One of the last touches is painting tine
hverging sprays on feathers of black or
bronze that are on the soles. beginning near
the heel and diyersing until they reach the
ball OF the foot This is put o. By q brush
IN the hands of a skilful painter. who makes
the even lines with his brush ~ easily and
evenly Is Yankee can white pine shaw
ne. t.: last thing before goirg down
Isairs Is the stamping, which : done by ma
elmer. Gioha
What T-nny>on Il Responsible for.
Lord Tennyson has in measure brought