Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-07-23
HARD UP FOR LEATHER.
THE WOODEN SHOES OF THE SOUTH IN
WAR


WAR DAYS.
\ wooden shoe. SAYS Il writer in the
August AI0Dtjc, was among the very
first inventions patented under the con-
federate government. In the beginning
considerable variety of shapes prevailed.
Some could do no better than die out "a
rude wooden receptacle for the foot. a
travestY on the Sabot worn by the French
peasants; a strip of leather being attach
ed to the top. by means of which the
clog was secured to the ankle. But bv
lar the best and most comfortable STYLE
ana one which was adopted whenever
the additional leather required was to be
had, was simple sole of ash. willow or
some light wood. to which full leathrru
upperS were fastened with tacks. At
ilrSt these were made 50 thick. in order
to insure durability, that among their
various other effects was that of adding
very >en>ibly to the stature of the com
munity. Later on it was found better to
make the Sole> thinner. and protect them
from wear by mailing on their bottom
light irons, similar in shape to horse
shoes. They were necessarily the
noi>icSt shoes ever worn. alwav, annouuc-
ing the approach of their wearers at a
good round distance When the air wa,
clear and the ground frozen. one was bv
this means kept well appraised of the
movements of his immediate ncighbor,.
! E-hn,ia1I,- al g. 1.
them the abomination of the negro in hi,
nocturnal rambcS The di>mav of
nervous people and careful housewives.
| their effect indoors was indeed something
terrific. though after irons came into
vogue and cSNcncd the impacting surface
the chatter was toned down to something
under the tramp of horse. Nor were
| they much less destructive to floors
while carpets simply did not exist in
j their wake. Despite the >crubbing> and
>courin%> of Il quarter century. their
marks are yet to be seen in some houses.
/ The u>c,pt wooden bottoms for shoes
Wa> by no means confined 10 thcncproc,.
They We're worn bv the majority of
laboring people. a, well a.. by many of
both SEXES who had been feared in atiiu-
rncc. The scarcity of the last winter of
the war drove whole Families into them
except the little feet which could not be
trusted to steer such craft, but bore their
share of martyrdOm by being imprisoned
indoors throughout the livelong dreary
months.
Great skill and caution were requisite
to keep IA foot in wooden bottoms at all.
y queer spectacle it was, too. to see ones
felloW-beingS stepping gingerly around.
a. if there were universal miSgivingS ~
10 the SateneSS of the earth'S crust. one
may forget his first feat with firearms.
and even his first exploit on skates. but
never his first flight on-or. to be accu-
rate. his first abduction by-wooden bot
toms. If the Soles, which. in "A clumsy
attempt 10 tit the foot were shaped like
rockers. were once set in motion. they
persisted in ineNorably fitting one for
ward, especially if descending a hill. till
voiton was utterly lost. and nothing
Nil'l VI an ascent III Il Idll tOulu arrest
them. However. in time they became
comparatively manageable. one getting
able 10 choose his own path, a. we'll rs
to have some small voice in StoppageS.
lpperS were made of such random
pieces of leather, or of anything bearing
the tainteSt semblance to leather. that
could be lighted ON. Carriage curtains
and buggy tops were acceptable. In
some cases old morocco pockptbookS
We're converted into childrcn'> shoes :;
while many ladies managed to fashion
themselves a sort of mOccaSin out of the
most heterogeneous and unpromising
materials. Woe to the careless wight
who suffered his saddled horse to stand
out near church, store. or postofice after
nightfall; The chances were that when
he Went to mount he would find that
some one had appropriated his saddle
skirts for sole leather. unless, indeed, he
had forestalled such act by apprOpri-
atiuu thpm IN that end himself