The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1886-02-05
WHOLE. NO. :865
NOTHING LIKE. LEATHER.
WHAT A REPORTER SAW IN A SHOE
SHOP IN LYNN.
The Process of Making shoes from the
Raw Material-Machinery Called
i'm to Aid Labor-Triumph
of Human Skill.

Having given general outline of the ma
ferial used and where it is oatained 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 the shoes is to be long, ani these
strips were taken by another man and run
into machine that rose and fell in response
to the workman's will, and each blow cut
out a perfect SOLE The knife that did this
was sharp, and worked up and down like a
doughnut cutter in the hands OF a pastry
cook
The soles were passed from here to tho
"dinker," whose duty it is to place them in
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.
From the dinking machine the now we'll
formed sole goes to the bench where it is
"channelled," process which consists in
turning up a 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
the leather that has been raised up is turned
back and cemented, covering up every trace
OF stitching.
PUTTING: ON A svENEER' SOLE.
At other benches were men with big
metal mallets and steel dies, cutting out the
heels by hand. The heel of a lady's shoe is
small and can be cut from sole leather
shreds that can not be used for any other
purpose Most all the heels are worked up
out of this kind of leather, and though the
cutting could be done easily by machinery,
it is found to be cheaper to do it by hand
''You see that sole, do you!' asked a
work man, holding up one all ready to be
attached to the uppers. ''Well, that is
what we call veneer solee because it is
not what it seems to be- 1t is all leather
every bit of it-and the outside or bottom
is good stock cut out of 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 piece of
ham between two slices of bread in res
taurant sandwich. The under part was
genuine leather, all Of a color and all of
texture; the upper was slightly darker and
Mad marbled appearance, suggestive of
The uppers are cut by hand This is to
ensure having good stock, free from flaws
and imperfections. If they were cut by
machinery many pieces of leather having
holes and rough places would be used. Now
the skilled workmen can cut around these
imperfections by hand and economise a
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 sewing-room, where long rows
Of girls sit by their humming machines,
sewing up seams, binding, lining, working
buttonholes and performing all the work
necessary to complete the uppers. Every
girl has part assigned to her, and whea
she has performed her part the piece is
passed to another and another until it is done
The limp fat strips of leather are brought
in at one end OF the sewing rooms, 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 up
pers are ready to be soled.
WITH IoUTH FULL OF TACKS
Fifteen or twenty young men stood in
long, well-lghted room beside benches,
busily engaged over shoes In the process Of
upright shaft of iron about eighteen inches
high. On top of this was horizontal at
tachment hung on hinges, so as to be turned
up or down and held in place by springs
working i'll slots that could be adjusted to
place the top piece at any angle required.
On these horizontal pieces wooden lasts We're
placed and the uppers hauled on over the
lasts Then, with a pair of steel pincers,
having curved, fiat points, the "uppers'
were hauled tightly over the lasts, making
smooth and perfect fit" This done, the
workman took tin can containing small
tacks and emptied o portion of its contents
into his mouth. Having filed 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 big
machine, a stout man puts his foot on a
brake and turns his shoe and the stout
needle goes clattering through the thick
leather as easily as lady can hem cam
brio handkerchief. When he takes the shoe
out the black "hights'' of the thread can be
seen 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
with the shoes they are passed over to a man j
who moistens the channels with cement and
then passes the soles through machine
that turns the raised: burrows of leather
down 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 a
man. The sharp knife follows along within
third Of an inch of the sewing never get
ting nearer and never going further. When
done the whole line as smooth and regular
The putting on Of the heels is done by
hand. A majority of the heels are made of
the leather 'sshoddy." with only one layer
Of the genuine leather on the outside
When the heels are in place and nailed
they are pared by machinery. After this a
liquid black dye is rubbed over the yellow
edges. As soon as this is done the edges are
polished by machine that holds them up
against revolving discs of cast iron, that
are kept heated to a certain degree by gas
jets burning inside. A boot heel that has
been polished in this manner win stand
great deal of welting and rough usage be
fore losing its lustre Sandpapering the
soles so they win be smooth is another beau
tifying process that is applied This is done
by revolving face of emery, that can De
turned SO as to fit all parts of the surface:
One Of the last sstoaches'' is painting the
diverging sprays on feathers of black or
bronze that are on the soles, beginning near
the heel and divsrging until they reach the
ball Of the foot This is put on by brush
In the hands of skilful painter, who makes
the even lines with his brush as easily and
evenly es Yankee can whittle pine shaw