New-York tribune., 1886-05-16
SOME THINGS ABOUT SHOES.

FAST WORk-INTERES11NG FACTS GIVEN bi a
TALKATIvE SHOEMAKER.
"They have been ready for you just ten mill
utesr said a downtown shoe-dealer to a man who
ran excitedly into his store few days ago. hne.
looking pair of shoes were taken out of a box and
shown TO the man, who said they appeared TOO
small. HIS old shoes were taken of, the new ones
mt on. and he seemed to be satisfied and went out
as burriedly as he came in. leaving, however. 30
for the new shoes.
Yes that is pretty fair price for pair OF
shoes; much more than could have got from any
one else, out more than would charge under
the same circumstances, salu lne ,ledei' ~
make those shoes | had to stop work on another
mans who not in as great hurry. ms GUS
toner came TO me at 10 o'clock this morn ug ana
asked if / could make him PAIR OF SHOES 80 tna' @ He %
cOuld wear them when hrst put on anu III tihe ~
catch the o'clock train from the Urahu CGhlrai
Station Well. being a regular customer to!I
him l would try and II succeeded ne agtegu az o,S 70
give me $25. Having his measure already, olu
not have To stop for that. and the bargain was no
sooner made than called up a little En9iIsh shoe
maker from downstairs VINO Is 1no 5wdcss IT,
man ever saw. and told hum what wanted: Iie
vent back to his bench and tell you thilgs l'iriy
flew although the little fellow did not seem 10 Qe
hurried. He could lay his band on every IooI WIN
ont lookinp and he kept steadily, not wasting
much time for lunch. once III a whlie Ms eye
would seek the clock and he seemed satishel. ven
he went through the whole process OF making the
shoes from cutting out the leather 10 poIlsHhg anu
filing I'm the Innings in SIX hours and twenty
minutes This, believe. Is rs QUICK as any hahq-
II ade shoe was ever finished, and II was Sood WORK.
Do YOU know that there are only a few shoe
r,ol-ors IN Nsv-York ; What | mean Is that there
are NOT many men who know all about tile shoe
/ makers trade. There are enough shOewakerS s!sns
hanging around, but a sign does not ma ~ s4og
maker. He must have learned his trade; and %
n n think that a seven years apprenticeship IS any
too long for bright boy to learn the tra1e ID
ali its departments. Would you believe that about
| uine-tenths of all the shoemakeIs III tAls c-t
/ cannot cut an upper 70 be sure o. q NJ J
/ Nearly all OF them when they get an order lor a
nar of shoes vii take the measurements L. cQt'er
! In some of the large shoe factories no Is Krp1
specially for this purpose Most OF TIE shoeihaAcI'
| are bungiers. and even when the upper Is cue'
cannot fasten 1t to the sole 50 as 10 preserve lh
! shane except once in a while by accident. lhou4h
people generally DO not know II, shoe IS one 9l
the hardest things 10 mdkc-that - "n"I ma a.
properly and as TO M every "Ilhie III "a, loVu
! nrithouf pressure or strain upon any part Ieopir
risk their feet and future comfort IN me hahas OF
/ men who claim TO be shOemakers, but WHO nave
/ rDvar Lean tauplt ANYTHING more than the way 70
! nnt an a heel and sole Machine work Las drlVcn
! handmade shoes out OF the markeI 70 ~ lai so
/ extent But n man who makes machine shO"5
| cannot be called a shoemaker. lie only makes a
nart of a shoe There five distinct processes IN
making an upper and eleven in putting on ana hh-
ishing soles. Where the work Is done by machinery
J each of these processes 10 done by one man; ne
I mau who cuts the uppers by iron patterns kho"s
| nothing about putting on the soles' except ~ d
general way and so on every other branch OF tnc
/ work By machinery complete shoe can Oe
turned out IN many minutes as ~ lahrs houIs ~
]
man but the product Is not as ecOn0nlcdl I'd lhe
/ purchaser Despte all claims to the contrary
machine shoes wear out sooner tnah h'hu- y,
and only retain their shape for lev DAYS. ne
seams give and the upper stretches III eNoIN
direction Machne-wOrk, of course, Is accurate
and teams become expert at 1t and do cTedItaDIlf
work of the kind, but one OF these shoes Which WI
fit today tomorrow will be large enough Tor 1901
and half. .1.9 W,
:" is there any dull season in the shoe trade les
il begin, about the first OF July and lasts untll tht
| middle of September, and also from the Mihule %
! December TO tie midde OF February. bcuNecl
these p,riods the main part Of the shoe business
/ done The profit shoes ranges lrOlu o. 10 IO'
per cent: in individual cases 1t Is frequently NOR
or less than these amounts lie Lar9est PREY
| ever got for a pair OF shoes or boots IS FI-o ~
was Tor pair of top boots ordered Dy AN ac'o
whose name is known the world over 4Hey ' cI
for use on the stage and were SIMPLY gorgeous
/ Thev were not worth nearly that amount, Oul nae
an order TO make the finest boot that conlq D
Turned ont DO matter what II might cost, ana Dl
putting up the price 20 good hguIe 10 s99fT 'n 'n
| impression OF value that did not exist. II na'
! placed the same boots at 3lO ne Wou1d nav
/ thrown them INTO the street But the Nhoemake
las trials. Human nature IS queer compound
I've been selling shoes for forty years, ana neNe
/ met a man vet who put on shoe tor the hrst tiill
/ who did not have a word or TWO 10 say against II
Put vOuld rather fit ten men than one woman
shOe that lust TITS her foot 50 as 10 be cohlortaD!
is always too big fOr anything but when her 1907
cra1upcd twisted. COntOrted and gencrai4
defnrned she looks into your face with a smile tina
hides her suffering and tells you 10 Is INST the tnlhs
How some women walk with tue shoes tHe
wear is more than can understand. Ieoplc hcNt
take proper OF their shoes. DlackIhS ulns III
leather If used il should he washed OH tho
: Ouguly every two weeks at leao. ana the le"tH,
rubbed with neatslOOt oil. Httle shciiac
solution put on the soies once III whle VIII re- her
them hard and add greatly 70 their duraplIIt,
Thus for about . cents for these TWO items
: least 100 per cent will be added to the wearll
, capacity OF shoes.