The Portland daily press., 1886-03-04
INDUSTRIES AT kENNEBuNK.
Felt Boots a New Enterprise
Leathstoid : keatherboafd = Davis
Shoe Company.

Kennebunk may justly be called the
smartest town for its size IN the State OF
Maine, The enterprise of that town, and
the employment given the laboring classes
would easily put to shame the Queen City,
Bangor. or the Forest City, Portland. For
nearly four wears Kennebunk has been noted
as possessing one of the most wonderful
manufactures, and the only one OF the kind
in the world, that Of leatheroid. 1t almost
borders in the miraculous to find common
cotton paper changed by a chemical bath
into a material that very much resembles in
appearance side of sole leather, which in
durability will outwear leather, wood, tin or
iron. 1t is used in making rowing cans, and
cars for mills, and sample trunks unexcelled
in finish, ,lightness and durability During the
past winter they have manufactured by
special order large number of leatheroid
toboggans for parties in Montreal, Can In
the past year the capacity of this industry
has been nearly doubled by the erection Of
new buildings. About fifty hands are en-
ployeq, and a capital of 100000, is invested.
The leatherboard mandatory is busy
place where stiffenings for the heels OF shoes
are made; leatherboard also being product
from paper, 100 hands are employed in this
establishment Both of the concerns are
situated on the Monsoon stream flowing
through the center of Kennebunk village.
The large buildings of the Davis Shoe Com
pany, also stand upon this stream, and here
nearly 300 hands are employed. This COM
pany is chiefly represented by Joseph Davis,
Esq, of Lynn, Mass, whose property is
estimated at one million dollars, and who is
at present travelling In european countries res
with the intention of remaining abroad two
years or more. But his extensive business
Is so arranged in the hands of trusty agents,
and in such systematic manner, that IL
goes on as smoothly as If Mr. Davis were
present. When he began business years ago
he was not worth dollar, but application
and ENTERPRISE rewarded his. efforts abun-
dantly. He has shoe factories in Lynn,
Mass; Richmond Va, where convict labor
is employed, and Kennebunk, Me-.
largely interested in the development OF
new industry almost as novel in Its charac-
ter as that of leatheroid. 1t is the manufac-
ture of kind of foot apparel used prlnclpal-
ly in the lumber camps all over the country,
and among the farmers, known as Jet boots.
The Merino Shoe Company, Mr.. Davis
principal owner and Mr.. Alfred E. Hawley,
superintendent, began the manufacture OF
felt foots four years ago at Baltimore, Nd,
where convict labor was employed. The
trade mark used upon their goods contains
the picture of merinO. sheep, and this sug-
gestS the fact that felt boots are made almost
wholly of foreign wool, a large part being
Russian. 1t requires on the average two and
one-half pounds of wool to each pair OF
boots. Most expensive machinery IS neces-
sary in the manufacture. The wool is made
into kind of pulp, by means OF chemicals,
among them sulphuric acid. This pulp when
ready is rolled out into sheets, and from
these sheets workmen with patterns cut out
the boots. These parts are then placed upon
lasts, soaken, steamed and dried. When
completed the boot is seamless, and appears
to have been made from one whole piece. 1t
is only within few years that we have OBJ
served these felt boots on sale in the shoe
stores, but they have met with such favor
that the lumbermen and farmers use them in
place of the rubber and kip boots, and moe
casins of other days. The Merino Shoe
Company, while at Baltimore shipped their
goods to Chicago, St. Paul and other great
cities of the West. One firm in st. Paul
used 81, 600 cases in one year. For six months
the Merino Shoe Company have been active
ly engaged in establishing their manufac-
tory at Kennebunk. A wing has been added
to the factory of the Davis Shoe Company,
as large as the factory itself. The work is
rapidly approaching completion under the
direction of the able superintendent, Mr..
Hawley The machinery has been removed
by rail from Baltimore at immense expense.
The factory will be run by water power, but
will also be equipped with steam power to be
featuring will shortly commence. When
running full force will employ 125 hands, and
turn out from 100 to $50 cases of felt boots
per day. They already have orders ahead
for over 1000 cases. Some of the older cities
of Maine would do well to take few lessons
in enterprise from that thrifty country town,
Kennebunk. EvERLEIGH.