The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-01-12
ABOUT SHODDY SHOES.
6OLES THAT LAST A WEEK, ANC
WILL NOT BEAR WETTiNG.


Coming Home Observation-Disclosures
turc Of shoddy Goods.
In the manufacture Of boots and shoes
for men. women and children, some Of the
Crossest impositions and receptions are
carried on. A well informed mechanic
said to q reporter the other day:
1T is an outrage that manufacturers of
boots and shoes should be permitted to
throw such trash as they do upon the
market. Why, just look at my shoes, and
only bought them last week. My feet
are almost on the ground. / might be
said to be walking on my uppers
whats the troubley' was asked.
"Troublei why, there 8 trouble enough;
and l arm only one ont OF thirty or forty
thousand persons in this city who have
been yictimized by the manufacturers and
retailers OF these shoddy shoes. When /
first put on the shoes am now wearing
they looked ~ well as any to be seen In
the Broadway or Fifth avenue stores; but
with the first rainstorm the soles began to
peel of, and upon examination l found
that the bottoms OF my shoes were made
mp Of paper and scraps Of leather, which
at first had the appearance of leather. /
went to the store where had purchased
them, but the boss gave me no satisfac-
faction. He said he didn't make them;
told me ! had bought them cheap, and
somewhat insolently wanted to know what
I expected to get for g. told him in
plain words that expected to get good
shoe for that money. | showed him the
paper Goles in my shoes, but that's all the
good IL did me. / accused him Of being
swindlcr, pointed to the numerous boxes
OF shoes about the store from which l had
seen him take the same as mine, but he
took the matter SO coolly that made up
my mind he was used to 1t. He had
well appointed store, and professed to keep
good stock, which, on account OF big
trade, he could afford to sell compare
lively cheap. At the time there was =
number OF wei dressed women I'M the
store, and when they saw the paper soled
shoes held up. and heard what had to
say about the goods on hand, they gath
cred up their skirts and walked out; but
the proprietor didn't seem to mind 1t, as
be knew that his low priced shoes that
were labeled In the windows would draw
in plenty Of custom. | tell you, sir, I'm
q hard working man, and have large
family to care for, but it's money, money
all the time to buy shoes for my children.
I'm q mechanic. and know how good
work ought to stand"
Another workman with whom the re-
porter conversed related pretty much tho
same experience in regard to shoes that
he had bought for his boys, and incident
ally mentioned q recent experience of his
wifc. She had on o pair of low cut shoes,
and, CHANGING to get canght in a heavy
rainstorm, camO home almost barefooted.
The water had soaked through the paste
or composition, and the outer sole, appar-
emily Of leather, had nearly peeled off.
The inside sole was only paper. This
mans experience was that these shoes
would wear of so gradually In very dry
weather that q good many couldn't notice
it: but let them be worn out once or twice
In rninstorm. and then the wearer
would wonder what made the soles peel
of. He said that he had to buy as cheaply
as possible, and no matter In what store
on the Bowery or about the avenues he
traded, the proprietor or his clerk was
always willing to take an oath that tho
shoes were regularly sewed. Il tell You
what, sir" he said. bluntly, these are
Che days for trying mems so!es," and the
speaker laughed at the old joke.
Several reputable shoemakers denounced
the impositions that were practiced In the
manufacture Of shoddy shoes, As it was
very severe upon men who have to work
hard for their money, and only get small
wages at the best One Of these shoe
makers said:
.'Most Of the cheap goods sold In New
York and elsewhere are made in Massa-
chusettes, mostly by machinery, and the
manufacturers use the offal OF leather
splits, skivers, paper or composition
leather, or split horsehide. In many mems,
women's and childrens shoes the inside e
OF pasteboard, and the lining Is coarse
| enough to sift pears through; and then the
shoe is polished and heel balled. Only
experts can tell the difference between
this sort Of shoddy shoes and hand made
work, 90 handsomely are they finished.
From tho top to the bottom OF the sho<
the whole thing IL deceptive. Tho manu-.
acturers Of shoddy shoes are constantly
competing with each other, and every one
daily studies how he can turn out the
cheapest and best looking goods. These
shoddy shoes arc sent all over the United
States, and persons whose means are
.ramped are taken In by them. The bar
gains they think they are getting are The
worst sort of sells.'
| Several other custom work shOemakers
IN speaking OF the subject, said that in oil
these machine made shoes the cheapest
| material was used in mems, wOmcn's and
childrcn's shoes; horsehide being split and
dressed up to represent calf, and poorly
tanned sheepskins being made up in imi
tation of pebble goat.
From the various manufactures dowI
east these shoddy goods are shipped Il
wholesale houses, whence they find theil
way to retailers about town, by whom
/ they are sold mostly to the poorer people
who think they are getting bargains. /
is yariously estimated that from So, 600 Il
SO. 600 n day would not cover the guam
tity of this sort OF trash that Is sold II
this city alone, and It Is too bad that tn
Loss should fall upon those who ca,
III afford It, There are scores OF shop
keepers who sell mems, women's an,
bows boots and shoes from 81 dow
to IS cents less than half the cost o
the material Of good article, let alon
, the cost Of making up. These goods ar
known to the trade as turn shoes, !" iron
the fact that the inside paper sole Is frs
secured to the upper and then the shoe
turned inside out, when the sole Is secures
by nails, paste and perhaps stitch Q
two. The soles Of these cheap shoes tn
J storekeeper will swear are leather, and 8
they really are, but it is not the dresse
hide intact. They are called patent so
ing," and are composed OF scraps groun
) up. skiyers and other waste material
formed into composition and rolled int
various thicknesses by powerful machtl
! cry. From each strip, when IT come
from the rollers and Is dried, two pairs I
soles can be cut, md the waste Is used K
filling in. In dry weather such soles WI
wear tolerably well, but in wet wealth,
they soon melt away This patent solin
is mostly used by manufacturers in the
) lowest priced goods, though many cobble
I about town use it in half selling and hce
n,l>a., Ia N rroIo Of machine NM