The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-09
COSFEDER.iTE SHOES.
Grotesquc ENpcdcnts Resortcd to During
the Civil War-.i Wooden Shoe One
of the FIRST Inventions Patented
Under the Confedera"y.
+ Atlantic Monthly.

people to all sorts Of grotespue eNpedi-
ents. Sole leather, especially, owing
to the difficulty which the small tam
neries experienced in it, production,
WAS extremely scarce. Wood, which
had long been worn to Il limited extent
bv the slaves in soIle localities, now
came into general Use in the making OF
shoes. \ wooden shoe was among the
very first inventions patented under
the Confederate government. In the
beginning a considerable variety of
shapes pcrvaded. Some could do no
better than dig out y rude wooden re-
ccptacle for the foot, Il travrsty OIL the
sabot worn by the French peasants, il
strip Of leather being attached to the
top by nleans Of which The clog WAS
secured 70 the ankle. But by far the
best and most comfortable style, and
one which was adopted whenever the
additional leather required was to be
had, was Il simple sole of ash, willow or
some light wood, to which full leather
uppcrs were fastened with tacks. At
first these were so thick, in order to
insure durability, that among their
various other effects was that Of adding
very sensbly to the stature Of the COM
munity.
Later on it was found better 70 make
the sole thinner, and protect them from
wearing by mailing on their bottoms
light irons, similar in shape to horse
shoe. They are necessarily the nolsest
shoe ever worn, announcing the APP
proach of their wearers at Il good round
distance. When the air was clear and
the ground frozen one was by this
means kept we'll apprised OF the move
ments of his immediate neighhors.
Especially did their telltale chatter
make them the aboininatiOn OF the
negro in his nocturnal rambles. To the
dismay Of nervous people and careful
housewives, their effect indoors was
something terrific though after irons
came into vogue and lessened the
impacting surface the clatter was toned
down to something under the tramp Of
Il horse. Nor were they much less
Gctructive to floors, while carpets
simply did not exist in their wake.
Despite the scrubbing and securing ofa
quarter century, their marks are yet to
be seen in some houses.
USE OF WOODEN BOTTO Ms.
The use of wooden bottoms for shoes
was by 10 means confined to the ne
groes. They were worn by the majority
Of laboring people, as well as by many
of both sexes who lad been reared in
atllucncc. The scarcity of the last
winter Of the war drove families into
them, except the little feet which could
not be trusted to steer such craft; but
bore their share OF nlartyr'lom by being
imprisoned throughout the liveIong
drcary months.
Great skill and caution We're requisite
10 keep afoOt in wooden bottoms 1T all.
\ queer spectacle it was, too, to see
ones fellow beings stepping gingerly
around as if there were universal mis-
givings as to the satcncss of the earth's
crust. One may forget his first feat
with firearms and even his exploit on
skates, but never his first fight on-or,
to he accurate, his first abduction b.
wooden bottoms. If the solcs, which,
in clumsy attempt to fit the foot were
shaped like rockers, were once set in
motion, they persisted in incNorabiy
tilting one forward, especially i'll de-
sccnding hill, till volition was utter
ly lost, and nothing short OF an ascent
or fall could arrest them. However, i'll
time they became comparatively man.
ageablc, one getting able to choose his
own path, as we'll as to have some small
voice in stoppagcs.
UpperS were made Of such random
pieces of leather, or Of anything bear
ing the faintest Semblance ofleathcr, as
could be lighted on. Carriage curtains
and buggy tops were acceptable. In
some cases old morocco pockctbooks
were converted into childrcns shoes,
while many ladies managed to fashion
themselves a sort Of mOccasn out of
the most heterogeneous and unpromis-
ing materials. Woe to the careless
wight who suffered his saddled horse to
stand out hear the church, store or
postofIice after nightfall. The chances
were that when he went to mount he
would find that some one had appro-
priatcd his saddle skirts for sole leather,
unless lie had forstalled such an act by
appropriating them to that end HIM
self.