The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-12-22
WOODEN FOOTWEAR.
Its Popularity Among the Peasants OF
Northern Germany.


Northern Germany.
Many German and Scandinavian inn
migrants who have settled in villages
or communities of their own in the
Northwestern States and Territories,
have brought with them the custom OF
wearing wooden shoes, such as they
wore In their homes in the old world. As
rule, however, they soon abandon the
practice. For while they insist that
wooden shoes are better than any
other; that they keep out the mud and
dampness better than leather, and are
cheaper in first cost, besides wearing
much longer.
After a little time, however, the
usage of the new world becomes too
strong for the old world wooden shoes,
which are then thrown away. The
wearers find, too, that in our severe
are more protection, and keep out the
snow better than wooden ones, which
are very like slippers in being cut low
at the heel, though they are high and
pointed at the toe. There are few
Northwestern communities even among
those almost wholly Inhabited by Ger
mans or Scandinavians, where people
in wooden shoes are often met at this
day. As these shoes are quite bulky,
they are seldom brought across tho
ocean, and, so far as they are worn at
all, are made by hand, of poplar or
Eastwood.
On the European continent, wooden
shoes are very common among the
peasants of the North. as we'll as in the
greater part of France. France is per-
haps entitled to be called the true home
OF the wooden shoe, which is there
called the sabot 1t is very skilfully,
and even gracefully made, and in the
province of Auvergne, in Central
France, it is customary to decorate the
wooden shoe with delicate carvings Of
flowers and with sentiments.
A pair of wooden shoes is a favorite
gift of lovers to their affianced brides,
or of gallants who wish to win 81 sweet
heart. These queer lovers gifts are
decorated with carved representa-
tions of garlands Of forget-me-nots or
narcissus, or with q pair of doves. or
with two hearts joined together. This
custom has given rise to the proverb
in Auvergne, uttered of some poor,
unattractive girl who has no sweet
heart, "Her sabOts are rngarlanded."
Skillful carvers of wooden shoes even
decorate them with portraits Of the
persons they wish to present them TO,
or, if they are little conceited. with
their own. If the shoes are made for
q wedding present, as is often the case,
upon them are carved the names Of the
parties, the date of the wedding, and
such other facts as there is room for.
stalwart peasants there is room for n
good deal. These gift shoes, as
may be imagined, are not worn
to "knock around" the barns and
barn-yards with. They are kept for
state occasions, aud sometimes nre
put away as precious souvenirs. The
peasants have no idea of being ashamed
OF their SabotS, as the German immi-
grants in our Northwest often become.
And the peasants, indeed, say that
Queen Marie Antoinette once wore II
pair Oh wooden shoes in the palace of
the Trianon. 1t is not probable, how
ever, that any queen ever wore Sdbots
as habit, or for any other purpose
than to set the people an example of
frugality; because they are not COM
Portable except to people who wear
them great deal and become accus-
toned to them.
countries have song, varying almost
with each province, which tells the
mythical story of still another queen,
with her wooden Shoes The song
is legendary, and tells that country
maiden, on account OF her wooden
shoes, was scorned as every plain" by
all sorts of people. But at last the
king himself came her way, and falling
in love with her simple grace, like
King Cophetua, astonished his court
iers by making her his queen. The
song has constant refrain, with my
wooden shoes, "and the last stanza runs
something like this:
$50 was not quite so plain,
With my wooden shoes,
With my wooden shoes,
But the King from his throne
Came to take me for his own,
With my wooden shoes.'