St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-03
LEATHER FROM HUMAN SKIN.
A FlOurishing Tannery Where 1t
Is Prepared for the Shoemaker.

Philadelphia News.
L remember that two or three years
ago incidentally referred to a prOmi-
nent physician of this city wearing shoes
made from the skin of negroes. He
still adher5S to that custom, insisting
that the tanned hide of an African
max es the most enduring and the most
pliable leather known to man.
Only last week l met him upon the
street with brand new pair of shoes.
l looked at his foot wear, as / always
dO-hiS pedal coverings have an ire
Sistible fascination for me-and said,
with smile; is the dOwntrOdden
African still beneath your feet?" In
the most matter of fact way, and with
out the shadow of smile, he answered:
Il suppose you mean to inquire if still
wear shoes made of the skin of negro.
l certainly do. and 1 don't propose
changing in that respect until l find a
leather that is softer and will last
longer and present a better appear
ance. have no sentiment about this
matter. Were l Southerner-in the
American sense of the world might
be accused of being actuated by race
prejudice. But L am foreigner by
birth, although now an American citi-
zen by naturalization. L fought in the
Rebellion that the blacks might be
freed. l would use white mans skin
for the same purpose if it were suffi-
GENTLY thick, and if any one has de-
sire to wear my epidermis upon his feet
after have drawn my last breath he
has my ante-mOrtem permission"
The doctors shoes always exhibit
peculiarly rich lustrousnesS in their
blacknesS. He assures me that they
never hurt his feet. The new pair he
was using when | last saw him emitted
no creaking sound and appeared as
comfortable as though they had been
worn month. Their predecessors, he
told ME, had been in constant use for
eight months. He obtains the skin
from the bodies of negroes which have
been diSSected in one of our big medi-
cal colleges. The best leather is OBJ
tanned from the thighs. The sOles are
formed by placing several layers of
Toned by French shoemaker of this
city, who knows nothing of the true
character of the leather, but who often
wonders at its exquisite smoothness,
and says that it eXcelS the finest French
calfSkin.
Do not for moment think that this
doctor presents an exceptional case of
one who puts the human skin to prac-
tical use. Medical students frequently
display great variety of articles in
which the skin OF bones of some dis
Sected mortal have been grcWSOmely uti-
liked, and in bursts of generosity they
sometimes present these to their friends,
who prize them highly. One of the
dudeSt dudes in town carries match
safe covered with portion of the skin
of beautiful young woman who was
found drowned in the Delaware river. 1t
still retains its natural color. Another
young man with whom | am acquainted
carries cigar case made of negro skin,
a CHASTITY skull and cross bones appear
ing OH one side in relief. One of the
best known surgeons in this country,
who resides in the city, has beautiful
instrument case entirely covered with
leather made from an Africans skin.
A young society lady of this city wears
beautiful pair of dark slippers, the
remarkable luStrOuSneSS of whose
leather invariably excites the admira-
ton of her friends when they see them.
The young doctor who presented them
to her recently returned from an eX-
tended foreign tour, and he told her
that he had purchased them from
Turk in Alexandria, and that he did
not know what sort of leather they
were made of, but he supposed it was
the skin of some wild animal. AS a
matter of fact, the skin came from ne
gro cadaver which once was prone on a
Jefferson college dissecting table. The
rOSetteS on the slippers were deity
fashioned from the Negroes kinky hair.