St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-07-28
MODERN SHOE-MAklNG.
How Footwear Us Constructed by C1ev.
erIy Arranged Machinery.


How Footwear Us Constructed by C1ev.
erIy Arranged Machinery.
Nearly all the shoes manufactured al
the present time are constructed by ma
chinery. As in other mechanical indus
tries, the old-time method, by which
each workman put together boot from
the cutting of the sole to the stitching
of the upper leather, has been aban-
doned for the system that gives to every
person employed some small part only
of the task to be performed. Perchance
it will not be uninteresting to review in
detail the process by which pair Of
mems foot-coverings is evolved from
the original leather. The material en-
ployed may be calf-skin, buff leather,
grain or split. Buff leather is ordinary
cow skin, with the rough outside ground
off it by bufing wheel. Frequently
the hide is sliced with knife into two
layers, the outer one next to the hair
being called the grain and the inner one
the split. The latter makes an excel
lent quality of leather, while the former
has the great advantage of being water
proof.
First, the operator in the cutting
room places the thickest of cowhides-
previously chopped into long strips, OF
a width just equal to the length of the
shoe desired-on table beneath a steel
die, which descends at brief intervals
and cuts out a series Of perfect soles, as
the material is showed along by the
practiced hand of the workman. An
other man chops out in like manner the
various pieces for the upper" using
for this purpose dies that are manipu-
lated by hand, with mallets to strike
them with. But all really fine goods
are cut out by hand entirely, the expert
employing brass-edged patterns around
which he runs keen knife-blade. The
upper is almost invariably in three
pieces, instead of six, as formerly. In
this scrappy condition the upper of the
contemplated boot is sent to the stitch
ing department, where it is put to-
gether by girls with sewingmachines
of massive construction, especially
adapted to this sort of work. The max
ing of buttons and button-holes, lining,
ETC., all comes under the head of stitch
ing. This performed, the shoe that is
to be goes to the laster, whose part OF
the task is perhaps more important to
its success than that allotted to any one
else. In big factories the lasting is
done by a ''team" of men Number
one takes the wooden last and tacks
the in-sole upon it, passing it over
thereupon to number two, who stretches
the upper over the last and tacks it so
as to hold. Number three lays the outer
sole over the in-sole, and secures it
with lasting tacks. The shoe, thus fixed
temporarily in shape, is next sewn to-
gether by machine, and the sole is finally
attached with pegs or screws. It is
wonderful thing to see the mechanical
continuance devised for this purpose go
over the bottom of boot with an end
less wire screw in its jaws, putting in
metallic pegs wherever needed, never
too long and never too short, until one
shoe is completed and thrown aside for
the whole operation being
gone through from beginning to end
automatically. Now the job is taken
by by the heller, who affixes
the heel already prepared by a
single stroke of machine
hammer, while a knife is whirled
around almost simultaneously and cuts
the new attachment clearly to the
proper shape. This done, the product,
now nearly finished, goes to person
who blacks the edges of the sole and
heel. The final touches are added by
In artist who Furnishes the same parts /
With an oscillating wheel, and the
shoes are ready for the market. Such
S the process by which nearly all the
shoes made in New England are turned |
'ut. 1t is a curious fact, by the way,
hat the shoes made for selling in this
part of the country have much lower
nsteps than those sent to the South, |
people here possessing feet bu slightly
lrched-a symptom of physical degen-
,ration, it is said. The manufacturer
S obliged, in fact, to produce boot of
pecial shape for every small section of
he country supplied by him, and it is
Luite the usual thing to send around
gents to the retailers, to secure the
measurements of the local pedal ex-
remities in such and such a township,
rom which a general average is figured
nut and lasts designed accordingly
Session Cor. Chicago Tribune.
Valuable ArchaIopicsi E;nde