Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-12
Written for the EVENING Stan.
THE SOLE'S GUARD.
Where the Leather Comes From, and
How Il IL Prepared.

SEEDED CALF sKIN-LEArHRR FnoN SOUTH
AMERIcA-PREPAEISa HIpKs-RUssIA LEATHER.
Since the day that Adam aud Eve exchanged
fig leaves for furs the human animal has had
habit of clothing himself in the integument
stripped from his dumb brothers. How, when
or where hides were first converted into leather
no wise man ever pretends to know. Doubt
less the process was evolved, not invented.
Leather certainly antedates the earliest
records and no savage tribe, however low in the
scale, has yet been found ignorant Of some way
to dress skins. Our American Indians in espe-
cial. are pastmasters of the art. Rude as are
their processes, deer, bear or buffalo robes
dressed by them are far ahead of those
that white men supply, while the buckskin OF
their moccaslns, leggins, and 50 on, is pos
ltive luxury to the touch, SO soft and plant
is it.
Neat cattle furnish hides for more than half
the worlds leather. Next to them come goats
and after them the East Indian buffalo and the
sheep. Horse hides are inconsiderable in
amount and Of low value. Pigskin, used for
saddles, is in limited demand and supply. Dog
account not at all equal to the kangaroo skin.
which has quite superseded some grades OF calf
while deer hides furnish glove leather. as we'll
as that for variety of other needs.
WHERE THE HIDES COME FROM.
In 1886 New York imported from all sources
about seven and one-half million dollars worth
of leather. The home supply of hides is
far below the demand. spite Of all the cattle
upon our ten thousand western hills, not to
mention the plains of Texas or the ranches OF
New Mexico. Mexico herself sends us many
hides both Of steer and goat. Indeed, she
ranks next to South America, from whence
comes two-thirds of our importations. For q
dozen years past hides have been admitted
duty free, to the great and manifest better
ment OF the whole leather industry.
The heaviest, consequently the best OK hides
come from Buenos Ayres. They weigh over
20 pounds each and fetch 16 cents per pound.
Big fortunes have come out OF making flint
hldes-that is, purchasing the hides from the
plains-men soaking them for weeks in satur-
ated salt water. then dyeing and selling them.
The advance in price is nominal, but each hide
takes up 10 pounds or so of salt, and this yields
big profit besides cost and carriage. New
Orleans Is the main seat CT the business in
North America, as 1t Is also the great interior
entrepot for hides of all Sorts The 2O-pound
OK hides all go to sole leather. Cow skins and
those from young cattle furnish the kipskin Of
commerce, and the hides Of animals year old
or under, all the several dozen varieties of
calfskin.
For cheap work. both kip and calf are often
split-that is. divided by machinery into two
sheets, each by courtesy called leather. 1t will
wear for day or maybe week. but is about
the most unsatisfactory Investment the bargain
seeker can make.
THE PROCESS OF DRESSING HIDES.
The first thing is to cut the hides in two.
Then they are soaked in lime-water four days.
milled for six hours to free them from loosened
hair, then washed clean and left for four DAYS
to sweat. After that comes the acid BATH
lasting five to ten days. and next the tan watts
IN Had 80
strength, in which the hides remain from Ave
to sixty days. Once the process stretched over
year. Modern invention has reduced it one
half. It is claimed that the new electric pro-
cess will make good leather in q months time
but SO far that remains to be demonstrated, at
least on a commercial scale.
Oak bark, bemlock bark and the powdered
leaves OF sumac are the things that supply tam
min. The bark is coarsely ground and stee ped
IN fresh water to make ooze for the watts. A
very late invention Is mill for grinding oak
wood as well as bark into q sort of coarse meal,
which it is claimed makes a double quantity
OF the very best ooze at less than half cost.
Once through the watts the hides are washed
again. scraped anew on the flesh side, curried
with tanners oil, whose source is those cod
lverS that are not fresh enough for medicine:
then steam dried, pressed betwixt hot rollers
and send to market the "sides Of sole leather
that everybody knows.
HEMLocK TANNED.
The bulk Of it is hemlock tanned That bark
Is cheaper and gives harder finish, which is
Thought 70 stand rouoh us.oo host o.L
,o..hou ,o.,.o
.Ia ro ne.'meS a.mays cent or Two more IN
WIG Pouho. nio is uhvarlaDly USED 1or nne loot
strength and toughness is requisite. There are
=; many pis HOUSES Al view A0rk CITY wnicn zeal
quantity, cut it by machinery In the most ap-
proved patterns. and can supply shoe men with
tine sxnemse an maa a. sreas saying OF
~ tb. Iapther troda 70 tha. IuI,Sus ,ea'9!e
I'd Ros.nrl h,"" ao 70 sas Mniie Falaoe tpnia
NJ vi, 20 III n'ot sHoe
tor;, I'D oy th. Sn;. ~ SAFES oi raw ma
K;ns ~ " w. ,h mn,sneu soGus.
onIu Ioss so paino .h;n we =. same process,
49, .eoS 5 ~. DoiMs sunuei, ~ requires less
IN tan "a 'i a. ohe s;nI 700, are used
BACKED ready for the boot ~ shoa 49,
much OF the best sole leather goes TO the maker
OF leather betting, SO the finest Of kip falls to
.ne harness :1 anu saddle makers, who also use a
e00N ''' "a AHo u0'o' '"''
IMPORTED CALF SKIN.
Nearly ell of the finest calf skin ia imported
from France. It is and will likely remain tho
favor;ta for man. sbo.. 60.
iaathar rnns :, ciasatr .nVus1 AaIsaioo
.%at h.oarna ,Iat u 'o PopuiaT nas
~ W.. Io.a.' ne Aus au governments
Wiz IeSan ~ onsse uoun'les Ior kangaroo
,"rtbs n Iano r ueoleou e.ose season SIX
at;n,. 80 o".n yoa. W pi1'en. 'ne eAterml-
h;.L y. Ine tuesI airiuaai. Ats skin comes
1i ~ W" ,4ouuoh Gnu C'iSut, ano furnishes