, 1890-07-20
HOW LEATHER Is MADE.
ONE TRADE IN WHICH ANCIENT
METHODS ARE EMPLOYED.

Modern Improvements Have Not Affected
Tanning-rhs Process of Converting
Hides Into Leather ~nIinutcIy Described.
A Large Establishment.
Modern ingenuity has changed the
character of almost every business In
existence within the last fifty years, but
there Is one which still retains Its prime
val simplicity. That is the manufact-
ure of leather. h one thing needed to
make good leather is time, and as modern
machines tend to eliminate that element
they are of no use here. The ancient
and honorable occupation of the tanner
stands proof against innovations.
Notwithstanding that fact there is an
immense amount of leather made, and
Cincinnati's output for a year reaches
the enormous quantity of 482 900 hides.
valued at n. $50 900. OF this fully half
is made at one tannery, which is the
largest in the world.
1t was to this tannery that a reporter
betook himself yesterday to see how the
old fashioned business was conducted.
The oblging superintendent took him In
hand, n for one hour and a half the
pair marched steadily onward, upstairs,
aC"h CAoNobOAb ~ bhIOukh NllihliuOub
smells.
FORESTS OF BARK.
The first room entered was the bark
store room, where there was an immense
pile of 40, 900 cords of chestnut oak bark.
This is obtained from Kentucky, Ten
nessee and Alabama, and enough Is kept
stored for a years use. At one end of
this room is a machine, into which two
men are kept busy feeding the bark to
be ground up. The tan bark was left
for awhile and the hide room was visit
ed. This is below the level Of the rail
road track, and q trap door opens in the
ceiling, through which the hides are
dropped from the cars. Most of the
hides come from Chicago, but for pat
ent leather those brought from Paris,
Franco, are the best, as they are larger
and thicker. Rough hides range in value
from 80 to $40, according to grade. They
are here sorted, weighed and put into
packs of 1874 hides each, and one hide of
each pack Is numbered. The whole pack
Is started at once, and comes out finished
at the same time. By means of a rope
attached to the numbered hide the loca-
ton of any pack can be ascertained at
any time.
Next comes the beam house. Here
the hides are soaked in clear water for
three days, receiving four changes of
water in that time. Thus thoroughly
soaked they are plunged into lime water
and left for five days. One more day in
fresh water and they are run through a
machine at the rate of Ole daily and have
all the hair removed. Next they go to
the beams, which are boards about five
feet long, inclined to an angle of forty
Eve degrees and having a longitudinal
convexity upward and being covered
with zinc. Upon these the hides are
thrown flesh side up, and the flesh side
scraped off with broad bladed knives.
The bits of meat go to the glue factories
and the hair is used by plasterers. An
other soaking in fresh water and they
are taken by the strokers, who work
them three times on beams to remove
any short hairs or lime that may remain.
From here they are put into fresh water
again, then suspended on sticks in very
weak tan liquor for two weeks. They
are perfectly white when introduced into
this liquor, but come ont slightly tanned
or brown.