Telegram-herald., 1891-01-03
AMERICAN SADM.H
they Are inferior 20 Ts2ssa a
English Manufacture
Cowboys AaA n~sas<s sAs Principal rsex,
- 6s311o n This esuAsry. Hsass
on1y me keogas< osss
Are Made

- II 18&s &S&8tfys ASo<~
o.ay ne keogns< o@ss
Are MADE
~Do<s c1neinnssi make mAns ssddies7
Well shoaId s4y .of'' ws< tie sxsisma-
ton II large dealer apcn being aaes~
toned % tas subject by . iimssSt~x
reporter.
Why, DO you know continued he.
.1hzt cineiasAti. IA addition 10 making
cee, ose sets Of harness. enrns eaa a.. go
saddles annually? These saddles arc
worth. on ,he average. 8 each, making
esq, ees the value Of tAe yearly output
I'VE do not make any very nne sad
dies. though. as we follow tho usual
American way OF getting tbs goods
upon the market IS quickly as possible.
Even ii We did desire To improve our
saddlea which We do not. We would
have TO import the leather. for there Is
none manufactured IN this country that
Is by any means as good as the En-
slish. Our ssAdles are for rough usage;
for cowboys. hsrdess. etc, In which
business the English make would last
no time at all We export saddles To
Enslaad, and 10 al parts Of the world.
and we import English saddles, just as
every other country IA the world does
The two do net conflict in any way, as
each is used by distinct class Of people.
"Why do the English excel usf Why.
they pay more Alteration TO outdoor
sports than do any other people, and
thus they have come To consider tho
comfort and durability OF their trap
pings. Horseback riding Is INDUCED in
a great deal more in England than in
any other country in the world. They
have class of professional pleasure
seekers which we do not maintain The
demand for English saddles and brides
is not mere whim. as many suppose,
but strictly commOn-sense idea, in
spired by their superior merit
1.-THE finest American saddle made
does not sell for more than $50, while
the English make go up as high as $3.50
apiece, and they are worth IT, There
are numerous fine saddles in use in this
city, but they are not of our make.
at is peculiar fact that Americans
practically do not ride horse back; they
are too mindful of their ease. They
own blooded horses, but they are most
w drivers"
Out on West Sixth street, near Park,
is little frame house where on the top
of the roof has stood for fifty years
wooden saddletRee. Mr. Trotman, the
old proprietor of the house, is dead, but
his place has been taken by James Bar
ker, thorough Englishman, whom the
reporter found whiting away at frail
saddletree. Yes, the English make
the best saddles" said he. Americans
make only rough, heavy ones. They
have not the fine material used by their
English cousins / make saddletrees
Just as they do in England, where
learned my trade, aud Of the same ma
terial used there. The wood must COM
bine hghtness with strength, and so
use only the best of seasoned oak. Here
is q race saddietree made of oak that
weighs but one and one-half ounces.
Here is park saddletree that weighs a
pound. From that they range up to
several pounds. They make trees of
leather to some extent. Lightness and
easy fitting 10 the horses back are the
two great points desired in saddle.
The trees can not be shaped well by
machinery, and so the ancient trade of
the saGdlcr is not destroyed completely.
turn out two dozen trees per week
right along. My trees are equal to the
English make, which, in fact, they are,
and they are used on some of tie best
horses in the country.
s'You sec, the tree ia the foundation
of the saddle, and the shape of the fin
ished saddle depends upon the shape of
the tree Saddles are made more fiat
than formerly, the hump in front being
reduced TO almost nothing. The Amer
lean way of manufacture is TO tack
piece OF hogskin over the tree, put pad
ding upon that, and tack on the cover.
The English method is to put over the
tree layer of strained netting as n
foundation. This secures a springy
seat. and upon it is placed whatever
padding is desired, and a cover of hog
skin is placed over IL all"
'sThc Americans can not equal the
English in saddles" said Prof. Leon dc
Gisbert. Here Is an English saddle
and bride that have used constantly
for six years, and here is an Anerl-
can saddle six months old. The former
is as good rs new, while the latter is as
good az no saddle at all. There are
some saddles made near Boston that
arc good, but they are In reality En-
glish The finished saddle is taxed
heavily, but the separate parts have
little duty on them. An Englishrnan
noticing this moved his establishment
20 this side and imports the saddle in
pieces. simply setting them up here.
The English saddle fits close 70 the
horses back. is longer and is more CON-
Portable tn sit IN than the American
make. II any one thinks for moment
thai this preferment l. simply freak
of the Anglo maniac's, let him Just try
the two and decide for himself"
CniIo