The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-01-10
AMERICAN SADDLES 10 | J
They Are Inferior to Those Of
English Manufacture.


English Manufacture.
Cowboys and Herders the Principal Users
of Saddles in This Country, Hence
Only the Rougher Ones
Arc Made.
stDoes Cincinnati make many saddles?
Well, | should say sol" was the exclama-
ton of a large dealer upon being ques-
toned on the subject by q Tilnes-Star
reporter.
ssWhy, do you know continued he,
''that Cincinnati, in addition to making
200, 900 sets of harness, turns out 10000
saddles annually? These saddles are
worth, on the average, SIS each, making
$500, 900 the value of the yearly output.
'sWe do not make any very fine sad
dies, though, as we follow the usual
American way of getting the goods
upon the market as quickly as possible.
Even if we did desire to improve our
saddles, 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-
glish. Our saddles are for rough usage;
for cowboys, herders, etc, in which
business the English make would last
no time at all. We export saddles to
England, and to all parts of the world,
and we import English saddles, just as
every other country in the world does.
The two do not conflict in any way, as
each is used by a distinct class of people.
'sWhy do the English excel us? Why,
they pay more attention to outdoor
sports than do any other people, and
thus they have come to consider the
comfort and durability of their trap
pings. Horseback riding is INDUCED in
great deal more in England than in
any other country in the world. They
have a class of professional pleasure
demand for English saddles and brides
is not a mere whim, as many suppose,
but a strictly common-sense idea, in
spired by their superior merit
s"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 IRE worth it. There
are numerous fine saddles in use In this
city, but they are not of our make.
tsIt is peculiar fact that Americans
practically do not ride horseback; they
are too mindful of their case. They
own blooded horses, but they are most
ly drivers"
Out on West Sixth street, near Park,
is a little frame house where on the top
of the roof has stood for fifty years a
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 a frail
saddletree. Eyes, 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, and of the same ma
terial used there. The wood must COM
bina lightness with strength, and SO
use only the best of seasoned oak. Here
is race saddletree made OF oak that
weighs but one and one-half ounces.
Here is a 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 to the horses back are the
two great points desired in a saddle.
The trees can not be shaped we'll by
machinery, and SO the ancient trade of
the saddler 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 the best
horses in the country.
"You see, the tree is 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 a
piece of hogs]zin 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 ais a
foundation. This secures a springy
seat, and upon it is placed whatever
padding is desired, and q cover OF hog
skin is placed over it all.
'sThe Americans can not equal the
English in saddles," said Prof Leon de
Gisbert s'Here is an English saddle
and bride that have used constantly
for six years, and here is an Aneri-
can saddle six months old. The former
Is as good as new, while the latter is as
good as no saddle at all. There are
sorae saddles made near Boston that
are good, but they are in reality En-
glish. The finished saddle is taxed
heavily, but the separate parts have
little duty on them. An English1nan
noticing this moved his establishment
TO this side and imports the saddle in
pieces, simply setting them up here.
The English saddle fits close to the
horses back, is longer and is more COM
Portable to sit in than the American
make If any one thinks for a moment
that this preferment is simply freak
Of the Anglo-naniac's let him just try
the two and decide for himself"
Tho Willy Italian.
A., r+o1,o,, ,u1,o cor111n4a Gc1fec.