Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-11-27
LEATHER'S THE STUFF.
SEVERAL CURIOUS FACTS CON-
CERNINO 1T.
Used in the Days OF Tubai Cain and Il
Ono % tho Most Important and
valued Articles Known
In ManufI ctursA

that but few people have ever thought
much about It. They have always
been accustomed to seeing 1t in 80
many forms and put to so many uses
that 1t has never occurred to them
what an interesting history leather
has 1t Is interesting to note facts in
the line OF footwear alone. There are
City millions OF people In this country
who wear out each three pairs OF shoes
yearly. This gives IA approximate
figure OF $50, 600. 600 pair of shoes
used annually in the United States. A
baby is scarcely out OF its swaddling
clothes until 1t is provided with a pair
OF shoes to cover its little feet, and
shoes it will continue to wear on
through childhood. youth and old age
and until done with life and the things
of this world forever. Among tanners
there is an old saying. There's moth
lag like leather.
The old tanner Is very nearly right
when no says. 1T dates from tins un-
known" for leather is OF tho very
highest antiquity. Long before the
days OF Noah's ark there were those.
who. according to Holy Writ lived in
tents and kept cattle. 1t is hardly TO
be doubted that these people who
tended fioclSs and herds. which fur
nished them both with meat and drink.
also made use OF the skins OF THAR an
imals for articles OF clothing. and
therefore. very early acquired some
knowledge Of the tanners art In the
book OF Genesis mention is made of
colored leather, and all evidences of
an extraneous character go to show
that some simple method OF tanning
and dressing the skins OF animals was
known before even Tubal Cain learned
The trade of brass founder.
The ancient Egyptians were skilled
In tho art OF tanning leather and man.
ufactured it in various ways and for
various purposes besides that Of fur
nishing covering for the feet. Indeed.
It Is TO those builders OF the pyramids
that we are indebted for the first artis-
tic forms OF footwear; and so far as
can be ascertained from history and
the researches OF psychologists the
Egyptians were the first shoemakers
who wero worthy of the name.
It Is fact too. that tanners OF to-
day employ very much the same meth
DDS as did the ancients. About the
same materials are used and the pro-
cesses are almost precisely similar TO
those in vogue hundreds OF years ago.
| It Is true that tanners OF tho present
day have found means OF greatly short
ening the time required to convert a
hide into leather. and that steam
power and modern machinery have
done much to expedite and improve
the processes OF finishing the leather.
but after all. the principles OF tanning
remain the same as they have from tho
| first.
Leather was very early used as q
currency. says the Chicago Herald.
the Romans employing it for this pur-
pose before either gold. silver or brass
came into common use. History is
full OF references showing that leather
was used by the ancients as a sort OF
circulating medium of exchange. It
is said on good authority. that so late
as the reign OF Louis Kill OF France
tho country became so impoverished
and. as a consequence, money was so
scarce thaa little pieces OF leather.
with a small silver nail driven through
each, were in general use as money.
Some few specimens of this leather
money sre still in existence. but are
only TO be found in the possession OF
nurnismatists, by whom they are highly
priced.
However, the manufacture OF leather
has ever been q slow and tedious pro-
cess, as compared with most every in
dustries. and even now, with improved
processes OF tanning and finishing,
months are required for the tann3r to
convert the hide Of an animal into
leather. There Is too. popular
opinion extant that tanners do not
make as good leather now from hides
that are tanned Ia three months time
as they used to turn out when nine,
and even twelve, months were neces-
ssry. This Is mistake
As matter Of fact better leather Is
made to-day from hides in from sixty
to ninety days than was manufactured
In the old way. II should be remem-
bered. however that hides are tanned
In precisely the same manner now
they have always been. That Is. the
same agencies are used for combining
1t with the gelatine OF tho hide and
for converting it into leather. Mod
ern tanners have simply discovered
methods by which the tannic acid is
made to penetrate more quickly into
the pores OF the skin. This is accom-
plished partly by frequent manipula-
ton OF the hides while In the watts and
partly by special treatments for keep
ing the pores OF the skins open during
the tanning process. 1t Is tact we'll
known TO all tanners that any method
OF process which will hasten the union
OF the tannic acid with the hide short
ems materially the time necessary to
convert il into leather