The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-05-28
MATERIAL FOR GLOVES.
THE. WORLD rs RANSACKED FOR
SUITABLE SKINS. .l...
Tho Supply Of Kid Skins is Limited
Colts, Hogs and Donkeys Furnish
Their Proportion of Raw ~a-
Material for Gloves.

Many of the gloves that are sold in
CHS country under the comprehensive
title Of ''kid," said glove manufac-
turer, are really made of goatskin.
There is hardly country in the world
that does not supply some sort of ma
terials which are made up into gloves,
and many OF which pass for kid in the
retail stores. The supply of kidskins
OF the finest quality is naturally linn
tied. The greater part is absorbed in
the manufacture of women's gloves.
Mems gloves, therefore, are frequently
made of fine lambskin. which is better
than the second-rate kid. The genu-
inc, fine kidskins are mainly of French
origin, and those obtained from noun
tain slopes of southern France are
world famed for their excellence. All
the best conditions of climate, air, and
diet appear to unite in exactly the de-
gree required to secure perfection in
this district Nowhere else are the
conditions equally favorable, although
kldsklns OF great excellence are pro-
duced throughout the mountain ranges
of southern Europe. Their production
is the principal industry among the
mountaineers.
Great pains must be taken to secure
the softness and delicacy of the texture
and freedom from blemish which form
the value of kidskins. The diet is the
most important factor, and mothers
milk is required to keep the kid in
perfect condition. If the animal is al
lowed to eat grass, it's value declines,
as the skin Immediately begins to grow
harder and coarser in texture To
keep the skin in perfect condition the
young kid is kept closely penned and
carefully guarded against injury from
scratches, bruises and so on. As soon
as the kids have reached the age at
which their skins are in the best con-
dition for the glover, they are killed
and the skins are sold to travelling ped
dlers, who bear them to the great CEN
tres of the tanning industry at Greno-
BILE, Annonay, Milhau and Paris.
Fine lambskins are raised in great
quantities in southern Europe and
throughout Hungary, Servia Bulgaria,
and Roumania. The American glove
makers buy most of their lambskin at
Vienna or Muhlburg.
London is the chief market of all
the miscellaneous skins. Here may be
found the Cape sheepskins, tough and
durable, from the Cape of Good Hope;
| colt and calfskins from Buenos Ayres
and other cities of South America;
hogskins from Mexico and Brazil; an
telope from India, Brazil, Colorado,
and Africa. Of late years many of
these skins have been brought directly
to New York and American buyers no
longer find it necessary to go to Lon
| don. While fine lambskins are the
staple in mems gloves, coltskins are
rapidly coming into favor, and fine
calfskins are also extensively used.
Each has a grain peculiar to itself,
| which, while not visible to the ordinary
buyer, can be Instantly perceived by
| the expert.
Calfslzins are good looking, SOFT
and pliable, but are apt to crack. This
fault is not found in coltskins, which
are durable and handsome, and in
many respects make model gloves.
The wrinkles are Objectionable, but
these disappear when the glove is on
the hand. The Jacks of Venezuela
contribute the majority of deerskins al
present. The castor comes from the
antelopes of the West. Heavy leather
gloves are obtained from elks. Hog
skins are used to a moderate extent.
Patnas or Calcutta OK hides are also
used.
Every invoice of heavy skins con.
tains more or less curiosities, and the
kind of leather that will be evolved
from a stray moose, muskox, llama
or kangaroo skin depends upon the
skins that accompany it. Dogskins
are occasionally made up into gloves
but their use is very uncommon
Everything that goes by the name O.
dogskin nowadays is likely to be Cape
sheep. Ratskin gloves are about a:
frequent as rat sautes in Chinese laun.
dries.