The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-05-05
WESTMINSTER MD, SATURDAY, MAY 3. 1894
sabot Makers of Brittany.
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune.
There are few more interesting trades
to be found in the world THAI that follow
ed by the ''sabotiers" Of Brittany, who live
in the forests and are scarcely civilized.
Unfortunately, they are becoming rarer,
as that part of France yearly has closer
intercourse with the people of the outside
world, who do not use the wooden shoe;
and as these introduce the leather article
among the Breton country folk, the Gus
tom of wearing sabots is gradually dying
out, along with the lace caps and the queer
Breton costumes. However, the sabotier
is still to be found, and has, so far, retain
ed all his romantic peculiarities.
When the sabotier changes his locality
which he does as soon as his stock of suit
able wood has given out-he begins BY
looking out for tract of woodland on
which he will find sufficient beach and wal
nut to give him at least four or five years
work. He then chooses a site for his
dwelling, which is generally built where
there is underground beneath tall forest
trees. He clears space large enough for
his house and yard, in which he will erect
some small outbuildings. The sabotier
then hires man to build his habitations,
which, entirely finished, cost not more than
hundred or hundred and fifty dollars.
The walls are made of turf and are not
over two yards high, surmounted by very
spacious projecting thateh roof Of "genet"
or the broom plant. Through this roof
the smoke drifts in every direction, for
there is no chimney. There are one or two
tiny apertures cut in the mud walls which
are intended for windows; and these, con-
tanning only one small pane of glass attach
ed to the rudest of frames, are perfectly
Opaque from smoke and dirt and impene-
trable to the brightest sunbeam.
Several trunks of trees are left standing
inside the hut. They reach up to the roof
and, with the rough bark left on, have the
appearance of being pillars; they also have
their use, for nails are knocked in all round
within reach, on which various household
articles and clothing are hung-hats,
watches, kitchen utensils, etc.-in fact
anything that will hang. There is at one
end of the house wide sort of hearth, on
which huge heaps of leaves and damp
brushwood are made to shoulder for the
purpose of smoking and drying the sabots
and giving them bright mahogany color.
The sabots are hung by the heels for a
few hours only on long sticks fastened
against the wall at the back of the fire.
The smoke at these times is so dense that
one cannot see across the little apartment;
yet it does not in the least inconvenience
the sabotier or his family, who sit around
the hearth on low blocks of wood. The
women sew and the men contribate to the
thick pail Of smoke from stumpy clay pipes
and the worst quality of tobacco. When
these huts have been occupied for a few
years the rafters and furniture are so pene-
trated with smoke as to be perfectly black
and shine like ebony.
The entire family live, eat and sleep in
this one apartment. Their beds are much
like cupboards with two shelves and little,
sliding carved doors. There is a small
ladder by which one climbs up to the bed
on the top shelf, and there are very smoky
curtains which hang down in front; indeed,
the whole appearance of these beds is any
thing but inviting, the linen from the gen.
eral atmosphere being about the color of
pale cinnamon.
In front of the main dwelling stands a
rustic shed of the same materials as the
house, under which the men carry on their
work, with the queerest of implements,
that are never seen out of their "ateliers,'
or workshops -inexplicable tools without
names. Some are like long knives fasten-
ed down at one end by ring passed
through another ring which is inserted in
a large block of wood. This is used to
finish and smooth off all unevenness in the
sabots, which have been coarsely cut into
shape with hatchets. They are then scoop
ed out with nondescript tool; but before
using these two round holes are made in
the wood, one down into the heel, the
other forward toward the toe This is
done with kind of gimlet, and is meant
to prevent the gouging instrument from
splitting the sabot. The patient workers
never think of measuring the two little
blocks. A casual glance from time to time
at the first is all they require to help with
the second, and yet they are always exactly
alike.
The men are rough in appearance and
manner, and are seldom seen away from
their homes. Like the gypsies they nearly |
always marry among themselves, conse-
quently all the sabotiers in the country are
acquainted with each other, and are more
or less nearly related.
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