Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1894-04-06
sABoT MAKERS OF BRITTANY.
People Who Live in the Forests and Are
Scarcely Civilized.

Scarcely Civilized.
There are few more interesting trades
to be found in the world than that fol-
owed by the 'sahotiers" of Brittany,
who live in the forests and are scarcely
civilized. Unfortunately, they are be.
coming 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 custom Of
wearing sabots is gradually dying out
along with the Lace caps and the queer
Breton costumes. However, the sa-
boiler is still to be found, and has, so
far, retained all his romantic peculiari.
ties.
When the sabotier changes his To-
oality-which he does as soon as his
| stock of suitable wood has given out
he begins by looking out for tact OF
woodland on which he will find sutfi-
! GENT beach and walnut to give him at
least four or five years work. lie then
| chooses a site for his dwelling, which
is generally built where there is under
growth beneath tall forest tress. He
clears a space large enough for his
house and yard, in which he will erect
some small outbuildings. The sabotier
then hires man to build his habita.
tons, which, entirely finished, cost not
M
fifty dollars. The walls are made OF
turf and are not over two yards high,
surmounted by very spacious pro-
| ecting thatch 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, containing only one smalI
pane of glass attached to the rudest OF
frames, are perfectly opaque from
smoke and dirt and impenetrable tc
the brightest sunbeam.
Several trunks of trees are left stand
ing inside the hut. They reach up tc
the roof and, with the rough bark left
on, have the appearance of being pill
lars; 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 o
the house q wide sort of hearth, or
which huge heaps of leaves and damn
/ brushwood are made to shoulder fo
the purpose of smoking and drying tn,
sabots and giving them bright ma
hogany color.
The sabots are hung by the heels TO
a few hours only on long sticks fastened
against the wall at the back of the fire
/ The smoke at these times is so denS
! that one cannot see across the it'll
apartment; yet it does not in the leas
/ inconvenience the sabotier or his fam
! lily, who sit around the hearth on Low
blocks of wood. The women sew an,
. the men contribute to the thick pail o
smoke from stumpy clay pipes and tn
worst quality of tobacco. When thes
huts have been occupied for few year
the rafters and furniture are SO pene
trated with smoke as to be perfect.
black and shine like ebony.
The entire family live, eat and slice
in this one apartment Their beds ar
much like cupboards with two shelve
and little, sliding carved doors Their
is a small ladder by which one climb
up to the bed on the top shelf, am
there are very smoky curtains whic
hang down in front; indeed, the Who'll
appearance Of these beds is anything
but inviting, the linen from the gen
eral atmosphere being about the colo
of pale cinnamon.
In front of the main dwelling stand
rustic shed of the same materials a
the house, under which the men carr
on their work with the qucerast of in
Elements that are never seen ont G
their "atclicrs' or WorkShops--ineS
plicable tools without names. Som
are like long knives fastened down Il
/ one end by a ring passed through al
other ring which is inserted in a iarg
block of wood. This is used to fms
and smooth of all uncycnness in III
sabots which have been coarScly Gu
into shape with hatchets They ar
then scooped out with a nondcscrir
tool; but before using these two roun
holes are made in the wood one dow
into the heel. the other forward tOwar
the toe This is done with kind q
gimlet, and is meant to prevent tn
gouging instrument from splitting IT,
Sabot. The patient workers neve
think of measuring the two li.tl
blocks. A casual glance from time t
time at the first is all they require t
help with the second, and yet they ar
always exactly alike.
The men are rough in appearance
and manner. and are seldom seen ava
from their homes. Like the gypsic'
they nearly always marry anon
themselves, consequently all the ST
boticrs in .he country are acouaiute
with each other. and are more or les
nearly related N. y. Tribune.
ELOQUENCE OF THE INDIAN.