The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-02
sABoT MAKERS OF BRITTANY.
Living in the Forests and Scarcely
Civilized.
From the New York Tribune.


Oman, France, Feb. l0.-There are few
more interesting trades to be found in the
world than that followed by the "sahot-
iers" 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 in
troduce the leather article among the
Breton country folks the custom of wear
ing sabots is gradually dying out, along
with the lace caps and she queer Breton
costumes. However the Sabotier is still
to be found and has, so far, retained all
his romantic pecularlties.
When the sabotier changes his locality
which he does as soon as his stock of
suitable wood has given out-he begins
by locking out for u tract of woodland on
which he will find sufficient beech and
walnut 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 tor his house and yard, in which
he will erect some small outbuilding. The
SabOtier then hires man to build his
habitatiOn, which, when entirely finished
cost not more than 500 to $50 The
walls are made of turf and are not over
two yards high, surmounted by very
spacious pro Getting 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 wall
which are intended for windows; and
these, containing only one small pane of
glass, attached to the rudest of frames.
are perfectly Opaque from smoke and dirt
and impenetrable to the brightest sun
beam
Several trunks of trees are left stand
ing inside the hut They reach up to the
roof. and, with the rough bark left on,
have all 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.-ln fact anything that will
hang. There is at one END of the house a
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 a
bright mahogany color
The sabots are hung by the heels for
few hours only on long sticks fastened
against the wall a. 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 saboJies or his family, who sit around
the hearth on low blocks of wood. The
women sew and the men contribute 10 the
thick pail of smoke from stumpy clay
pipes and the worst quality of tobacco
When these nuts have been occupied for
few years the rafters and furniture are
so penetrated with smoke as to be per
fecJly black ana 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 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 anything but inviting, the
linen, from the general 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 quecrest of i'm.
plements. that are never seen outside OF
their 'ateliers." or workshops -incxpliCa.
bic tools without names. some are like
long knives fastened down at one end by
a ring passed through another ring which
Is inserted in a large block of
wood. This is used TO finish
and ssmooth of all unevenncss in the
sabots, which have been coarsely cut into
shape with hatchets. They are then
scooped out with nondescrip5 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. casual glance from
time to time at the first is all they re-
quire 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
consequently all the sabotiers in the coun-
try are acquainted with each other, aud
are more or less nearly related.