The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-08-19
M%oRRIsrowS. N. j.. Aug. Is, 1894.
Decline or the Shoema ker.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUS-SiT: In a mos4
able editorial published in THE sun a few days
ago an exhaustive account OF the decadenoe OF
many old and honorable trades II given, as well
as an analysis Of the causes. Among the trades
enumerated was that OF the custom shoemaker.
THE SUS could proftably go deeper into rea-
scns why the custom shoemaker is slowly bus
surely becoming a mere recollection or the past
Previous TO my advent ms n boss shoemaker, in
a mail way. some fourteen years ago, / held va
rious offices in ths custom shOemakers' organf-
zation, and acquired an intimate knowledge OF
the trade and the men connected with It. AZ
THE Sun says, it is the improved machinery and
tho many labor-saving devices that have
brought about the decay OF the shoemakers'
trade. Perhaps nothing has done so much In
Jury In this direction as the Goodyear machine.
a contrivance for the manufacture of imitation
"hAnd-sewed" shoes. As the great p. 7. Bar
mum once truly remarked OF the American peo-
pie. "The more you fool them the more they like
it." q hand -sewed" shoe. as turned out by the
Goodyear machine, cannot, az far as work.
manship IS concerned, be placed In honest COM
petition with a genuine hand-sewed shoe, with
plenty OF wax in the threads 10 keep dampness
out In winter aud dust from the inner soles In
MIR, Dana, in a speech before a convention Of
newspaper men, "A few years ago, said lreferrng :
To an entirely. different topic; however,: y
sailing under false %cOlnrs.' More manly words
"NIc ntNtI uNAtltis oAA Nho iNJANN NtbAA 70 opRah-
cable and appropriate 10 every. business in
which honest men are engaged. The sole COM
plant of the custom s~hOemakes to-day, ts the
deception ~practised by retail shoe dealers
throughout the country. A shoe alleged 10 bs
hand sewed and custom made can be purchased
at almost any retail store in this city for the
wages / and other custom shOemakers pay our
jOuTneymen 10 make the bDttOms of "A genuine
hand -sewed shoe. At many stores machins-
made shoes are sold as hand made shoes at the
price OF hand made shoes. Thus the customer
IL the victim OF a downright swindls
and pays for goods he does not get,
and which he ought Ia get and could get by
patruniZing genuine hand-sewed shoes. Another
cause 10 which the custom shoemaker can at
tribute the decadcnce Of his business is the nom
support OF the many mechanics and sO-called
: trade uniOnists," who earn good wages and
can well afford % Ray the price asked by tho
custom shOemakcrs. but you preferably patron-
lie those who" fool them. They place their
money ia the hands OF dealers In maChine-mads
shoes and in the palms Of Italian cObblers.
Does The SUN wonder that the custom shoe
makers trade i gradually going out Of exist
encc, and that the Italian CObblrr II taking tho
place between the machine aud the work Of the
custom shoemaker There are hundreds OF
practical workmen in New York city who can
do more than the many accomplishment at
tributed by THE SUS 10 the sons OF -. Crispin-
But they are out 81 employment, or soon viii bA
and Why The reasons are stated in this con-
t%ributiOn to the columns Of a paper that shines
for all. WILLIAM MCCABE-
rs EAST FIRST sTREET.