Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-18
WOODEN SHOES IN DEMAND.
Footwear of the DutChman Finds
Favor in y America.

III -h3hNlAN Il
The largest wooden shoe Factory In
America IS located at Grand Rapids.
Mich. The factory does not overShadow
all The other buildings in its vicinity,
nor does the hum of its industry Dis
turb the peace and quiet OF the neigh
b0rhoOd. Il is a small twO-stOry build
ing with Il sign out in front TO dist!n-
guiSh it from the dwelling houses in
the same secluded street. It is opera ted
by two Hollanders who have been max
ing wooden shoes almost from infancy.
The junior partner occupies rooms II
the second story of the factory build
Ing. and the senior partner. with his
family. lives in the rear. while the lac
tory proper. the largest in the COUP
Try. and producing about half of all The
wooden shoes made on this side Of the
water. occupies a 10X12 room on the
ground floor opening on the street.
Three men find steady employment il
the factory. and the force at times IS
Increased 70 five. and the product win
average The year around about 800
pairs OF shoes Il week.
y wooden shoe is produced entirely
by hand. and in its evolution from 4
block % wood TO the finished product Il
underSoeS three operations. The wood
IS purchased in shoe lengths, and the
shoes always 20 through the processes
IN pairs The shapcr takes two blocks.
and first with broadaX. and chen with
a hand adZe. he news and hacks with
great APPARENT reckleSSneSs until he has
reduced the blocks 10 Il semblance of
pair OF shoes. Then he puts them on a
block % wood. and. with a long knife.
that looks like Scythe blade. swivelled
to the block at one end, he rapidly
brings the rough blocks to the perfect
form Of wooden shoe.
The blocks are then turned over 70
the bOrer, who with variety of imple-
ments makes the hole for the foot. He
first borcs a hole for the heel and then
with what looks like an exaggerated
cheese spoon works his way toward the
toe. An expert workman can reach
the toe in two or three minutes. while
green hand could not get there in half
an hour Once started with augers,
knives. scoops and ScraperS the place
for the foot is rapidly shaped. The
workman often uses calipers and meas
ureS, 50 that one shoe of pair Shall be
as near as possible the mate of the
other The shoe is then sent to the
Grying-roOm To remain month. when
The final touches are to give II the last
scraping and the artistic finish.
Willow IS the best wood out of which
to make wooden shoes. but the Ampri-
can willow is unlike that which grows
or the native heath Of the wooden shoe.
In this country Eastwood is used al
most entirely, and is light, easy TO
work. durable and dry Occasional or
ders are received for fancy shoes to
be made of maple or walnut. and once
an extra fine pair had mahogany
veneer. The shoes are especially adapt
ed for wearing i'll wet places, and the
demand for them is steadily increas-
ing. The HOllanderS brought them over
from the old country. and were long
made sport of by the irreverent But
the Americans have within few years
been coming TO the conclusion that in
adopting the wooden footwear the
Dutch had pretty level heads.
The shoes are especially desirable for
work in laundricS. breweries. stables
and on the farm when the ground is
wet. They do not become saturated
with moisture. never get out OF shape
like leather boots. and are surprisingly
warm and comfortable. and in addition
they are cheap. and Will outliye several
pairs Of cOwhde boots. The awkward
ness of wearing the shoes soon passes
away. and when the wearer enters the
house he kicks them off for shoes or
slippers of more graceful build.
The shoes sell for 50 4 dozen. adult
sizes. S2.40 for small sizes and S1.SO
for children'S. and are shipped TO all
parts of the country from there. The
HOllanders are still the largest buyers,
but the Americans are making rapid
progress in adapting them 10 their own
uses. Besides the factory ut Grand
Rapids there is one ut Holland, Ottawa
County. producing about fifty pairs a
week when in operation. which is only
part of the time. Iowa has one or two
small shops, and New Jersey has one
or two. but few if any work more than
four or five months n year except the
big factory at Grand Rapids.-New
York Sun.