The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1897-01-08

AiA Nhl'NIHANf HN.i'Hf HN#H
In Brocktou, Mass, tho queen Of an
our "shoo Cities" stands Che massive
framework, glittering with myriad vim
dovs, Of the W. T. Douglas Shoe Co.'s
factory, whore bales Of leather change
with marvellous rapidiiy INTO famous
shoes Tho ahorm8ser's bench Of "ye
olden i.ne' has disappeared, aud Ca g.
place pouderous machines stamp and
clank aud groUl ala toss punches OF
leather from one TO another like pack
OF dogs worrying some hapIess li0,Is ana
imal, li.i Gle shapalgss leather chat tbs
cutters poHucd npoH ia the long ROOM
OF the top Of the building comes riding
into the packing room, q rack for itg
oarriage, q polished and shapgly shoe.
Probably no place IN the world offers
such O splendid object lesson in shoe
making as does the Douglas factory,
where everything has been systemutized
down 10 tho miuutest detail, and so
carefully arranged that o walk through
the streets Of this busy little world OF
factory illustrates clearly the develop.
ment Of the shoe.
First comes the cutting room. Here
is little machinery, but leather is every
where, from the scraps that litter the
floor and fiji the bins, to the neatly
piled "yamps' and tops arranged on
racks, each pile labelled with The name
Of the cutter. The most marvellous
thing in connection with this part of the
work is the ingenious system whereby
every bit Of leather is kept track Of.
The foreman maps out the work; that
is, he determines there shall be so many
boxes Of shoes cut that day and each
box shall have so many pairs Of GER
tain size. The cutters, each one doing
but single thing, such as cutting a
"vamp, gets his leather and goes to
work, trimming the leather with a curry
ed knife according 10 q metal pattern.
His work passes under the experienced
eye of an Inspector, who at single
glance judges the quality OF the leather
and sorts 1t into different Grades.
1t seems hopeless confusion; yet ev-
cry bit OF leather inevitably finds its
mate Of the proper grade and size when
they all appear in the sewing room be-
low, pursued by a relentless check list,
watchtul to detect the slightest deyia.
ton from the right road. In this room
IS a wilderness Of machines, many Of
which are run by women. Up at one
end of the room the cut leather start,
on a rapid journey. One machiu,
seizes it and bites it few times anG
seems to toss it away spitefully. I'm
mediately it is thrust into the claws o.
another machine that stitches it in an
other place until it comes out at the
other end Of the room in the shape Of
shoe top.
Then the lasters seize upon it, to fl
the top to the inner sole. Some of the
shoes are "la,ted" by hand, others by 9
peculiarly vicious looking machine, thai
splits out tiny nails, and pounds the un
fortunate shoes with all Che energy of q
chairman calling to order caucus
The Douglas people never hesitate tC
buy the most improved machinery, and
all the latest methods may be seen il
this room.
Down this room, too, the half-fuished
shoes pass rapidly. On goes the cute,
sole, some times by sewing machine
sometimes by machine that screws the
soles on with little brass screws, thai
the iron monster has swallowed vora
ciously. With single stamp the hee
goes on, the rough edges being shaved
off by whirling knife The chaune
made along the sole by the stitching
machine is filled With cement, and under
the angry stamp of q metal boot tn,
channel is made flat again.
Now we have the completed shoe il
the rough. But there are a dozen mort
mochines, and dozen more processes
to be applied in the way of finishing
touches. Finally, the shoe, res plenden
in polish, neatly shaped and finished t,
the last detail, is wheeled on a rack be
fore the eagle eye of the final inspector
If he passes it, the shoe is finished, ant
havius followed the leather through th
hands Of five hundred aud sixty work
men, the check list triumphantly re
ceives it final endorsement, and we.hay
a perfect shoe. Fifteen minutes is al
the time they want to make a shoe, whel
they hurry matters.
Attaufion GchooI nfrartors