New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-03
WOODEN SHOES IN CHICAGO.
r,1ny ARE WORN BY MANY wORKMEN
From The Chicago Chronicle.

oh ,s.d and worn in Chicago every year. SOME
of them are made entirely OF "oou' o"' A., -,
haps the most OF them have leather topS MAJ MAJ, ,
of these shoes are made here III the Guy wiz
large numbers are brought from factoiica al
from the woods OF Wisconsin. To the unlniuatcu
II NAV sound rather strange to speak Oh Sh'c'
being brought from forests. but according " "a,
se,lent authority that IL where most OF lhe a"o'
are made which are composed entirciy vi w.
These shoes which are made out IN the Woous
are of course roughly hewn. ana can SCai -
H., enokcn of os having finish All of the shoes
both those which are all wood ana t''S, MY,
have leather tops are made by manu. anu pict'y
roughly made at that. All Of them are ior rough
wear There Is never any effort H'@uc " e"'
them elegance Of finish. =, ,
Several classes ~ employees ma the "oonen
shoe n real necessity. but most OF thc'h NM I'M,
that the heavy wooden sole with leather Top WI,
answer all Demands The wooden shoe Is useu
for two purposes as n protection against "'''r'
and cold The men who use them are the "ot n
mon IN dye factories, brewcries. tanhcrieS' ice
rre,r factories and the dressing departments
Of poultry houses. The brewers ana the Hicn
who pluck the chickens ana turkeys liz ~.
South Water-st cellars find that snoe wIio, -,
wooden IL the best thing Tor them ma. ~ III,
shoe they wear when engaged in thar part OF
the work which makes II necessary ior thelI
to be where the floor Is wet ana wheTe "a'e'
blood or beer Is likely to fall upon their ShoeS
from above . -, D..
For many OF the workmcn in all OF the rae
tories and establishments mentioned ABOVE tns
ordinary leather shoes would not 90 az ar
a
will 20 through II In very snort TIME IL wv
leather is kept In the water II these men wor,
leather soied shoes they would be going apou,
their work with wet feet all the Tune, aliu
the feet would BE- rather cold besides the grea'
number Of cases OF pneumonia rheumatism, etc
which would inevitably follow Is at once ap
parent
REGARDED AS ILFE-SAVERS.
TT may sound little far fetched TO you. but
tell Won II IL an actual fact that time and agar
customers have told me that they thought
wooden shoes had preserved thelr HVes' sl'd
dealer In the queer looking footwear over or
Handolph-st ''Therc Is little doubt that every
one Of them spoke the truth. one fellow WORKED
down in n basement at the ice-croan trade. an'
YOU can be SURE he had pretty damp time OF II
Ice would melt and the water. OF course. rar
all over the floor II our man had worn only
ordinary shoes or boots his feet would have beer
wet and cold from morning TIL night. IL wouid
have killed him But instead OF leather soled
shoes he wore wooden ones. and his feet were
warm and dry all the time. II takes lone
time for water TO soak through a wooden sole
an inch an inch and quarter thick In tan
nerirs and all places whore II IL wet ana whcrt
there arc acids the wooden shoe must be worn
Acids will go right through leather while they
will hardly affect wood nj all. In some depart
mcnts Of brewcrlcs the floors are wet All The
time and the uoikmen can only escape wet zee
by wearing shoes Of wood Some OF these work
men who also employed part OF the time
where the floors are not wet. have big sho"'
which they can slip on over their other shoes
Here are the ones they use
Tho dealer pulled out Of box n pair OF sole
wooden shoes that looked large enough to b'
made into a couple Of small tughoats. TheJ
were roughly cut. ahd each on" was about q
foot ard hair in length AT the back par
IA. article cut down flat To the sole. VIII
no upper part 70 protect the heel Al the IRON
part tho opening was so large that man wear
! Ing n No II boot could not possibly ind div
Guilty inserting IT into the great shoes. Whci
I the brewer starts for Il room in which he know
that The floor is wet ne Jumps boots and all
into A pair ~ these big shoes lie shuttle.
I around through the wet IA long ~ he has TO 81
/ wants TO- keeping the shoes on all the while
When he leaves the room he puts on the shoe
and leaves them at the door
IN ZIG DEMAND
Over on South Watcrst. where chickens and
turkeys are deprived " feathers 10y the thou
fands. wooden shoes are IN blk demand In The
J cleaning rooms. IT, cleaning rooms ar g,nrr
ally I'm thc Easements Here tn apartments arr
kept damp by the necessary presence II large
quantities Of water. II would take a very short
time FOR workman 10 acquire very Wet fce'
II he depended leather shoes FOR protection
Blood from the fowls and The water that I.
thrown about would shortly wet his feet from
tho upper side. even II the floors were Try. SO
he finds Il refuge for his feet In the solid wooden
shOcs which ar. wooden on tn" top we'll as
on the bottom
Wooden socd shoes made n small scale
at number Of places In Chicago. There ART
no factories the shoes being made at humble
private homes. often man and his wife put
usually being quite expert In the art the
husband when they have made several pairs
they bring them downtown to some store. where
they dispose OF them for az good "A price AZ pos
consist OF the wooden shoe and plain. heavy
leather uppers The sole Is made Of poplar o,
Eastwood. on account Of its lightncss. If il
were made OF any OF the heavier woods the
| uci IN Of no ic