Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-03-14

'NN' N'iN iift"S NltIout Al I1ouitiit > DtSlld
non. Mr.. Marshall is fortunate in hav
lnG in this department, his brother AM
James Fec, an ex-policeman OF Marlboro
hoth of whom have become experts
through long service in the cutting art
what remains of the hide is cut into in
soies. heels. shanks or filings, for moth
ing Is wasted. and even the smallest piece
of leather has it's uses
Then these heels must be fitted. and the
soles, and taps must be fitted up in
pairs of equal thickness.
This sort of leather is bought by tn,
pound, and the general rule is a pair OF
Soles to Il pound
Inc lnSoles are tied up in bundles. rs
are the soles and hoiated to the bottom
ing room. The heels with the nails all in
them ready for blow to attach them to
the shoe, are sent up by the box full.
Again we will go to the top of the fac
tory. and follow the shoe down to the
packing room.
The cutting department is under the
charge of G. l.. Russell of Marlboro
Mass, and of the ten hands now en-
pioyed me most are Augusta people.
just learning. This department in
Guides the south half Of the top floor,
the west side being where the shoes
are cut, ana the east where they cut
| the boots
The stock of this department comes
in bundles, and is bought by the foot.
| a very ingenious machine through
| which the leather is run before it is
| used, measures it, 50 that if the dealer
| in leather has made any mistakes; (?)
| il can be detected. The stock is also
very different from the coarse, heavy,
| tan coored sole leather, in being soft
and pliaDle, and of other colors. mostly
| black.
Whatever wonders may be accom-
! plished BY machines in other parts of
the factory, there is no chance for ma
chimes here where everything depends
upon the skill of the hand and eye
| The chief reason why no machine could
/ ever do the cutters work is that it
could not furnish the intelligence to de-
eide how any given hide could be used
TO the best advantage. For the cutters
silill is shown, not so much in the mere
! cutting Of the leather. but in knowing
! it's good points and had points. a
/ knowledge that it takes years to az
/ Quire
! For each pair of shoes several pieces
must be cut, the top in two pieces for
each shoe. the vamp or part just ahove
the sole, the tip, TWO lace stays, the
| tongue the Innings ana Whatever other
1 pieces the style Of shoe requires IN
! cutting these parts the men use i
steel bound pattern and their cuttn"
| knives. Some OF the minor parts arr
! .F -. a.
malirt.
| All these various pieces are collected,
| burchud ana tagged. To be sent along
To the other end of the room where the
| stitching is done
Every dozen shoes which constitute
a bundle, are tagged so that they viii
NOT go astraY on their long journ ~
through the factory This tag not only
has marked upon it the detailed de-
scriptiou of the dozen, but bears every
kind of a direction 10 the foremen of
the various departments. Thus it IS
divided into the number Of the lot o.
shoes. the whole order to which it be
longs, the cutting directions such as
style. size. Vamp. top. heel stays, lin
ing. tip. facings. and other directions,
the fitting directions. b0ttoming direc-
lions, finishing directions and sole
leather directions. ON the back is the
entire record of the lot from start to
finish. 50 any mistakes. delays or any
thing can be accurately traced to the
instigator.
Following the pieces for the uppers as
we have seen them cut, into the stitch
ing room. there are Still more things
about the business yet to be seen.
When this room is running with a full
crew il will be busy and attractive, all
the more so from the fact that the ma
chimes will be operated by girls. few
of whom are now at work there There
are girls who do nothing hut prepare
the Innings for the tops, or sew on the
eyelet stays Other girls stitch to-
gether the leather and the facings. |
The vampers. who are usually men.
take the tops and vamps and sew them
together with many rows of stitches. |
thus completing the uppers. although |
it comes far from resembling COM
pleted upper. as one would think of it.
Some of the machines in this depart
ment are truly wonderful and like those
in the other departments, could not be
described in a manner clear enough to
make it advisable to attempt
This stitching department., or fitting |
department. if YOU will. is presided over |
by f. d. Thompson of Marlboro Mass.
on the floor below. and 4 part of the
floor below that is the bottoming room |
which is divided into two departments |
The coarse work. whore the boots are |
made. which will be touched up later and |
the fine work. where the shoes are made |
all of which is under the able manage
ment of ". c. Nash of Natick, Mass
The upper of the shoe goes to the last !
ing machines. The lasts are kept in |
boxes. each style by itself. in boxes that |
are piled up in tiers, The last is placed |
inside the upper of the shoe, an insole is |
placed on the bottom of the last, and |
they are put in the lasting machines.
These machines are strange contriV- |
ances. with four pairs of iron hands on
either side that clutch the uppers and
stretch them over the lasts, while a pair |
of iron jaws at either end draw the |
leather tight lengthwayA. No shoemaker
stretching his leather by hand, could get
it tighter oyer the Last than these ma
chimes do, especially as the workmen
gives the uppers a preliminary stretch |
ing by hand. before the iron Jaws and