Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-04-19
UsRs OF LEATHER.
Interesting Historical Facts Gathered
From Various Sources.

OF Public Analysts, held in London re-
Gently, is interesting to the leather
trade, as illustrating one of the many
forgotten uses to which leather has
been put. 1t is not usually considered
wise to very closely examine the usual
after-dlnner story, SO we leave the
burden of proof with the racontelr.
In speaking of the earlier forms of
analysis-or rather, detection of adult
teration in beer-the above gentleman
informed his hearers that the father
OF our famous bard, Shakespeare, was
really the first public analyst. He APP
pears to have been firmly convinced
of the truth of the old axiom that
there's nothing like leather" for, in
spite of the absence of modern chem.
zeal apparatus, adulteration in beer
was detected by the very simple meth
Oh OF pouring the liquid out on n
Dench, sitting down in it clad in
leather breeches and awaiting devel-
opments. II, after some time, there
was decided sickness, and breeches
seemed to have become a part of the
wood, the 'ale-connor" assumed the
Iquor to be adulterated, and mine
host was fined accordingly.
FOR some reason or other, this, "the
Shakespeare method" appears to have
become obsolete; possibly the modern
trousering is not so we'll adapted to
the exigencies of the situation, or it
may be the up-to-date civil servant oh.
Jects to sitting in pants reeking with
double x.
however, whatever may be the rea-
son. leather breecbes have gone the
way OF the antique method of analy-
Sis, and the cloth manufacturer is
the gamer. This latter gentleman has
from time immemorial been steadily
invading our particular domain,
Leather men, as a rule, are too busy
tackling the knotty problem of how
10 make cheap leather from deer
n1des, to give much time to the anti.
quarlan side of their industry, but
we think many pleasant hour might
De spent when the yard is closed, and
pipe and slippers are the order, In
looking up some of the curious things
connected with our ancient industry.
we take special pride in the word an
clent, for we may say with truth that
wnen our first parents made the fatal
1rult-eatlng error and were command
ed TO make skin coats to cover them
serves on their expulsion from the
harden OF Eden, tanning or skin cur
ing OF some sort was resorted to, thus
lnstltutlng an industry that has gone
on to the present day. A scoffer out
SIDE the pale of our ancient industry
recently limited to us that possibly the
SKINS were worn hair side inwards
ana allowed to take their chance
Inns idea was secuted with lofty
scorn. 1t our forefather, ignoring
hyg1enlc reasons, thus clothed him
sell, we cannot, and will not, believe
Uhat the mother of all our race was
SO unfeminine and possessed such bad
taste as to clothe herself in this crude
1ashlon. We much prefer to think her
ralment was wrought into sometime
much more elegant, if not exactly into
modern sealskin jacket style.
1t is certain that leather has been in
use in some form or other from the
earliest ages, as leather thirty centn,
RES old has been frequently found in
the mummy cases from Ancient
Egypt. We believe, too, that there
exists at the present time a mapnifi-
cent funeral pail in the museum at
CAIRO, which centuries ago was used
at the obsequies of some famous
Egyptian queen. The original colors
are stated to be in good preservation
proving that the art of leather dyein.r
is far from being of even compara.
lively modern origin. We wonder if
In the year 1000 whether some of the
present aniline-dyed leather will show
traces even of ever having been col.
ored at all.
Some of the old Egyptian sculptures
give examples of actual leather mann
1acturlng going on, and the tanners
and curriers' tools bear a striking re-
semblance to our modern appliances.
coming down to later times, the mem
ton OF Simon the tanner is full of in
terest, and it is stated by recent tray-
elers that leather is still made in a
rough fashion for sandals and native
harness IN the district of Joppa. 1t is
interesting to note at the present
time, when every other inventor an.
pears bent on making some fearsone
Understanding machine, thai
leather has even been used in the
manufacture of cannon.
A certain Colonel Scott, who was IN
the service of the unlucky Charles the
FIRST, brought into use light copper
tube, bound with parchment and
heather. These guns were described
by the old chronicler 'as being hgh;
and handy" and gin a great way
helped to win the battle of Leipsic in
1851, when the Imperialists were
routed under General lilly"
1T is surmised that this trial proved
night guns could stand the strain of
nrlng, and was productive Of much
lighter type of metal gun coming into
use, thus displacing the cumbrous ar.
tillery then in vogue: consequently.
the idea of using leather further was
obviated
Apropos of warlike history. we NAV
note that even the great Napoleon nut
the leather cuirass upon twelve rebi-
ments of his celebrated cavalry Mill
tary trappings and Announcements
have from the errli~st tines been made
from preserved hide. and to this dav
the African ahorigire is in the habit
OF defending himself from tNe thus
OF sword md srear by shield of OK
or cow hide.
Much that is interesting and in
Structive might he written on this
point. but space forbids If this brief
sketcn is ot interest to our readers.
we trust that the historical side of
our ancient craft NAV now and again
receive little attention. especial1v on
those frequent occasions when "shoD"
is under discussion.-Leather Trade
Review.