The times., 1899-02-22
SOME FACTS ABOUT LEATHER.
How shccp-lsins Are Cured. Picked
and Tanned.


How shcepsLins Are Cured. Picked
and Tanned.
(From the Philadelphia LedgerD
The division of labor in what the public
understands as the leather trade is of
the most varied description. There are
many branches of the business. beginning
with the men wool-pullers, who take the
wool on the skin, or who remove the hair
from the hides of other animals, passing
on TO the process-men. who buy the pelts
from the puilers and put them through a
manufacture called processing. and finally
picking them, on to tanners of innumera-
bic kinds of leather. Many tanners are
specialists, and separately they are often
familiar only with the manipulations of
their own particular branch, hence We say
the trade from the beginning TO its numer-
Gus ends is widely divided.
Webster's International Dictionary de-
scribes leather as follows: The skin of
animal. or some part of such skin,
tanned. tawed. or otherwise dressed for
use; also. dressed hides, collectively" In
the trade there is unfinished leather and
undressed leather.
The word "tawed" is defined as follows:
ITO dress and prepare etc.
AT the present hearing before United
States general appraisers in New York on
case" expert testimony was given on
leather in general and in particular that
proved of great value even to those who
have been in the business over forty years
as specialists. All around the trade has
been benefited. One witness in particular.
George w. Adler, president Of the Eureka
Tannage Company. Philadelphia. a man
well versed in many of the branches gave
testimony that has been commented upon
no entire country In an in
teryiew with Mr.. Adler on the subjects of
picked skins. tawed skins and leather,
Mr.. Adler said in effect: The merchan
disc recognized in trade as picked splits
is the one-half of a sheepskin which has
been spit by splitting machine one Cf the
halves being known as 'fesher.' the other
half as split a picked sheepskin is
one that has not been split. /. e. the whole
skin. Neither picked sheepskins nor splits
and fieshers are commercially known as
raw skins.
The raw sheepsEins. after being soaked
in water. have their wool removed by
pulling, being treated 10 sweating pro
cess, or painting on the flesh side with
a suitable depilatory having the quality
or power Of removing hair. an application
10 take OH hair such as arsenic combined
with lime by shaking. slaked lime forming
paste or paint with water. solution OF
sodium sulphide, etc. After the wool is
removed the skins are immersed in a bath
of milk OF lime lime and water OF suita-
BILE density for a period Of seven to ten
days, according TO conditions the skin be-
ing frequently handled during the period
of time required for lining in the above
named hath. A recent system. involving
the use of 4 solution OF sodium sulphide
admits Of shortening the time to twenty
four hours and dispenses with handling
after beam work -He lining system re-
quires a working of the skin .on both
grain and flesh side. and an after batting
or drenching Of the skin by means Of. gen.
orally. bran fermentation. The bran
drench is composed Of water and bran Of
suitable density and temperature. Skins
treated hy the lining system as above in
IClve the employment OF skilled labor or
machinery. From the drenCh the skins
are usually again worked on the beam.
In all cases the skins should be thoroughly
cleansed previous TO picking. which con-
sists Of treating the skin TO a solution OF
salt and sulphuric acid and water. in such
proportions as to strike OF cure the skin
sufficiently to render it -putrescible.
and in a merchaDtable and comparatiyeIy
imperishable condition
From the picking bath the skins are
drained, sorted, rolled into bundles of
dozen each, packed in casks, when they are
ready for market or the endurance of
be called tanned, but it is a portion of the
tanning process, used in conjunction with
tan liquors tsuch as those made with yege-
table astringents, barks. sumac, etc) and
fully one-half Of the work required TO tan
and finish sheepskin for various purposes
has actually been done on a picked skin.
There are, however. many tannages en-
ployed in tanning sheepskins wherein the
picking only of the skin previous to the
tanning is dispensed with. In the case of
such tannages, when picked skins are used
the pickle is eliminated from the skin pre-
Fious to tanning.
The subject is not merely interesting in
Itself; il is one OF considerable commercial
Importance, since the tariff on imported
skins is regulated by the amount of labor
expended upon them toward making them
finished product in so far as this can be
expressed by such terms as picked and
tanned Tariff duties may be evaded or
untustly imposed, according to the classi-
fcation of skins under the act, although
even experts find some difficulty in reduc-
ing the several processes to the descriptive
terms used in the act.'