The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-03

his leggins on, and his moccaslns shoe
packs Of larrimane over them the wood
man cares not how deep the snow may
be- When it gets too deep for walking,
ne gets out his snowsboes and on these
skins the surface of the White covering
OF earth as easily az rabbit.
owing to the restrictions chat have been
placed on the hunting of moose, there are
not so many mOosehide moccasins to be
seen in Maine now as in years past. and
when moose were hunted by the O.dtoWn
Indians ana others for their hides All
the moOsehides secured now in a season
in Maine would not cut 300 pairs of moo
casons if each was used. As most of the
hides taken by sportsmen are sent out of
the state, ii will be seen that the supply
for moccasin leather is small al the best
IniS makes the leather the more priced.
There are but three shops outside of
Bangor where a business Is made of the
manufacture of moccasins They are all
in the region around the west branch of
the Penobscot below Twin Lakes In these
shops, which are small places, two or
three men are employed to make mecca
sins for sportsmen and lumbermen. The
supply of mOosehide being small most
of the moccdsins are made OF meats
hide and sewed with deerskin, cut into
strings
The process of preparing the deer hide
A'l SNNihS pue iHOCCdSluS Is an III tereSt t.
ing one. The skin of the deer is cured as
raw hide, and cut into narrow strips
while wet These strips are strung on
nails and allowed TO dry. They are then
transparent, but stiff Before using they
are placed in bottle with both ends
out, and the bottle is filed with water.
After soaking for some time they become
perfectly pliable, while the ends remain
hard. These ends are shaped when the
strips. or strings. as they are now, are
needed for sewing, and form needles 10
sew with.
Cutting a moccasin is a simple affair
There are bur two patterns, one for the
sole, which is also the sides after being
shaped, and he other for the top sides.
The relative size Of the patterns for these
TWO pieces is about seven TO one No last
is used in making a moecasin. The toe is
gathered up around the small top piece
and crlmped, stitch by stitch, a special
Kind of stitch being employed. When the
entire toe OF the shoe has been made "a
stick with a round end is introduced. and
the toe is further shaped by pounding
The heel Is then closed up, and a small
ear is left at the bottom by cutting from
the heel itself a short strip, that is used
FOR pulling the moccasin on. When thus
shaped the toe Is complete, except for the
string, which is introduced through holes
in the top made with a punch. This string
FUCKERS the Top OF me moccdSln, drawing
1t around the ioot. and is tied over the in
step. When property tied a moceasin
cannot slip off. ..t
The majority of moosehide moccasins
made In Maine now are for summer wear
in dry weather, or for use a. clippers in
the house. They are soft tanned with a
glove finish. Tho tanning is done in New
Hampshire, all the skins used in Maine
being sent there TO be cured. The outer
surface is buhed and colored like buck
skin. Moccasius made from this are very
warm As summer shoe in the woods
they are welnigh perfect
When shod with moccasins the hunter
can feel every tWig he steps on, and If ht
Is tracking deer or moose he makes no
more noise than II barefooted. Should he
step on twig he can raise his foot before
II breaks and thus prevent its swapping
In stll hunting this is very important, as