The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-15
New York Cotton Market
WHEN BOOTS WERE WORN.
rI.e bundles Had to Have Them
Tight as Wax,

Tight as Wax,
(From the New orleans Times Denaocrat)
over on the other side Of Canal Street,
ia the local Latin quarter, there is little
cobbler's shop that looks like an etching
5y D1rer The tools, which are stuck in
leather loops around The walls, have an
air of serious antiquity. like decayed gen
tlefoik, and over the threshold is an empty
wicker birdcage, canted at just the right
angle 70 make what the artists call "a
good composition TIE cobbler himself is
a smalIish. stoop-shouIdeTed man, with a
perfectly bald head and iron spectacles half
way down his nose. He is distrustfuI of
strangers but when he knows his visitor
he is q well Of entertaining "Reminiscences.
The other day he told a friend how the an
Gent and honorable craft of bootmaking
had gone into decline 1 WAS working for
myself TWO years before the California ex-
citement began, in '4g, he said. Those
were grand days. All gentlemen wore
boots then, made out OF the finest calf
skin, with tops about twelve inches high.
The Wellington boots were fashionable just
before my time. but I've made a few pair
mostly for foreign gentlemen, and they
looked very elegant outside OF tight panta-
looms The top was generally morocco Il
Rugged the calf of the leg close and came
to point in front, finished with small red
or purple tassel.
But the boot that everybody wanted
was plain, ine-grained calfskin, and I
had to fit like a glove or it wouldn't do at
all Do you see those lasts I'D on the
shelf Well, the men they were made for
are dead now, the whole crowd; but I'll
bet you there isn't one last in the lot that
hasn't been patched and altered at least
forty times. That shows you how par
tieular they were. Feet viii change more
from year to year than you have any idea
of, and we had to keep track Of such
changes so as TO make the boot set per-
feetly snug IN those days gentleman,
especially young gentleman who went
into society, wouldn't have a boot that
he could wear without cUrsing for the
first week or So They wanted them tight
tight as waI-and every young buck had
his collection of bcothooks and bootjacks
10 get EN- on and off. Those tools we're
common birthday and Christmas presents
back in the forties and ffties, and some
OF them were gotten up very fine. I've
seen boothooks with silver mounts and
mahogany handles that cost 500 pair
The strain of pulling "a a pair of tight
boots was so great continued the little
cobbleT, musingly that we used to run
the strap ends half way down the inside Of
the leg and double sew them with waxed
silk twist 4 young gentleman was actual
u killed here in 1856 or Whereabouts. by
the breaking of his boot straps I remem-
Der the circumstance well. He was going
10 ball, and was sitting on stool in his
| room, pulling on a pair of new boots with
the hooks they used then. Both straps
gave way together and he fell backward
and hurt his spine so that he died next
| day Yes. sir; that's a fact. The family
are still living here, and 1 made boots for
/ one Of his uncles up to less than ten years
q u 49, u
pecially peculiar about the boots of that
| time except that they had much higher
| heels than are worn now and very light
soles, generally finished around the edge
/ with stitching Of yellow thread a good
/ pair OF boots could be resoled four o. five
| times. but II was seldom done When they
| began to wear "a gentleman would general
| ~ give them 10 his body servant The
| price of boots then was never less than
SIC and more than $50, azi5 the planters IN
the river thought nothing of ordering half
| q dozen, or even dozen. pair at a tine
I had one very good customer from
| Lafourcbe- He was a fine gentleman, witt,
| grand manners One day he came into the
| shop to order a pair of boots and while I
was measuring him to correct his foot he
| looked at me very sharp. VIII you allow
| NE to see your tongues? he said presently.
| I was surprised, but 1 put it out. and he
| pursed up his lips. like a man whistIing.
| Hum-m-m,' said he, how is your appe-
/ tite2' -Poorish.' said I, for 1 WASN'T feel
| ing very well Just then. Make me twelve
pair of boots this time said he, and walk
| ed out without another word. I felt kind
| OF uncomfortable for a while after that
| but, Lord bless yout I've outlived him
| these twenty years. Boots went cur OF
| style in the seventies, hut good uany
| of the old people still stuck to them. and
for that matter, some are worn even ID
this day have four customers now thai
I make boots for regularly They are al
middle-aged men, and used TO work fol
their fathers and uncles They say tnat
the high leather legs keep them from
catching cold, an1 they don't want til;
feet tight, but prefer them large ana
roomy- So don't have to go to the trou,
ole Of correcting their lasts. as / did il
the cid days 1 don't make shoes" added
the old man, with q touch of asperity. =
never made pair in my life. but it,
lucky for mo. perhaps, that they've takel
70 wearing them and make them as poo
/ as they do That brings IA enough cob
bling 20 keep the pct a-boIling.