The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-01-23
OLD-TIME GUM SHOES.
Not So Pretty as the Rubbers of To-day.
but There Was India Rubber in Them.

MOI so IreUty as the IuDDefs OF touays
but There Was India Rubber in Them.
Philadelphia Record: India rubber
shoes were first manufactured in Rox-
bury, Mass, in 1888, and verify they
were "%fearfully and wonderfully
made" They really bore no resem-
blance whatever to a shoe. They had
the appearance of having been run in
to molds or blown, the same as glass
bottles are made. They were made Of
pure rubber gum. No attempt was
made to initiate the shape of the shoe
or foot they were intended to cover.
In shape they were hollow tubes, taper
ing toward the toe. At the place where
the opening to pull them over the shoe
should be was an irregular hole, with
out shape, just as they came from the
mold. The hole was enlarged with
a pair of shears to fit the instep, or
cut high or low to suit the taste or
caprice of the customer. The work
was done by the salesman after the
buyer had selected, according to his
requirements, heavy or light, thick or
thin. Mems sizes we're very heavy, the
soles being frequently from one-fourth
to a half inch in thickness. They were
tied in pairs and stuffed with straw or
hay to keep them in shape for ship
ment. A lady's foot, incased in this
huge, ill-shaped mass of India rubber
gum, weighing at least a pound, pre-
sented a clumsy appearance, indeed,
particularly wher compared with the
light and truly artistic appearance of
the present styles. The first ATTEMPT
at making o%vershoes of India rubber
did not prove a success, a large amount
of capital being sunk in the expert
ment, as well as all the unsold stock.
They answered the purpose in cold
weather, but would not stand the heat
melting into a disgusting mass. Elk
periments to remedy this difficulty re.
suited in reaching the opposite ex.
IRENE, the cold weather freezing then
SO hard as to make them brittle, SC
they could not be drawn over the shoe
until they were thoroughly warmed
n this obstacle to success was no
moi overcome until Charles Goodyea,
discovered the process of yulcanizin.
rupper, which has rendered his nam,
immortal. Rapidly following this err
OF improvements the India rubber sho,
began to assume beauty of proportion
practical utility. The shoes wer
lasted, and the merchant threw asid
his shears. One particularly popula
style that had a great run for a coupl
OF years was trimmed with fur aroun
the tops and came well up on the an
kles. Dickens has immortalized thi
particular style by placing them on tn
Ieet OF the pretty Arabella that MI
Wlnkle met and fell in love with Will
visiting with Mr.. Pickwith at Old Wa
dle's. All rubber shoes were mad
from the solid gum at that time. an
we are safe in saying that a single pai
would outweigh six pairs of those no
IN the market. Besides being heay
and ugly, they were often painful fros
being'so tightly stretched over the fee
Ihey made the wearer look club-foot
co. n any attempt at embellishmer
was a failure and made them appes
elumsier still. But this condition {
Things was not to last. In 1874. Coco
year pefected his ~vulcanizing process
and his method of spreading the pui
, gum upon elastic textile fabrics, AT
! the manufacture Of rubber shoes h,
: since improved from year to year, III
: I'll they have become a thing of beaut
AT 2S many a mans ambition is