The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-07
WHEN GENTLEMEN WORE BOOTS
Were the Correct Things for Dress Oc-
IN cin Nnt A

Were the Correct Things for Dress DC
casions Not 80 Many Years Ago.
Over on the other side of Canal street
in the local Latin quarter there is 6
little cobbler's shop that looks like ar
etching by Durer. The tools, which are
stuck in leather loops around the walls
have an air of serious antiquity, like
decayed gentlefolk, and even the
threshold is an empty wicker bird cage,
canted at just the right angle to make
what the artist would call "a good COM
4 position The cobbler himself is a
smallish, p-shouldered man, with a
perfectly bald head and iron spectacles
half way down his Mise. He is dis
| Hrustful of strangers, but when he
knows his customer he is well of en-
! tertaining "Reminiscences. The other day
he told a friend how the ancient and
honorable craft of boot blocking had
| gone into decline
II was working for myself two years
| before the California excitement be-
gan, in 49," he said. "Those were
grand days All gentlemen wore boots
then, made out OF the finest calfskin,
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 pantaloons. The top was gen
orally morocco 1T Rugged the calf of
the leg close and came to point in
front, finished with a small red or pur-
pie tassel But the boot that everybody
wanted was plain, fine grained calf
skin, and 1t had to fit like glove or
it wouldn't do at all. Do you see those
lasts up 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 in the lot that hasn't been
patched and altered at least forty times
That shows you how particular they
were. Feet will 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 perfectly
snug. In those days gentleman, es-
pecially young gentleman, who went
into society, wouldn't have a boot that
he could wear without cursing for
first week or so. They wanted them
tight-tight as wax, and every young
buck had his collection Of boot hooks
and bootJacks to get EN- on and Off
Those tools were common birthday and
Christmas presents back In the forties
and fifties, and some Of them were got
up very fine. I've seen boot hooks with
silver mounts and mahogany handles
$500 a pair.
THE strain Of pulling on pair of
tight boots was so great" continued
the little cobbler, musingly, that we
used to run the strap ends half way
down the inside of the leg and double
sew them with wax silk twist A young
gentleman was actually killed here in
1850, or therabouts, by the breaking of
his bootetraps I remember the cir
cumstlnce we'll He was going to a
ball. and was sitting on a 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
over backward and hurt his spine 50
that he died next day. Yes sir, that's
a fact The family are still living here,
and ] made boots for one of his uncles
up to less than ten years ago. No: I
can't say there was anything especially
PGGultdI tiiC poOlS VI lHdl liihC
except that they had much higher
heels than are worn now and very light |
soles, generally finished around the |
edge with a stitching If yellow thread. |
4 good pair of boots could be resoled |
four or five times. but 1t was seldom
done. When they began to wear gen.
tleman would generally give them to his
body servant
"The price Of boots then was never
less than $16 and more often $40, and
HE planters up the river thought moth
ing of ordering half dozen, or even
/ dozen pair at a time I had one good
nusi omer from Lafourcne. He was q
ane gentleman, with grand manners.
One day he came into the shop to or
Ter a pair of boots and while l was
him to correct his foot he
locked at me very sharp. VIII you
allow me TO see your tongue?' he said
I was surprise, but 1 put
t out. and he pursed up his lips like
, man whistling. 'Hm-n1-in,' said he;
how is your appetizer "Poorish,' said
, for l wasn't feeling very well just
hen. Make me twelve pair of boots
his time said he. and walked out
without another word. / felt kind OF
for a while after that,
nut, Lord bless you. I've outived- him
hese twenty years. Boots went out of
'tye in the '70's, but good many OF
he old people will stick to them, and,
or that matter, some are worn even to
his day | have four customers now
hat I make Loots for regularly, They
ire all midde-aged men, and I used to
york for their fathers and uncles. They
ay that the high leather legs keep
hem from catching cold, and they
Ion't want the feet tight, but prefer
hem large and roomy. So don't have
o go to the trouble OF correcting their
4sts, as I did in the old days.
II don't make shoes" added the old
nan. with a touch of asperity. II never
nade a pair In my life; but it's lucky ,
or me, perhaps, that they've taken to
them and make them as poor
s. they do. That brings enough cob :
ling to keep the pot a-boiling. New
orleans Times-Democrat