Morris tribune., 1901-08-17
FINISHED LEA 4 HER.
sa.-g THE GREEN HIDE is PREPARED
FOR THE MARKET.

N@iE{0 8G81mM1hAS 4bO4-AAAA0 ANA CutAA
.aends. a Number of DiReren
u ...lpulA{ions' BY Expert Workers
Y making of leather is an art o.
NJ a most people understand little.e,I
-, afely be said that this trade is on,
-. - greatest and yet most obscure OF
~ l,r.:industries. During the past few
-. 5 it has assumed immense proper
~ preliminary steps in tanning are
means what you would call Of al
q tic nature. The hide as received
rough state is covered with hail
!; oristles, which must be first re.
/. In order to do this properly the
is thrown into vat Of warm
Z water and left there for at least
days. At the end Of that period
:. md to be in a suitable condition, it
awn out and. run through queer
! g machine. This apparatus con-
principally Of three rollers. The
i st one. a massive affair, reVolyes
y from right to left. The next one
/. moves in the opposite direction
!. - left toaright and, unlike the first,
! yered with small knives. These
/. rs are not visible owing to the
velocity Of the roller, it making
1900 revolutions minute.
lakes but assecend to run hide
{ ngh. this press. The operator, a
:: 5fig, determined looking individual,
- the skin firmly with both hands,
& 'gs It around once or twice and
4 slips it deKterously between the
Il rollers. There is muffled sound,
a. presto, the skin falls out devoid of
IS !ash. The hide is then placed in a
rs IF limewater, where, under the ac-
49,, Of the lime, the hair becomes soft
4 4 loose. In day or so 1t is again
t:s,,;t:l out and sent to the press. This,
a * the third and last rolled, which Is.
fGysred with small round stones, is
u.>td. These stones remove the hair In.
t4i1a same way as the knives did the
.lfaShs
TIE hide is then given a thorough
E,&lling or sopping out. For this pur-
pt. = huge wooden, barrel shaped APP
pa;atus called 'bater" Is used. With
IL this batter are long projections made
OF hard wood. The skin rests upon
these while the wheel reyolves. AS
so:.n as q proper angle is reached the
hi,r slides of and falls with great
force to the bottom. Here it Is once
more picked up, carried to the top and
dropped again. Thus the operation is
: continued until the hide becomes per-
fecfiy clean and spotleSs. It Il then
ready to be tanned. Great vats Of dull,
!. deep eolored liquid are now utilized.
Tie making Of this liquid Is q process
by itself. The bark. either oak or hem
dock, Is first broken up and ground into
f6ne bits and then conveyed into huge
tanks called. ''leeches." These tanks
contain about three-fourths bark and
One-fourth old liquid, or, In other
words, liquid which has become weak
owing to long usage. The mixture
sleeps for number Of days, long
enough at any rate for the liquid to re-
gain it's strength. It is then strained
and allowed to run into different yats.
: The old liquid in turn flows back to the
tleeehes. !, In this manner the, old Is
made new and the new old.
The next step is called shaving"
This consists in tearing off the edges
of the hide and making the surface
smooth. A small, knife covered wheel
having a great velocity does the work
quickly, but not satisfactorily. Each l
hide must be gone over again by hand.
This is called "currying" and is one Of
the most difficult operations in the act
OF tanning. The "'currier," In fact, must
have been raised in the business. A
long, fierce looking knife Is used. TAX
ing this In both hands, he bends over
the skin, which lies before him on q
thick board, and with skillful strokes
removes what the machine has left, be-
sides giving the surface most beauti-
sGul grain. To do this rapidly and still
keep the razorlike edge on the blade re-
Quires years Of practice. 4.=.rg.s.r..
The hides are then washed, weighed,
RFessed and ready to be stuffed" on
4he floor above. The ''stufirg.' wheel is
% mammoth wooden tank about 10 feet |
~ 20 feet, with capacity Of from 200 |
20 300 pounds, It is here where the
grease and fatty substances which |
have been removed from the hide. In
the various processes are restored. AS /
The tanner says, "Life Is given In"
Were it not for this grease the hide.
would be dry. hard and easily torn. It |
= here also where profit and loss figure
'ahe most. The tanner depends entirely
apon his Judgment as to the amount Of
ut to be added; too much or too little,
and untold damage would result.
The skin now passes through the
lnnal stage. 1t Is stretched" and sent
20 the finishing" room, where it is
made ready for the market This last
step consists In blacking and Guessing
enc side and impaFting fine grain to
the other. The process is then complet-
ed. Thus a heshy, hair covered hide Is
made into q beautiful piece Of leather.
The operation ID q strange one from,
Beginning to end, II you ever have the
time. visit tannery and see for your
self. KANSAS City Times.