Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-05-02

done by machinery and the only manual
labor performed in the leach house is the
work done by one man in shovelling the
spent tan through a hole in the bottom OF
the leach into the eonveyor that runs
beneath and carries the spent tan TO the
press for fuel.
From the teaches, the hot liquor is run
BY the gravity system TO the cooling tanks,
which are circular and twenty feet in
diameter and four feet deep, where II
remains until cool and il is then pumped
into the watts. Each vat is strengthened
each day by fresh liquor and the spent
liquor is pumped back to the overhead tank
in the leach house, heated and used again.
The watts are graded into six classes in
accordance with the strength of the liquor,
which varies from 6 to 20 fannie acid by
the barometer test.
The hide is put into stronger solution
every third day, being completely tanned
in eighteen days.
II Is then run through a press with
pressure OF three tons. The old plan was
TO hang ON poles out doors to dry and this
took from three days in summer TO two
weeks in winter. The drying is now
accomplished in about one and one-half
minutes. The hides are now stoned to
smooth them and then split in two by the
splitting machine. The original hide
weighed about twelve ounces 10 the square
foot The hair side Of the hide comes out
at the top OF the machine, and weighs
three and and one-half to five ounces to
the square foot. This furnishes the upper
leather used in making ladies' and
childrens shoes and is sold by the foot
and is known as grain leather. Ii takes a
much better finish than the flesh side and
the difference is readily recognized
between the two sides Of the hide by touch
or sight. The iiesh side is used for boots
I.a- fa cold kxs
the pound From now on the process is
called finishing and for the two different
kinds OF leather the methods differ some
what Grain and split leather are filled
with different kinds of oils and greases,
then stretched out on marble tables and
dried. The grain leather is then ''bufied"
removing the nap on top with knite),
BACKED on a machine, rolled on rolling
machine to smooth il, and softened ON the
s.stakingn machine. 1t is then measured
on machine, that the number Of square
feet of the irregular shaped piece OF
leather may be known. II is then put
through a machine that gives the final
polish, put on a sorting table and graded
into nine classes, depending on the size
and general appearance of the leather. IL
is then rolled into bundles OF twelve
sides and is ready for shipment to market.
The splits are s'whitened" by machine,
which gives a good surface, and run
through the finishing machine five times,
which blacks and finishes the split, ready
for market. The splits are ''glassed" each
time they come out of the finishing
machine They are sorted in the same
way as the grain leather is and weighed
instead of measured A strict account of
each lot OF hides is kept from the time il
enters the factory until il leaves, showing
he cost Of each process and also the cost
OF each lot of leather.
II takes about sixty days TO complete the
tanning of hide and about five hundred
sides are now put in per day, which is
nearly the capacity of the plant Eighty
five hands are now employed and when
the full capacity is reached in all depart |
ments this number will be increased to
about one hundred and ten hands. The
wages paid vary from sl.25 per day for
labor TO S15 to SIS per week for
skilled labor. The weekly payroll is
about S725.
II is interesting to notice how the aim Of
all modern industry To utilize waste or by |
nroducts is carried out at this tannery. 1
l'he horns are sold and made into hair
pins, back and side combs; the long hair
Is used for plastering, and the short hair
Is used in making felt and for stuffing |
horse collars; the trimmings from the
green hides are used for making glue.
After the hide is tanned, the thin pieces
Of the split are trimmed on ana are USED Il
for making heels and counters for shoes.
The spent lime and ashes are used as
FERTILIZER.
The tanning industry in Bethel has seen
many vicissitudes and has seen many
losses from fire and financial troubles
since its inception in 1860, when the first
Iannery building was erected by f. 7.
Bugbee & Co.
January 10, 1900, all the main buildings
II the tannery were destroyed by fire.
For a long time the prospect was very
for rebuilding. No one
Gould be found with the necessary capital
% embark in the enterprise. AT one time,
I looked as II the site would pass into the
hands Of the Tannery Trust, which was
villing TO pay an exorbitant price for the
and in order to crowd out any possible
competitor here. Luckily, the title stood
n Messrs. Brooks, Upper and Gushing,
vho had acquired it under a foreclosure
lgainst the old Vermont Hide and Leather
company, and at a personal financial loss
hey refused to sell to the trust. Messrs.
Phelps and Harrison, who were operating
he tannery at the time OF the fire. stood
eadv to take five years lease II suitable
buildings were erected, and the town had
L a special meeting held May s, 1899,
'oted to exempt this plant from taxation