The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-01-21
MAKING ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.
Secrets of the Trade-Persons Who
Carry Around Different Sets.

| "Oh, yes, indeed, they come pretty
high" said the artificial leg maker 1T
| is beauty, though. isn't itZ l venture
TO say there ain't another one In Phlla-
delphia like IT, on or Oft. and it's as light
as n feather too"
With these words the creator of artin-
cial limbs ilouTlshod n leg In the air. He
was fat and smiling. and he spoke with an
lndistlnguishable foreign accent. and
every once in 4 while his face bcamed
with enthusiasm.
They all come to Philadelphia for
them, too" he continued. We've custom
ersf rom all over Europe, Asia and Africa
There are lots of leg makers In the city
at least they call themselves such, but
some OF them are not leg makers at all !:
they're harness makers"
The august Philadelphia leg maker, pur-
vcyor TO kings, queens and government ON
cials took a little time to show the spcci-
mems around the room. They were fat
and thin, long and short graceful and
otherwise. Some of them were hudded In
corners, accumulating the dust Of ages;
others hung alott on racks. so light and
airy that they were waited TO and fro in
the breeze.
You Sec" continued the leg maker. we
know how to do things now. We've got
the secret nil right First. they chop
down the willow tree; then we cut out the
logs. 1t takes heap of flexible leather
TO put the tendons in the right place. Sec
that spring In tho ankles? That's made
by the leather tendons. II YOU saw one
pl II man you cOulu not tell the differ
"nce Then the whole thing is covered over
with fine pink enamel Looks natural
enough. don't it2" At this juncture a rap
came at the door, and a big man. six feet
pounds. entered. He looked smilingly
complalsant as he lighted n cigarette and
shook hands with the leg maker.
Can YOU do a rush order for me double
qGick?" he asked I've come through
tough nGht." he went on. you Know.
always travel with bunch of legs. and
coming up this way from New Orleans tho
Pullman car was burned and nil four of
my legs were lost. ] only saved the one
had on, and now you've got to get TO
work 10 make another set for me. double
quick. With an air of languor and ease
the big man stood to have himself meas
urcd.
Do YOU know who he is2" questioned he
had gone. wen. he is the son OF one OF
the richest women I'm tho United States
lie lost his leg through disease, and he
always comes TO Philadelphia to have his
sets made. Plain ordinary boxes do for
most people 10 cart their legs around In, |
nut he's got fine leather cases. With his |
name engraved upon them"
DO many of them go into II on such n |
wholesale plan?" was querlcd OF the leg |
maker.
Heaps OF them" he replied aconically. |
Some OF them can do anything with 'em |
There's ono young man in this city who
belongs to slee club. and they tell me !
res %,sn The 9, best dancer of irish jiss. In the
.'Mh WAS IL EOOI cancer before he
ost his leg. and he's all right vet No,
We have no lady attendants We ought
o have, though. What's the reason? Oh.
because there Is not one woman In Phiia-
ielphia that ] can find who knows the |
rade. Pity. too. because there's money in
good leg maker ought to make at
cast S25 per week.
There are six or seven men in public
te; well known, who wear artificial
mos. None but their intimate friends
nd families know II, however One Young
ady In Philadelphia. who led a number
dances last winter, has an artificial
rs, IL Is easy to waltz with ono after
GU learn how to use them
On, yea, artificial leg making is the |
1ing " Tor me- concluded the leg maker,
started out as a fine carpenter doing
p banks and public buildings, and one
ay went into place In New York to
rder an artificial limb for friend In dis
ress The maker was a doctor, strange
D say. lie sized me up and 1 sized him |
p. and In a short time 1 was under con-
net to work for him. They can't steal
ur patents either. for it's as hard to
lakc an artificial limb without wears Of
eTnins ns 1t would be for eome tinhorn
'aker to produce StradivarIus. shoe
etnilcr,