Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-04
MAKING ARTIFICIAL LIMBS,
Secrets Of the Trade-Persons Who
Carry Around Different Sets.

Secrets Of the Trade-Persons Who
Garry Around Different Sets.
From the Shoe Retailer.
ooh. yes. indeed, they come pretty high
said the artificial leg maker. TT is beau
ty, though, isn't it? I venture to say there
amt another one in Philadelphia like 1t, on
or off. and It's as light as a feather too"
With these words the creator of artih cial
limbs f1ourished leg In the air. He was
tat and smiling, and he spoke with an in
distinguishahle foreign accent, and every
once In while his face beamed with en-
thusiasm
They all come to Philadelphia for them,
too, he continued. We've Gus somcrs from
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, rur-
veyor to kings, queens and government Gttl-
Gals, took little time to show the speci-
mems around the room. They were fat and
thin, long and short graceful and other
wise. Some of them were huddled in cor
ners, accommodating the dust Of ages; others
hung aloft On racks. SO light and airy that
they were waiter to and fro in the breeze.
You see,' continued the leg maker, I'VE
know how to do things now. We've got the
secret all right First, they chop DOWN the
willow tree; then we cut out the legs. 1t
takes heap of flexible leather to put the
tendons in the right place. See that spring
In the ankles? That's made by the leather
tendons If you saw one on man you
could not tell the difference. Then the
whole thing Is covered over with fine pink
enamel. Looks natural enough, don't it?'
At this Juncture a rap came at the door,
and big man, six feet four, weighing
nearly three hundred pounds. entered. He
looked smilingly complaisant as he lighted
cigarette and shook hands with the leg
maker.
"Can you DO rush order for me, double
quick2' he asked. I've come through a
tough fight" he went on. You know, /
always travel with a bunch of legs, ard
coming up this way from New Orleans the
Pullman car was burned and all tollr Of
my legs were lost. l only saved the one /
had on, and now you've got to get 20 work
to make another set for me, double quick"
With air of languor and ease the big
man stood 10 have himself measured
DO you know who he is?" questioned he
Of the leg trade. after the ponderous man
had gone We'll, he is the son Of one of
the richest women in the United States.
He lost his leg through disease, and he al
ways comes to Philadelphia TO have his
sets made. Plain, ordinary boxes do for
most people to cart their legs AROUND in,
but he's got fine leather cases, with his
name engraved upon them
DO many of them go into It on such
wholesale plan?' was queried of the leg
maker.
Heaps of them" he replied. lacDnically.
Some of them can do anything with EN-.
There's one young man in this city who be-
longs to a glee club, and they tell me he's
the best dancer of Irish jigs in the
town. He was a good dancer before he lost
his leg, and he's all right yet. No. We
have no lady attendants. We ought to
have, though. What's the reason? oh,
because there Is not one woman in Phila-
delphia that 1 can find who knows the
trade. Pity, too, because there's money In
it. A good leg maker ought to make at
least $25 per week.
There are six or seven men in public
life, we'll known, who wear artificial limbs.
None but their intimate friends and fa MI
lies know 1t, however One young lazy in
Philadelphia, who led a number OF dances
last winter, has an artificial leg. it Is
easy to waltz with one after you learn how
to use them.
't0h, yes, artificial leg making Is the
thing for me-" concluded the leg maker. Il
started out as a fine carpenter, doing up
banks and public buildings, and one day
went into place in New York to order an
artificial limb for friend in distress. The
maker was a doctor, strange to say. He
sized me up and 1 sized him up, and in a
short time / was under contract to work
for him. They can't steal our patents
either, for it's as hard to make an artificial
limb without years Of learning as II would
be for some tlnhorn maker to produce
StradiyariuS-"