The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-07-17
NOTED SHOE MAN
TALKS OF SCENERY
Says Yellowstone Park Is Far
Ahead of European
Countries.
ALSO DISCUSSES THE
MAKING OF FOOTWEAR
Americans, He Declares, Are
the Best Shod People on
Earth.

II. Z, Wagner, manager of the great
| Roberts, Johnson & Brand Shoe COM
pany OF St. Louis, is a guest at the
| Knutsford coming, with his family. d.
rect from Yellowstone park, He has
travelled much in Europe and on this
continent and makes the following
| comparisons in the matter of natural
scenic wonders:
with my wife, ct various times, 1
| have travelled all over Europe, seeing
| all the listed sights. and scores that as
| not listed, and nothing in all the list
| compares with the rugged and natural
beauties of every mile in the Yellow
stone park. a popularity about sights
on the continent OF Europe is that one
is almost always disappointed when he
sees them for the first time. They do
not measure up to his expectations; but
ii is the reverse with all one sees In the
Yellowstone. In the Fire Hole near
the Fountain hotel, one sees great blue
flames ascending through the water,
something that seems physically impos-
sible, and yet 1t is there, and the thing
seems so ghostly and unnatural, that
one Is prepared for almost anything
after. The same can be seen at the
old Fantique,' at which latter place
they have piped the gas as it rises from
the surface OF the water and have
great flame some feet above the water
that actually comes through the water.
If this were in Europe II would draw
hundreds Of thousands Of visitors.
Accommodations Abundant
About thirty persons go into the VAL
ley from Marysville daily, and about
800 from the other side, so that hotel
accommodations, which are very good.
are ample for all. Game is plentiful,
and is protected by Government troops.
SO tame are the deer that they come up
and eat from ones hand. near the ho-
tel.
Il was much Interested In what The
Tribune printed this morning about la
Dor, In the interview with the Detroit
stove people, and fully agree with what
that gentleman said We employ 5000
people in our several factories. and at
all times we use them as people inter-
ested with us in making and selling
shoes We all work TO make dividends,
and that is what We are all after. We
have no particular union alliances. be-
cause we pay a higher rate Of wages
than the union scale, and we pay them
to men who can earn them, We do all
we can to make our army of people
cheerful and contented, just as the De-
troit people do, on the score of dollars |
and cents. and find 1t pays.
I'VE have the second largest shoe |
plant in America, and could not be so
only that the American people are the |
best shod people in the world In fact. |
the American people do not wear out |
shoes as other nations do, but buy new !
ones.
Little Use for Repairs.
IF you could follow the history of |
'cobblers and repairers in general you |
would learn that the business has fallen |
off wonderfully. This means that the |
average man can and does buy a new |
shoe rather than repair old ones. Our |
house made and sold $500. 600 worth OF |
shoes last year, and is passing that |
mark this year. We have enlarged ST.
DO0,0OO per year. and could not do this
but for the American desire for good |
footwear. 1t Is just the same with other
manufacturers. We all use purely |
American stock all of our leather being |
made at home. Mexico is following |
suit. and South American republics viii
follow suit, France and England are
using American shoes In remarkable
degree, and you cannot meet a. we'll
to-do man in either country but that he
wears American shoes.
To sum up. it is a power, or. as ora
tors say, an empirical truth that II
pays TO care for the interests OF the
men who make the goods you sell. and
we act on that principle. 1t Is remotely
possible that the general dissemination
Of this truth may be the solvent of the
labor question"