Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-01-16
MAKING ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.

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 It? I
venture to say there amt another one
in Philadelphia like 1t, on or of, and
It's as light as feather, too"
With these words the creator Of ar
tificial limbs fiourished leg in the afr.
He was fat and smiling, and he spoke
with an undistinguishable foreign ac-
cent, and every once in while his
face beamed with enthusiasm.
"They all come to Philadelphia for
them, too," he continued. We've Gus
toners from all over Europe, Asia and
Africa. There are lots of leg makers
in the city-at least they call them
selves such, but some Of them are not
leg makers at all; they're harness
makers"
The august Philadelphia leg maker,
purveyor to kings, queens and govern
ment officials, took little time to show
the specimens around the room. They
were fat and thin, long and short,
graceful and otherwise. Some Of
them were huddled in corners, accu
mulating the dust of ages; others hung
aloft or racks. so light and airy that
they were waited to and fro in the
breeze.
"You see," continued the leg maker,
I'VE know how to do things now. We
have got the secret all right. First
they chop down the willow tree; then
we cut out the legs. 1t takes q heap
of flexible leather to put the tendons In
the right place. See that spring In
the ankles? That's made by the leath-
er tendons. II 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
rap came at the door, and big man,
feet 4, weighing nearly 300 pounds,
entered. He looked smilingly COM
plaisant as he lighted cigarette and
shook hands with the leg maker.
"Can you do rush order for me,
double quick?" he asked. I've come
through a tough fight" he went on.
"You know I always travel with
bunch of legs and coming up this way
from New Orleans the Pullman car was
burned and all four Of my legs were
lost. only saved the one had on and
now you've got to get to work to make
another set for me double quick"
With an air Of languor and ease the
big man stood to have himself meas
ured:
"Do you know who he is% question
ed he. of the leg trade, after the pom
derous man had gone. well, he Is the
son of one Of the richest women In the
United States He lost his leg through
disease, and he always comes to Phil
adelphia to have his sets made. Plain,
ordinary boxes do for most people to
cart their leg around in but he's got
fine leather cases with his name en-
graved upon them.
"Do many Of them go into 1t on such
wholesale plan" was queried Of the
leg maker.
Heaps of them" he replied, lacon-
ically. Some of them can do anything
with 'em. There's one young man In
this city who belongs to a glee club
and they tell me he's the best dancer
of Irish jigs in the town. He was
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. be-
cause there Is not one woman In Phila-
delphia that 1 can find who knows the
trade. Pity too, because there's mon
ey in It, A good leg maker ought 70
make at least $25 per week.
There are six or seven men In pub
lie life, we'll known, who wear artificial
limbs. None but their intimate friends
and families know 1t, however. One
young lady in Philadelphia who led
number Of dances last winter has an
artificial leg. It Is easy to waltz with
one after you learn how to use them.
"Oh, yes, artificial leg making is the
thing for me-" concluded the leg mak-
er. "I started out as a fine carpenter,
doing up banks and public buildings
and one day went into a place IN
New York to order an artificial limb
for a friend in distress. The maker
was a doctor. strange to say. He sized
me up and I sized him up, and In
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 it would be for some
tinhorn maker to produce Stradivar-
ius"-Shoe Retailer.