The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-02
A Virginian Page for Each Member of the Family

BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN.

No other industry has shown great
er strides Of growth during the past
fifty years than that of leather-mak-
ing, The demands OF the Individual
for leather products not only have
multiplied many fold. but the list OF
leather users is being extended with
each passing year. Leather follows
civilization. and hundreds OF thou
sands of barbarians are being con-
verified to its use each year. The re-
suit Is a scarcity OF leather producing
animals. They have not multiplied
as rapidly a. the demand for their
hides. ana the tanner is forced to ran
sack the world for animals that hith-
Of the sea nor the serpents of the
forest have escaped the tanners
search. The porpoise and the small
whale are in favor. and the boa con-
strictor. the rattlesnake. the cobra
and the viper have not been dan
gerous enough to scare the skin
hunter away.
The automobile industry affords
one illustration of the increasing de-
mand for leather and its products.
Ten years ago there were about 1000
States, now there are nearly zoe, Geo.
Each of these machines has required
leather in its construction, and re-
qutres even more in the accessories.
The sartorfal art Journals declare that
automobiling has brought into vogue
the leather vest, which Is going to be
the fashion during the coming sea-
son. O
Unitsd States Leads tho World.
The United States leads the world
in the production of leather, its 500
tanneries producing one-fourth of the
worlds supply. Every year nearly
400, 100000 hides and skins pass
through these 600 tanneries. and
when finished into leather they are
worth 4 quarter billion dollars It
requires 100000 cords Of tanbark
and $4,000 barrels of extract to
meet the demands Of the American
tanner in the conversion of these
hides and skins into leather Two
thirds of the tanbark used Is from
the hemiock tree, which shows that
the forests are levied upon heavily.
The quebracho tree yields a valuable
tanning extract and the American
tanner already Is established In the
South American woods gathering this
staple.
Philadelphia is the hub of the ieath-
err world. The goat skins used there
each year would suffice to cover q
procession Of goats reaching from the
most northerly point Of Alaska to the
most southerty point of Patagonia.
Other kinds of hides and skins NAV
become scarce FaFe.hut the Eeat
Is always ready with supply equal
to the demand. The kid shoes men
| wear are usually made from goat
skins
Human Skin Saddle.
A gentleman in Philadelphia owns
| saddle that was made from the
| skin of q human being. It is pre-
| suined that he got this skin from some
medical school,. He employed one OF
| the best saddlers in Philadel phia- to
| to do the work. When the job was
nearing completion the saddlemaker
asked what kind of leather II was
| 1t had such a fins grain and such a
| smooth feel" When he learned that
| II was human skin he threw up the
! Job. Later. another man was employ
ed to finish the saddle, hut the en-
Rieyef Was careful not to let hin,
know what 1t was made of. Many
medical studenss- have nttle trinkets
of leather made from human skin,
| but this Philadelphia saddle is said
| to be the only one of its kind In the
| world.
| The invention Of the chrome pro-
| cess of ieather-making will be the
means of saving millions Of trees to
| the forests. Instead OF vegetable tan
| ming extracts, a mineral substance Is
used 1t effectively tans the hides
| and In addition renders the leather
| porous enough for the admission OF
air. but tight enough for the exclu-
| sion OF water. Who does not remem-
| Der the days when boots and shoes