Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-02-04


skins pass through these 800 tanneries,
and when finished into leather they arc
worth a quarter billion dollars. 1t re-
iQuires 10000 cords of tanbark and and
$4,000 barrels of extract to meet the de-
mands OF the American tanner in the
conversion of these hides and skins inso
Heather Two-thirds of the tanbark used
Is from the hemlock tree, which shows
that the forests are levied upon heavily.
The quebracho tree yields a valuable tan
ming extract and the American tanner
already is established in the South Amer
lican woods gathering this staple.
| Philadelphia is the hub OF the leather
world. The goat skins used there each
year would suffice to cover a procession
lof goats reaching from the most northerly
point of Alaska to the most southerly
point Of Patagonia. Other kinds of hides
and skins may become scarce or rare,
lbut the goat is always ready with a sup
ply equal to the demand. The kid shoes
men wear are usually made from goat
skins
4 gentleman in Philadelphia owns a
saddle that was made from the skin OF a
human being. 1t is presumed that he
got this skin from some medical school,
He employed one of the best saddlers IN
philadelphia to do the work. When the
Job was nearing completion the saddle
maker asked what kind Of leather it was
lit had such a fine grain and such
smooth feel" When he learned that it
was human skin he threw up the job. La
tier another man was employed to finish
the saddle, but the employer was care
lful not OF let him know what it was
made Of Many medical students have
little trinhets of leather made from hui
man skin. but this Philadelphia saddle
T. he la nnNx Of ifQ l. nd in
the world.
Newark. n. j.. stands at the forefront
as an alligator leather center. over 250,-
600 aIIigators annually surrender their
lives to the needs OF the Newark tan
neries and factories. The saurians have
a fashion Of sleeping with their heads
slightly above the water, and in the
darkness OF a moonless night their eyes
form phosphorescent lights which af-
ford a splendid target for the hunter. At
one fime only the belly side OF the alliga-
tor skin could be used. But the tanner
has learned how 10 get the hard scales
of the back. with the result that the
most valuable part of the tanned skin
is that which formerly was rejected.
The snakeskin hunter exercises much in
genuity. He takes a forked stick and
pinions the snakes head to the ground.
Then ne puts a pinch of snuff into the
reptiles mouth and the nicotine produces
instant death by paralysis. thus saving
! the skin intact.
The invention OF the chrome process OF
leather making will be the means Of
saving millions of trees to the forests.
! Instead of vegetable tanning extracts. q
mineral substance is used. 1t effectively
tans the hides and in addition renders
the leather porous enough for the adj
mission of air, but tight enough for the
/ exclusion of water Who does not re-
member the days when boots and shoes
had to be creased to keep the leather
soft and pliable?
The most costly leather in the world Is
] known to the trade as plano leather. The
old and the new world must unite in it's
making. A family of German tanners
hold the secret of its preparation, ana It
can be made only from the skin of the
American gray deer found in the vicinity
of the Great Lakes. The tanners have
an agency at Detroit where the skins
are purchased from the Indians and half
breeds. The leather is used exclusively
for covering piano keys.
An eastern shoe house has put out a
line of ladies' opera shoes which are 10
retail at $50 per pair. Not all of the
Intrinsic value of these shoes comes from
the leather that is in them, nor from the
workmanship. The gold and pearl trim
mings and jet beads are what bring the
cost up so high. One shoemaker has
turned out pair of shoes costing 5000,
but their principal value lies in the dia-
monds with which the vamps and heels
are studded. In certain kinds of shoes
the leather is made rough by being
ground on rapidly revolving emery
wheels. The grinders have TO wear silk
masks or wetted sponges over their faces
to keep the dust from their lungs II is
expected that bronze shoe leather will
be the vogue during the coming summer
season.
While great strides have been made
in the methods OF tanning leather, II
must be conceded that the Indian per-
fected the art TO degree never yet at
tanned by the white tanner. Some years
ago a Sioux Indian chief produced q
piece OF buck-skin that had been tanned
so years before by a member of his
tribe A leading leather expert COM
pared II with the best buck-skin he
could purchase in the market, and
stated that the Indian leather was SUI
perior in pliability and every other par
ticular. Specimens OF Chinese leather
1900 years old are as soft and pliable
today as they were when new.
! Special methods or tanning are re-
quired in making some of the big driv-
ing belts used in factories. What Is
! believed to be the biggest belt ever
made was turned out recently by New
York firm for a lumber mill in Louis
lana. Five hundred and forty specially
selected Texas steer hides were used in
making this belt. 1t is 24O feet long
6 feet wide and cost $500.
The feathers which are used for la
dies gloves. and also for mems hnel