Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-06
MADE ON A SHOESTRING"
Interesting Facts About a Necessary
Article.
POINTS EVEN WISE OVERLOOK
why Some ShOestrings Are Too Long
and Some Turn BrOwn-PrOfits
They Have YieIded-The
Secure Knot.

About as long as a string is an in
definite expression unless It refers to a
shoostring. A shoestring is six-fourths
long when you do not specify the length
required. Further research would most
likely answer the question, six-fourths of
what?
When a man buys a new pair OF shoes
the strings in them are just long enough.
When he buys the next pair of shoestrings
they are too long. The strings that come
with the shoes are four-fourths long; the
next pair will be ssix-fourths unless you
ask for and can get four-fourths. These
lengths have to do with mems high shoes.
There is not the same trouble as to low
shoes.
Some shoestrings are very strong and
will wear a dong time, but they will turn
brown, Others will not wear so long, but
they will retain their original blackness
The strong ones that turn brown are of
linen or very strong cotton TIL others are
of mixed fibres that hold their color.
Many persons prefer the less durable
shoestring, not only because 1t holds its
color, but becaI Sc, being of a less hard
fibre, 1t stays tied better than the other. A
few Of the millions of shoestring wearers
know how to tie a bowknot that won't
come united. The method can be explained
without a diagram.
Irstead of tuckipg the bow once over
before drawing the knot tight, tuck it twice
over. A fiddlestring used for a shoe lace
would not come united If the knot were
made in the same way as the other, by
pulling at the ends.
The hooks above the eyelets were a very
profitable invention, but not for the in
ventor, the shoe manufactures or the con-
sumner. The story of that invention has
been printed many times. II 1t were not
fairly accurate 1t would nave been contra
dicted.
The story has 1t that the hook was de-
vised by a man somewhere in the west and
tina the idea was sold for a song to a
travelling salesman who happened to come
along. Various versions of the story give
the amount paid as from $50 to $3.50. The
story says that the salesman patented the
device and that in some years after its
introduction and before the patent ran out
the profit from 1t was about $4,000 a year.
The invention was improbable for manu-
facturers of shoes, because all had to use
1t, none could charge more for their shoes
with 1t than without 1t, and it did moi
increase the demand for shoes. 1t added
to the cost Of their output the amount OF
their royalties and 1t brought no return.
A man patented a hook to be used as
the last one at the top of the shoe, which
old away with the knot in the shoestring
It was like the jam cleat for fastening
small lines on sailing canoes and the strinl
would never slip, but manufacturer woulC
not adopt 1t. They said that If one used 1
all would have to use It and 1t would add
a little to the cost Of every pair of shoei
with no return.
The hook that was adopted was unprofit
able for the consumer because his shoe
strings wore out faster after II was intro
duced, but II his time was valuable Their
was compensation, because It was a tim
saver. The salesman Of the story and tn
shoestring makers reaped the harvest iron
the invention.
1t was not long ago that high top shoe
were invariably laced fishbone fashion al
the way up. Then came the over and owe
lacing from the eyelets nearest the toe 4
the hooks, with the fishbone lacing from
hook to hook. A later device was to lac
over and over to within two eyelets of tn
? hooks ind begin the fishbone lacing there
because the latter is more easily opene,
than the former.
A few young men who have prided them
selves on their display Of footgear. wear
ing fancy hose with low cut shoes an
trousers turned up. have affected lacln
their shoes with rather broad laces fror
the top of the shoe dow inward and maxim
the bow at the point nearest the toe.